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Fête de la Transhumance: Hundreds Of Sheep In Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southern France, there are many traditions, such as the Christmas tradition of the Provencal santons. There is another tradition that is quite famous but this one involves sheep. Lots of sheep. It’s the annual Fête de la Transhumance in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and it is a sight to see where hundreds (if not thousands) of sheep fill the streets before they head to the mountains.

The next Fête de la Transhumance in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence takes place the first Monday of Pentecost (Whit Monday): May 29, 2023

1. What Is The Meaning Of The Transhumance?

By definition, transhumance involves moving livestock from one area to another. The Transhumance tradition goes back centuries when farmers would herd their flocks of sheep up the mountains where the pastures were greener. It would typically take 10 days to get them high into the mountains.

The seasonal movement of sheep, cattle, and goats takes place twice a year: in the Spring and Summer to take the herds up to the mountains and then in October to take them back down. It takes place all over the world and in France it occurs with sheep in Provence, near Saint Rémy. The herding of domestic beef cattle, Aubracs, takes place in Aubrac which is located in the Massif Central region.

2. Transhumance In Saint Remy de Provence

St.-Remy created a festival surrounding this seasonal migration and it takes place at the end of May or early June and for 2022 it will take place on June 6. On the designated day, the flea market is running and there are activities and some special events, such as sheepdog training demonstrations. My visit to Provence one year coincided with this festival and I had the opportunity to meet up with author, Keith Van Sickle and his wife Valerie a few years ago. We had connected months earlier when I did a review of his book, “One Sip At A Time: Learning To Live In Provence”. He has since written two other books, one which is an Insider’s Guide To Provence. I wanted to learn more about their life in Provence and find out how they were able to assimilate with the locals. We arranged to meet on June 5 just before the herding of the sheep was to begin.

(a) Brocante Before The Parade Of Sheep

St. Remy Market during Fête de la Transhumance
St. Remy Market
St. Remy Market during Fête de la Transhumance
Cow bells at St. Remy market
St. Remy market during the Fête de la Transhumance
Boules for sale at the St. Remy market

I arrived a bit early and visited the flea market at Place de la Republique. Wednesday is usually market day in Saint Rémy but on this particular Monday, vendors took advantage of all the visitors in town for the festival. And rightly so. There were hundreds of spectators lining the streets and before the big parade of sheep, people were browsing the market.

There were a lot of brocante (flea market) dealers with items such as old cow (and sheep?) bells, leather harnesses, and “very well used” boules being sold. At the same time, the market also had provencal items such as straw bags, soaps, and linens for sale.

At 11:00 I met up with Keith and Valerie and it was pointed out to me that the streets were pretty clean.…..but they wouldn’t be for too long. The sheep were coming!

(b) Hundreds Of Sheep, Herders, And Locals Make Their Way Through The Town

Fête de la Transhumance in St-Remy-de-Provence
Fête de la Transhumance in St-Remy-de-Provence

So what was the herding of the sheep like? Fabulous, but it was over quickly. It began with shepherds and a few locals dressed in traditional costumes walking alongside some donkeys and  leading the “pack”….or in this case, the FLOCK of sheep.

However, every now and then you’d see some goats and donkeys.

The hard-working sheep dogs were there keeping those sheep in line and guide them down the street. There were so many animals that they filled the entire street from one side to the other. We had to be sure we were on the sidewalk or else we would have gotten ‘run over”.

Fête de la Transhumance in St. Remy
Fête de la Transhumance in St. Remy
Fête de la Transhumance in St. Remy
Sheep heading down the street in St. Remy

Check out this video of the “parade” of sheep:

3. Modern Tradition Of The Transhumance-In Trucks

Sheep at the Fête de la Transhumance in St. Remy
Sheep heading down the street in St. Remy

The sheep, goats, donkeys, sheepdogs, and shepherds went around an area of the village once and then about 10 minutes later they appeared again. I was told they usually do two circuits before they head up the mountain….in trucks. They are no longer “walked” up the roads to the plateau de la Crau as it creates a traffic jam and in our modern era, sadly, we have impatient drivers who need to get to their destinations quickly. So, no leisurely stroll for the sheep.

