Getting Medieval In Les Baux Des Provence

After several days hanging out in Aix, we decided to rent a car for some Provençal‎ day trips from Aix, parking in a nearby parking garage overnight. Although we love Aix, there is just SO much more to see!

Our first day trip was to the breathtaking rocky hilltown of Les Baux. The name of this amazing town literally means, "rocky spur". It is a town built on a massive rock rising from the surrounding plains. It is often used as a movie set and featured in most aerial films of France. Due to it's defensive position, the site has been inhabited for a really long time. Evidence of habitation have been found back as far as 6000 B.C. The town became the seat of powerful feudal lords during the Middle Ages. They claimed to be descendants of the Magi, which is why they placed the Star of Bethlehem on their coat of arms. After they were overthrown, the city fell into ruin. It came alive again during the Renaissance and the town was known for it's exquisite court, which exhibited high levels of chivalry. The town again fell into ruin, which is all that remains today. It's beauty, history, and charm keep the tourists coming though.

We really enjoyed walking around Les Baux. As Monsieur Bacon said, it's like an adult Disney World/Medieval Times restaurant done well, complete with many realistic reproductions of the Middle Ages, like costumes, sword fights, battering rams, and working trebuchets, including one that is the largest in Europe. The sun was bright and warm (thank God we remembered sunscreen!) and the views were incredible. The lavender is almost in bloom. We can't wait to see these fields in purple!

St. Blaise Chapel, which plays a lovely 13 minute aerial movie of Provence inside :

Yay, homeschooling! Lessons in trebuchets and battering rams:

And our 3 year old's favorite spot, "The Robber Time Out". We seriously worry about that kid sometimes:

Although Les Baux has given itself up entirely to the tourist trade, it's not too cheesy. It's ruins remain an evocative reminder of the past and the town does a great job of keeping the kiddos interested. It's also beautiful, plain and simple.