Val d'Enfer

Val d'Enfer — the Valley of Hell — is the dramatic rocky gorge immediately north of the village, its limestone cliffs eroded into pinnacles and caves. The name has existed since at least the medieval period, when the sinister appearance of the rocks gave rise to legends of demonic habitation.

The valley is worth walking for its own sake, separate from the Carrières de Lumières that are carved into its walls. The path through the valley connects Les Baux to the quarry entrance and is a pleasant 20-minute walk through genuinely strange terrain. The light in the valley is best in the morning, when the low sun hits the cliff faces directly.

things to do sight
A story
"Val d'Enfer" means Valley of Hell — named for the eerie formations of limestone pinnacles and caves that surround it. Dante is sometimes said to have drawn on the valley's reputation when imagining the Inferno, though this is disputed. What is certain is that the Carrières de Lumières were carved directly into the valley walls and that visitors walk through the same landscape that inspired generations of medieval visitors to imagine infernal geography.