Carrières des Lumières Immersive Art Tickets Les Baux-de-Provence

The Carrières des Lumières quarries

For centuries the pale limestone of the Val d’Enfer was cut from this hillside to build the castle and houses of Les Baux-de-Provence, and quarrying continued here until the 1930s. What remains is a vast hall of smooth, square-cut walls and massive pillars, several storeys high, hidden behind a cliff face just below the village. In 2012 the space opened as the Carrières des Lumières, turning the quarry into one of the most original art venues in Provence.

Inside, dozens of projectors and a powerful sound system cover every surface with moving images, so you walk through the artworks rather than looking at them on a wall. Many travellers ask whether the Carrières des Lumières are worth visiting: the scale of the stone and the darkness of the quarry make this immersive art experience quite different from city exhibitions.

The current programme: Matisse and Frida Kahlo

This season the quarry becomes a monumental setting for the work of Henri Matisse, often called the master of colour. The show traces his journey from the bright interiors painted in Nice to the paper cut-outs of his final years, with blues, reds and greens sweeping across the stone to a soundtrack that blends classical and contemporary music. Younger visitors love the moving colours, while art lovers rediscover the painter from a new angle.

Right after the main show comes a short programme on Frida Kahlo, an explosion of colours, symbols and emotions that explores the intimacy and creative power of the Mexican artist. Programmes change each year, so the content of your Carrières des Lumières tickets always follows the exhibition running on your date; both shows play in a loop all day.

Planning your visit

Choose a time slot between 10:00 and 16:30 and arrive at the entrance on Route de Maillane, just below the village. Most visitors spend about an hour inside, enough to watch the main programme and the short one; you can stay to see them again. The quarries are cool all year, around 14 to 16°C in the show hall, so bring a warm layer even in summer, and wear comfortable clothes.

The venue is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility, and assistance dogs are welcome, though other pets are not. Immersive light shows may pose risks for people with epilepsy and are not recommended for children under 2. School groups often visit on weekday mornings, so afternoons and weekends can be calmer for families; the Carrières des Lumières are open daily.

Les Baux-de-Provence and the Alpilles

Les Baux-de-Provence is one of the most striking hilltop villages in France, built on a rocky spur of the Alpilles with the ruins of its medieval castle on the crest and narrow lanes of old stone houses below. From the quarry it is a short walk up to the village, where you can explore the castle, the churches and the viewpoints over the olive groves of the Vallée des Baux.

If you are planning a Les Baux-de-Provence day trip, the village is about 20 km from Arles, around 10 km from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and some 30 km from Avignon; a car is the easiest way to get there, with paid parking near the quarry. The best time to visit is spring or autumn, when the light is soft and the lanes are quieter.