In May 1889, Vincent van Gogh admitted himself to the monastery hospital outside Saint-Rémy. The year he stayed became one of the most productive in art history. Today the town is the main hub of the Alpilles – and one of Provence's most sought-after addresses.
In this story · 4 sections
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence lies at the northern foot of the Alpilles, the low, white mountain range between Avignon and Arles in Bouches-du-Rhône. The town has around 9,600 inhabitants, an old centre within a ring of plane tree-lined boulevards, and a history that runs from the Romans via Nostradamus to Vincent van Gogh. It is the main town of the Alpilles, and for many it is the best place to stay for those who want to experience Provence beyond the coast.
It is also one of Provence's most sought-after addresses for those who want to buy. The property market, address by address, can be found on VERA PI's page about Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Saint-Rémy in figures
- Van Gogh at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
- May 1889 – May 1890
- Residents
- around 9,600
- Villas and houses, median per m²
- 5,714 euros
- Flats, median per m²
- 4,384 euros
- Holiday homes
- 22 per cent
01Saint-Paul-de-Mausole: Van Gogh's year
In May 1889, following the crisis in Arles, Vincent van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, an old monastery just south of the town that was then a hospital. He stayed until May 1890. During that year he painted the garden, the olive groves, the cypresses and the Alpilles from his window and the surroundings – and it was here that he painted The Starry Night, in June 1889.
The monastery is still a care facility, but parts of it are open to visitors: the Romanesque church, the cloister and a reconstruction of Van Gogh's room. Along the road from the town there are signs with reproductions of the paintings at the spots where they were made. It is a simple walk and one of the most moving art visits in Provence.
02Glanum and Les Antiques
Right next to the monastery lies Glanum, the ruins of a Roman town with Greek and Gallic roots. By the road stand Les Antiques, a Roman mausoleum and a triumphal arch that are among the best preserved in France. The excavations extend into a valley in the Alpilles, and from the highest point there is a view over the plain to the north.
Saint-Rémy is also the birthplace of Nostradamus. The prophet and physician was born here in the early 1500s, and his birth house is in the old town.
03The town and the Alpilles
The old town is small and easy to walk around, with galleries, interior design shops, cafés and restaurants in narrow lanes. The boulevards around it are liveliest on Wednesdays, when the market with fruit, cheese, olives and fabrics fills the streets. Saint-Rémy has long attracted artists, designers and celebrities – among those who have lived here is Princess Caroline of Monaco.
Around the town, the Alpilles spread out, with olive groves, vineyards and limestone cliffs. The mountains are protected as a regional nature park, and the hiking trails from Saint-Rémy climb through pine forest to views over the whole of Provence. Les Baux-de-Provence lies on the other side of the mountains, a short drive south.
04Saint-Rémy according to VERA PI
According to VERA PI, which is based on the French tax authority's register of property transactions, 912 homes were sold in Saint-Rémy from January 2021 to June 2026. The median price for villas and houses is 5,714 euros per square metre, for flats 4,384 euros. Over the past twelve months, the villa median has stood at 5,552 euros, 11.4 per cent lower than the previous year, based on 112 sales.
22 per cent of the properties are holiday homes – significantly fewer than in the villages of the Luberon, where the proportion is often around 40 per cent. Saint-Rémy is a town that lives all year round. Compare with Les Baux-de-Provence and Maussane-les-Alpilles on the other side of the mountains.
More destinations can be found among metromode.co's destinations, and on site, Metro Mode Camera can show where Van Gogh stood when he painted.
