The fascinating remains of the medieval castle in Les Baux de Provence (France) are located on one of the most imposing outcrops in the Alpilles : a chain of hills that constitute the last foothills of the Alps before plunging down towards the Rhone valley and its delta. The area's strategic importance led to its fortification during the Iron Age and became a citadel for the lords of Provence in the Middle Ages. Their castle towered above the city, which was erected around its walls. However its power and importance were, in a sense, the cause of its downfall, since the disobedience of the Counts of Provence provoked the anger of the Cardinal de Richelieu. This led to the destruction of the castle of Les Baux de Provence (France) in 1632.
At its peak in the 13th century, the town of Les Baux de Provence, in France, had over 3,000 inhabitants but it was gradually deserted. Because of this, there were only 64 people living in Les Baux de Provence, in France, by 1931. Nowadays, many visitors come to admire the remarkable landscape. Over one million visitors each year from all over the world witness the patient restoration and protection of the remains of the old village of Les Baux de Provence.
The road that goes to the North, in the direction of Maillane and of Avignon, follows the Val d'Enfer and goes back down to the north of the Alpilles towards the fertile plain of Châteaurenard. The name Val d'Enfer, which according to the legend inspired Dante in "The Divine Comedy", is enough to describe the valley's tortured natural forms. However, from time to time, next to the eroded, strange shapes, flat, vertical surfaces, incongruous right angles, can be made out among the curves shaped by the wind.