Chateau des Baux

Ruined hilltop castle with trebuchets and sweeping views

The ruined castle occupies the highest point of the plateau and covers roughly two thirds of it. The site includes a keep, fortified towers, a Romanesque chapel, and a collection of reconstructed trebuchets and catapults that look ready to use. The views from the ramparts are magnificent — olive groves and vineyards stretching south toward Arles, the wild ridges of Les Alpilles to the north. Allow at least an hour.

Entry is paid; the ticket also covers a small museum inside. Open year-round.

things to do sight
A story
The lords of Les Baux were among the most powerful nobles in medieval Provence — and among the most feared. They claimed descent from Balthazar, one of the Three Magi, and put a Star of Bethlehem on their coat of arms. At their peak in the 12th century they held sway over 79 towns. By 1481, after decades of conflict, the last lord had died heirless and King Louis XI ordered the castle demolished. Visitors in the 16th century reported the ruins still visible from miles away.