St Rémy is a thriving and picturesque market town with a strong artistic tradition. Van Gogh's time in St Rémy was his most prolific, and there are still over a hundred artists working in St Rémy and the surrounding area spanning all media and subjects. A range of museums and galleries cater to all tastes, but 'must sees' for all visitors include a visit to the St Paul de Mausole asylum where Van Gogh spent his final year and the remains of the ancient Roman town of Glanum, both just outside of the town centre.
If St Rémy is about art and culture, it is also about good food and wine, fragrances, flavours, beautiful objects, and everything encapsulated in the term art de vivre. In one brief circuit of the main boulevard you will find among the faded chalky façades countless cafés and restaurants, interior design shops and several luxury food stores: you can easily while away an afternoon just wandering around the shops smelling, tasting, prodding everything from hand-made soaps and candied fruit to artisanal chocolates and truffle oils. Market days - Wednesday and Saturday - are especial convivial.
The term flànerie could have been invented for a town like St Rémy: the closest translation in English is 'idling' or 'aimless strolling' but without the implied hint of disapproval!