Les Baux: The Eagle's Nest of Provence

Les Baux-de-Provence is not a village you stumble upon. It is a village you approach with intention, following the narrow road that winds up through the limestone outcrops until suddenly the medieval citadel appears above you, almost impossible, clinging to the cliff edge as if the builders were defying gravity itself.

The village is classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France — the most beautiful villages in France — and rightly so. Every stone here has a story. The lords of Les Baux were powerful and sometimes terrifying figures in medieval Provence, claiming descent from the Magi of the Nativity and using a star as their heraldic symbol.

The Old Town

Today the village is wonderfully preserved. The honey-coloured limestone buildings glow in the afternoon sun. Boutiques sell lavender sachets and olive oil. Restaurants serve tapenade and daube. But walk to the edge of the village, away from the main street, and you can find quieter corners where the history is still palpable.