http://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en
Les Baux de Provence is a pretty village in the Alpilles with an impressive chateau. It is south-west of St Rémy de Provence, a chic and exquisite archetypal Provencal village, if a bit touristy. The two are about 45 minutes due south of Avignon and well worth visiting.
The main attraction here to us, though is the “Carrières de Lumières”. Just past the village of Les Baux, coming from the south-east, is an old quarry that has been very imaginatively converted into an “immersive art exhibition”; (don’t let that put you off; it’s not sharks in formaldehyde)..
The quarry is a set of massive interlocking caverns with smooth white walls. Famous works of art are projected on to these walls in exceptionally high definition and are gently animated to the accompaniment of a well chosen sound track. You can walk in Van Gogh’s wheat fields and sit by the water on his starry night. It is a really astounding and all enveloping experience.
The programme changes every year; we saw Breughel and Hieronyomous Bosch in 2018 and Van Gogh and a selection of Japanese “dream” art in 2019. Amazing. Allow two hours for a visit. You can come out into the sun at one stage for a coffee and toilets. It is pretty cold in the quarry though so take a warm jacket.
Costs €14 each or $12 for seniors. There’s plenty of room inside but there may be queues at peak periods. Tickets can be got on-line with a fixed time slot; recommended. Parking is not easy, you may have to park in the road and walk a bit; go early or at lunch time.
Stop at St Rémy on the way back for sundowners and a walk along the Van Gogh trail – sites of some of his most famous paintings. Also where he spent time in the asylum.