Roman Ruins of Glanum: Exploring an Ancient City in Provence
How to Spend a Day Exploring the Roman Ruins of Glanum
We love a good walkable city, but there’s something about getting out into the landscape that gives a trip more substance. That’s especially true in Provence, where small villages and historical sites dominate the list of things to do. This easy day trip to explore the Roman ruins of Glanum was one of our favorite days during our time in the region – a perfect mix of small-town charm, impressive history, and a bit of scenic movement.
For this day trip, you’ll head to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, starting with a market stroll and brunch. Then, venture just outside town to walk the ancient Roman city of Glanum. if you’ve got extra time, squeeze in some critical Van Gogh history to round out the day!
The Roman Ruins of Glanum
Glanum, just outside Saint-Rémy, was founded by the Gauls and later developed under Greek and Roman influence. The ruins today include a sacred spring, a basilica, Roman baths, and residential quarters. One particularly photogenic monuments – the Triumphal Arch – marks the entrance to the site.
Walking the Roman Ruins of Glanum: A Great Soft Adventure
This day trip is classic soft adventure: a little bit of climbing, a lot of walking, and total immersion in local history and landscape. You’ll be up and moving, but nothing is too strenuous – just what we love about soft adventure travel.
And unlike many historical sites, Glanum rewards curiosity and a sense of wonder. They aren’t overrun with crowds either, which makes the experience feel more personal. During our visit to Glanum in late June, we found the site to be pretty manageable in terms of crowds. If you’ve visited popular Roman ruins in Rome, it might like you’ve got Glanum to yourself!
This itinerary requires walking through the ruins of Glanum. If you’re looking for more movement in your day, consider adding a morning walk around Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, or walking from Saint-Rémy to Glanum (about a 20 minute walk).
Plan Your Visit: A Day Trip Itinerary
This can be done in a few hours if you move quickly, but we’d recommend making a full day of it.
🥐 Start in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Market & Brunch)
Start with a stroll and breakfast or brunch in Saint-Rémy. Wednesday is market day, so if you can, plan your visit then to enjoy a bit of shopping and a lively local atmosphere. The market features a wide variety of vendors, from fresh produce and regional foods to handcrafted goods. Estimated time: 2-3 hours.
🏛️ Explore Glanum (Roman Ruins in Provence)
After exploring town, head just outside Saint-Rémy to Glanum for your first taste of Roman ruins in Provence. Park in the nearby lots, then stop at the visitor center to buy tickets, grab a map, and use the restroom before entering the site. Click here for more information on visiting Glanum. Estimated time: 2 hours.
🎨 Optional Detour: Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole (Van Gogh Site)
Next, you can either drive directly to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse or make a short detour to Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole, the psychiatric asylum where Vincent van Gogh was a self-admitted patient. We highly recommend the detour, especially because it’s essentially adjacent to Glanum.
We walked the peaceful grounds outside the monastery and saw the very views that inspired some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, including Starry Night. If time allows, consider going inside. Estimated time: 1-2 hours.
🚘 We highly recommend having a car for this day trip. While it’s possible to piece it together with buses and taxis, you’ll have far more flexibility – and enjoy the countryside more – if you’re driving. See our guide on renting a car in Provence for helpful tips.
If you follow the full itinerary, expect a 5-7 hour day trip. If you’re short on time, breeze through Saint-Rémy and focus entirely on the Roman ruins of Glanum.
What to Wear & Pack
This is a relaxed but active day. You can get by without activewear – just be sure to wear clothing that’s comfortable for walking, and sturdy shoes. In addition, we recommend;
- Sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat)
- Water. There’s little shade at either site, so pack a reusable water bottle and fill on the go. We love this tiny Nalgene bottle for this very purpose.
- Camera or phone to capture the great views and historic sites
If you’re traveling in warmer months, the heat can creep up on you, especially in the more exposed ruins, so prep accordingly.
Our Experience Exploring Roman Ruins of Glanum
Market day in Saint-Rémy
We started our day by driving from our apartment rental in Goult to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, which is a lovely base or stop in its own right.
We visited on a Wednesday – market day in Saint-Rémy! If you can time your visit for a Wednesday morning, the weekly market fills the streets with produce, local goods, and Provencal energy.
We wandered the stalls and then sat down for a relaxed outdoor lunch before setting off toward the Roman sites.
Visiting the Roman City of Glanum
Just outside town, we arrived at Glanum, where we found easy parking in a nearby lot and walked over to the visitor center.
There, we bought tickets, used the restroom, and picked up a brochure with a site map – which turned out to be really helpful as we explored the ruins.
Glanum is more than 2,000 years old, with origins tracing back to the 6th or 7th century BC. It was first inhabited by the Gallics, then the Greeks, and later the Romans. As an archaeological site, though, Glanum is relatively young – excavations didn’t begin until 1921.
Having visited major ruin sites in places like Rome, this one felt far more intimate – in both size and crowd. We were free to roam among the remnants of an ancient city, including a forum, market, fountain, houses with pools, and more.
The complex is well marked, with signs and illustrations that help you picture what each ruin once looked like.
After exploring up close, we climbed a small hill overlooking the site and were rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view of the ancient city below.
Before leaving, we stopped back inside the visitor center to check out a few small exhibits – then made our way to a nearby site with additional cultural and historical significance.
Detour to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole (Van Gogh history)
Just next to Glanum, you’ll find Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, the monastery where Vincent van Gogh stayed for psychiatric treatment during his year in Saint-Rémy (1889–1890). During his time here, he painted more than 150 works, including Starry Night.
We didn’t go inside the monastery, but we strolled the peaceful, tree-lined paths outside and took in the same Alpilles views that Van Gogh once painted. It was an unexpectedly moving break in our day of visiting Roman ruins in Provence – quiet, reflective, and deeply connected to place.
As a quick aside: if you’re like Liz and don’t usually seek out art museums, but appreciate history, this felt like the perfect blend. It was almost like an open-air history-and-art museum, where you could literally stand in the same spots that inspired one of the world’s most famous painters.
Final Thoughts: Wandering the Roman Ruins of Glanum
If you’re craving a day that blends movement, history, and stunning scenery, this easy day trip exploring Roman ruins of Glanum is a perfect fit. From strolling the market in Saint-Rémy to wandering ancient streets in Glanum, the day invites curiosity and connection.
What stood out most to us was how uncrowded and immersive Glanum felt. Without big tour groups or long lines, we could take our time and truly soak in each place – imagining ancient life, spotting Van Gogh’s painted views, and pausing for a photo when it felt right.
It’s the kind of soft adventure we seek out: not too strenuous, but full of depth. Whether you follow the full itinerary or mix and match, this day will leave you with more than just great photos – it gives you a tangible sense of Provence’s layers, from Roman engineering to artistic legacy. A perfect reminder that walking a place is one of the best ways to understand it.