Transhumance in Saint Rémy-de-Provence

In May 2023, La Table des Amis de Provence offered “Transhumance in Saint Rémy-de-Provence” to members and friends.

Traditionally, shepherds start moving their flocks to higher pastures in May or early June before the warm, sunny Provençal weather dries out the grasses and water becomes scarce. Sheep and other animals spend the summer in the cooler, lusher pastures of the Alpilles before heading back down to the lowlands usually in October. The migration includes more than 3,000 sheep, a few donkeys, goats, sheepdogs and shepherds, marching down the boulevards that ring the village of Saint Remy from 10.30am from the Plateau de la Crau. What better way to watch the parade than to sit down at a table with friends on the terrace of the Bar de Tabac des Alpilles, which also happens to be known as “les comptoirs du gigot”. Patrick has reserved the best seats at the Bar Tabac for us from 11:00 a.m. to enjoy an aperitif while watching the sheep pass by close enough to Free parking all day at the St Rémy public car park, see map below.

Historical account reconstructed from La Table’s archived event materials.