My Favourite 6 Places for Beautiful Views in Provence

My wife and I live part of the year in St-Rémy-de-Provence, a charming town between Avignon and Marseille. We love to hike, bike, and go on picnics, and we especially love beautiful views in Provence—a place with so many! Here are a few of our favourite places for views, including links to parking spots.

The Top of the Alpilles

The Alpilles, or “little Alps,” are a small but dramatic mountain range next to St-Rémy. One of our favourite hikes is up to La Caume, one of the highest points in the Alpilles.

We’re not sporty enough to start our hike in St-Rémy but, drive to the Parking de la Caume partway up the mountains instead. From there, we follow the paved trail.

It’s about two miles to La Caume, and the route is steep in only a few places. Along the way are excellent views to the north, over St-Rémy and the surrounding countryside. There’s a magnificent view of the Rocher des Deux Trous, the giant rock with two holes that Van Gogh painted. You can walk out to it if you’d like.

La Caume is somewhat marred by a giant telecommunications tower at the top of the trail. But the views are beautiful, and you can see almost the Mediterranean Sea on a clear day.

Les Baux and Hell Valley

Les Baux-de-Provence is one of the most charming hilltop villages in Provence. Its houses and shops cluster around the ancient fortress ruins, which dominate the surrounding countryside, including the rocky landscape of the Val d’Enfer (Hell Valley).

One of the best views of Les Baux is at a spot about a half mile from the famous Carrières des Lumières immersive art show. Val and I would like to bike from St-Rémy there, but there is also a small parking lot if you want to drive. If you visit Les Baux, the views from the fortress are also great.

The Best View of Avignon

Avignon sits along the banks of the mighty Rhône River. It has some of the most extensive medieval fortifications in Europe and is dominated by its massive Papal Palace. But if you want the best spot to view the city, it’s not in Avignon but across the river on Barthelasse Island.

Creative Commons License,©Jean-Marc Rosier from http://www.rosier.pro

Barthelasse Island is just minutes from Avignon by ferry, foot, or car. It has a grassy esplanade across from Avignon, where you have a clear line of sight to the city, with nothing blocking your view. You can see the stone cliffs that protect it and the thick walls built in the Middle Ages. Above them all is the Papal Palace, topped by its golden statue of Mary sparkling in the Provençal sunshine. If there’s a better view of Avignon, I haven’t found it.

The Special Gordes Photo Spot

Gordes is one of the highlights of a visit to the Luberon Valley, a town that starts at the top of a hill and seems to spill down the hillside. When you drive toward the town and first see it, it’s so beautiful you want to jump out of your car to take a picture. So many people did that, stopping traffic, that the town built a special pull-off area where you can park and take photos. It’s so perfect that the internet must be full of shots of people standing there, with Gordes in the background.

A Picnic in the Sky

This is our favourite picnic spot in Provence. It’s a few miles outside the hilltop village of Bonnieux, on the road to the Fôret des Cedres (Cedar Forest.) Drive up to a spot on the side of the road where a little building looks like a wooden outhouse (it’s not, but I’ve never figured out what it is.) Next to it is a spot where you can park.

Walking to the left through the trees, you’ll find a shady area to spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic. As you look out over the Luberon Valley, you’ll realize that you are so high up that you are looking down, way down, on Bonnieux—on top of a hill! No wonder the view is so good.

Luberon Villages to Visit

A Meal and a View

Lacoste is a little hilltop village dominated by a ruined château once owned by the infamous Marquis de Sade. The views are lovely from many spots, but my favourite is from the Café de France. It’s a simple place with a fantastic view, perched on the side of a hill. You can enjoy a meal, coffee, or glass of wine and gaze across at Bonnieux, looking over orchards, vineyards, and lavender fields. It’s my favourite place for a meal with a view of the Luberon.

5 Restaurants with a View in the Luberon