Provençal village
Salon-de-Provence
The historic town of Nostradamus.
Salon-de-Provence is a town of character that blends medieval history, Renaissance heritage and modernity. Dominated by the imposing Château de l’Empéri, it reveals an unsuspected wealth of heritage as you wander its streets.
Michel de Nostredame, known as Nostradamus, lived and died in Salon. His house, now a museum, traces the life and work of this fascinating figure — astrologer, physician and prophet who continues to arouse curiosity five centuries after his death.
The old town, with its shaded fountains, mansions and lively lanes, invites a stroll back in time. The Collégiale Saint-Laurent, a 14th-century Gothic gem, holds the epitaph of Nostradamus.
Salon is also known as the home of the Patrouille de France. Air Base 701 hosts air shows every year that draw thousands of aviation enthusiasts.
Château de l’Empéri
One of the largest fortresses in Provence
Nostradamus heritage
The house-museum of the famous prophet
Old town
Lanes, fountains and mansions
Discover
TO SEE
Le Château de l’Empéri
Set on its rock, the Château de l’Empéri dominates the town and the Crau plain. It is one of the oldest and largest fortresses in Provence, built as early as the High Middle Ages. A residence of the Archbishops of Arles and later of the Germanic emperors, it owes its name to them. Today it houses a rich museum of military history and the Jardin des Simples, planted with the herbs Nostradamus used. From its terrace, the view sweeps across the town’s rooftops to the Alpilles.
The old town and the Fontaine Moussue
At the foot of the château, the old town unfurls its medieval lanes and ancient gateways. You pass beneath the Porte de l’Horloge, crowned with its wrought-iron bell cage. The 13th-century church of Saint-Michel retains a Romanesque tympanum carved with a paschal lamb. But the emblem of Salon remains the Fontaine Moussue, on the Place Crousillat: an 18th-century fountain that moss has gradually turned into a curious stone mushroom. All around, shaded terraces invite you to pause.
Experience
TO DO
On the trail of Nostradamus
The famous Nostradamus spent the last twenty years of his life in Salon, until his death in 1566. At the foot of the château, the house he bought in 1547 is now a museum tracing his work and his times. It was here that he wrote his celebrated prophecies, between medicine, science and astrology. His statue watches over a square in the old town. He rests in the Collégiale Saint-Laurent, a fine example of Provençal Gothic.
Looking up for the Patrouille de France
Salon-de-Provence is home to an air base and the École de l’air, and it is here that the Patrouille de France has been based since 1964. The French Air Force’s celebrated aerobatic team trains regularly in the skies above the town. With a little luck, you will see its jets tracing their blue, white and red trails over the rooftops. The château terrace offers one of the best vantage points from which to admire them. It is best to check training and display days beforehand.
Visiting a soap works
In Salon, savon de Marseille is not just a Marseille affair: the town is one of its major producers. Two historic soap works carry on the craft the traditional way, in great cauldrons. Some open their workshops to visitors, and one even houses a museum devoted to soap. Everything becomes clear, from the olive oil to the stamped cube. A chance to take home a piece of Provence, fragrant and authentic.