What to See & Do
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Overall Appeal ★★★★☆
| Name | Appeal | Type | Visit | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Town Center | ★★★★★ | Walking Around | Self | Free |
| 02 | Cooking Class | ★★★★★ | Cooking Class | Class | Paid |
| 03 | St. Paul Monastery | ★★★☆☆ | Priory + Garden + Paintings | Self | Paid |
| 04 | Glanum | ★★★☆☆ | Roman Town Ruin | Self | Paid |
| 05 | Food Market | ★★☆☆☆ | Food Market | Self | Free |
| 06 | Van Gogh Trail | ★★☆☆☆ | Walking + Paintings | Self | Free |
| 07 | St. Martin Church | ★☆☆☆☆ | Church | Self | Free |
| 08 | Estrine Museum | ★☆☆☆☆ | Museum - Modern Art | Self | Paid |
| 09 | Alpilles Museum | ★☆☆☆☆ | Museum - Ethnographic | Self | Paid |
| 10 | Hotel de Sade Museum | ★☆☆☆☆ | Museum - Roman | Self | Paid |
| 11 | Les Antiques | ★☆☆☆☆ | Arch | Outside | Free |
| 12 | Art Galleries | ★☆☆☆☆ | Art Gallery | Self | Free |
01. Town Center
Appeal ★★★★★
Type Walking Around
Visit Self
Cost Free
The town center of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is like a village, typically Provençal, brimming with charm and historic ambiance. Its narrow streets, lined with quaint shops, cafés and art galleries, invite leisurely exploration and a taste of local life.
02. Cooking Class
Appeal ★★★★★
Type Cooking Class
Visit Class
Cost Paid
The Cooking Class offers a hands-on culinary experience, immersing you in the rich flavors of Provençal cuisine. Led by a chef, you’ll learn to prepare traditional dishes using fresh, local ingredients.
03. St. Paul Monastery (Van Gogh)
Appeal ★★★☆☆
Type Priory + Garden + Painting,
Visit Self
Cost Paid
The St. Paul-de-Mausole Monastery is located outside the town center, to the south of the town. The site is known for having been a psychiatric health facility, where Van Gogh stayed for a year, from May 1889 to May 1890.
The artist created over 150 works there, and reproductions of some of these are displayed in the monastery’s garden.
The site also features a cloister, and on the upper floor, visitors can see a reconstruction of Van Gogh’s room.
04. Glanum
Appeal ★★★☆☆
Type Roman Town Ruin
Visit Self
Cost Paid
Glanum is an archaeological site of the ruins of an ancient Roman town located just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Glanum was founded in the 6th century BCE by the local Celts. The site experienced Greek influences due to its proximity to the city of Marseille, which was founded by the Greeks at that time.
From the 2nd century BCE, Glanum came under Roman control and developed further. The site ceased to be occupied from the 3rd century CE due to devastation by the Germanic tribes.
The remains are mostly from the Roman period, including ruins of baths, the forum, houses, and temples, which provide an insight into what a small town of that era was like.
05. Food Market
Appeal ★★☆☆☆
Type Food Market
Visit Self
Cost Free
The town’s food market takes place on Wednesday mornings at Place de la République square and the surrounding streets, in the heart of the historic center.
06. Van Gogh Trail
Appeal ★★☆☆☆
Type Walking + Paintings,
Visit Self
Cost Free
A 1.5km – 1mi pedestrian trail dedicated to Van Gogh connects the town center to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Monastery (number 03 of this page). Around fifteen signs display reproductions of his works near the landscapes and subjects that inspired him.
07. St. Martin Church
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Church
Visit Self
Cost Free
The Church of St. Martin was built in the 14th century, but only its Gothic bell tower remains as it was rebuilt in the 19th century after a collapse.
08. Estrine Museum
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Modern Art Musuem
Visit Self
Cost Paid
The Musée Estrine is dedicated to modern and contemporary paintings.
It also features a section devoted to Van Gogh, with documentation, iconography, and projections about the artist’s life and work.
The museum is housed in an 18th-century mansion of the same name.
09. Alpilles Museum
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Ethnographic Museum
Visit Self
Cost Paid
The museum presents an ethnographic collection that delves into the cultural and historical aspects of the Alpilles region. Its exhibits include artifacts and displays that illustrate traditional lifestyles and customs, providing context to the local heritage.
10. Hotel de Sade Museum
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Roman Museum
Visit Self
Cost Paid
The museum is dedicated to local Roman history, showcasing artifacts from the excavations at the Glanum site (number 04 of this page), including busts, statues, mosaics, and more.
It is housed in a 16th-century Renaissance-style mansion.
11. Les Antiques
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Arch
Visit Outside only
Cost Free
The term Les Antiques refers to a Triumphal Arch and a Mausoleum dedicated to a prominent family of the time, which stood at the entrance to the Roman town of Glanum (number 04 of this page).
12. Art Galleries
Appeal ★☆☆☆☆
Type Art Gallery,
Visit Self
Cost Free
The town is also known for its artistic presence, featuring the largest concentration of artist studios and art galleries in the south of France.
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Best Things to Do in Marseille
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Things to Do in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
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