Art, history and light: Provence from Château de Montcaud

The Roman Roots of Provence

Let’s start with what immediately catches the eye, or rather, what takes your breath away. Less than 30 minutes away from the Château, the Pont du Gard stands tall just as it has since the first century AD: 50 metres high, with three tiers of perfect arches and an enduring ability to make you feel tiny in the face of Roman genius. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it was once part of a 52 kilometre aqueduct connecting Uzès to Nîmes. Today, it's one of France’s most visited - and moving - monuments.

Nîmes and the Museum of Roman Culture

As you continue to Nîmes, less than an hour’s drive away, the famous Roman amphitheatre stands waiting, still vibrant, as it continues to host performances, just as it did two thousand years ago. Directly opposite, the Museum of Roman Culture is a destination in its own right. From 11th June, 2026, it has been hosting an exceptional exhibition in partnership with the Louvre: Roman Art from the Louvre: A world of Images. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to discover that Roman art was never merely decorative: every object, mosaic and sculpture carried specific meaning, function and message.

Orange and its Ancient Theatre

Then, there’s Orange, a 30-minute drive away. Its Roman Theatre, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains one of the best-preserved in the world. It boasts nine thousand seats, a monumental stage wall and acoustics that have lost none of their brilliance. Indeed, the Chorégies d'Orange - France’s oldest opera festival - continues to showcase great voices there every summer.

Avignon and Arles: two cities, two worlds

Just 40 minutes from the Château, Avignon is a world unto itself. The Palais des Papes, Europe’s largest Gothic palace, impresses as much with its sheer scale as with its exquisite detail. There is the Pont Saint-Bénézet (the famous Pont d’Avignon), the Musée du Petit Palais with its collection of early Italian art, and narrow streets where every stone tells the story of a different century. And of course, every July the Avignon Festival transforms the entire city into an open-air stage.

Arles, a little further south, presents a completely different character. It's the city that inspired Van Gogh, the place where Frank Gehry’s LUMA Foundation engages in a dialogue with Roman ruins and the city that became the world capital of photography thanks to the Rencontres d'Arles festival. It's that blend of the ancient and the contemporary that's simply unlike anything else.

Living art in the garrigue

Our region’s culture isn’t limited to its major cities. Some of the most striking experiences are tucked away in more unexpected locations.

Les Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence

At Les Baux-de-Provence, les Carrières des Lumières literally immerses you in art. In 2026, Picasso takes over the limestone walls with Picasso, Art in Motion, a forty-minute immersive experience featuring over 450 works, followed by a short programme dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Images glide across the walls, floor and ceiling; you are no longer just looking at art; you are right inside it.

The Anselm Kiefer Foundation in Barjac

Then, there is a secret we particularly love sharing with our guests: Anselm Kiefer’s Eschaton Foundation in Barjac. One of the greatest living artists has transformed his former studio into a forty-hectare estate featuring over ninety art spaces connected by paths, tunnels and underground crypts. It is monumental, contemplative and profoundly moving. A place unlike any museum, because it isn’t one.

Montcaud, at the heart of it all

What makes our location so special is the generous landscape surrounding us: Uzès is just 25 minutes away, the Pont du Gard and Barjac a mere 30 minutes, Avignon 40 minutes, Orange 30 minutes and Nîmes one hour. Each moment can take on a different character - Roman in the morning, contemporary in the afternoon and Provençale in the evening upon your return, as golden light envelops the Château’s grounds.

We are not a hotel that offers excursions, however, we are a starting point. A base from which to venture out at your own pace, depending on your mood. And each evening, you return with that delightful feeling of having discovered something new, while also reconnecting with something familiar.

Isn’t that, after all, the luxury of simplicity?