4. Lunch In Saint-Rémy

Fromage blanc at the Fête de la Transhumance
Fromage blanc

As quickly as it started, it was over but my fun had just begun. Keith, Valerie and I walked around St. Remy before heading for lunch at Brasserie Les Variétés. I know it seems wrong in view of what I had just witnessed, but I had a delicious lamb dish. It was really good.  I’ll leave it at that.

In addition to having a local red wine, I also HAD to have my favourite fromage blanc with some raspberry confiture (jam). To me, fromage blanc is like whipped cream. It is often served with a jam or a sprinkling of sugar. Try it. You’ll like it.

5. How Others Immerse Themselves In French Life

Over lunch, I peppered Keith and Valerie with questions about how they found their house that they rent and how they have immersed themselves in the language and culture. I felt like I already knew them well based on Keith’s book.

But as we talked I also realized that they love France as much as I do and travel there often. It’s a rather unique thing when you meet up and start talking with people who truly love a country and culture as much as we do. Immediately there is a connection and understanding. I “get” them. I “get” how they love France because I do too. There’s no need to defend why I keep returning to France. They didn’t need to give any explanations either. I couldn’t believe how fast the 2 1/2 hour lunch went, although in France, 2 1/2 hours is a ‘quick” lunch. If you’re in Saint-Remy-de-Provence at the right time, be sure to attend the Transhumance Festival. It’s free and you’ll definitely see something unique. If you’re looking for other things to do in Provence, check out the post about doing two Van Gogh routes, one in Saint-Remy-de-Provence and the other in Arles.

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Fete de la Transhumance in Saint-Remy de Provence

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22 Comments

  1. Keith Van Sickle says:

    It was so great to meet you! Val and I look forward to our next rendezvous!

    1. Looking forward to it too!

  2. michele h peterson says:

    Fête de la Transhumance sounds like a great experience! Near our family ranch in San Vicente Guatemala they still take the cows up to pasture each day and it’s quite a sight to see age-old traditions being preserved

    1. That’s interesting that they do that daily. That would be cool to see as well.

  3. Rachel Heller says:

    Transhumance looks like fun! Such a sea of sheep, but it’s the flea market that appeals to me most.

    1. Love the tradition…and the markets too!

  4. Maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in cities, but I get a big charge out of seeing cows, goats, sheep, donkeys and even horses grazing in the fields near where we live in Portugal and being tended by caretakers. I would have loved to have seen the Fête de la Transhumance and the parade of the sheep through the town with some of the people wearing traditional dress. It’s too bad you weren’t able to see the sheep dog training exhibition as that would have been interesting and fun to see too!

    1. Yes, I kind of regret not seeing the sheep dog training; however, there’s always next time!

  5. Anne Woodyard says:

    Well worth planning your visit around the Transhumance – I’d love to see it someday!

    1. It was really quite the event.

  6. Irene S. Levine says:

    How wonderful to be in St. Remy during the Festival. Your photos sure capture the excitement of a beautiful day!

    1. Felt so lucky to be in Provence just at the right time!

  7. How fun! It’s hard to believe the sheepdogs can keep all those sheep moving along together — I imagine them bolting and heading off in all directions!

    1. Yes it’s amazing how orderly they were.

  8. Karen Warren says:

    I love those old traditions. It must have been amazing to see so many sheep walking along the streets!

  9. LOL! I love that you had a lamb dish after the whole sheep parade thing! Dramatic irony at its best!

    1. True. But I did feel a bit guilty.

  10. Sue Reddel says:

    What a wonderful adventure! So nice that you got to have lunch with Valerie and Keith. I know first hand what a charming dining companion you are. That video of the goats going through town is priceless!

    1. Yes, they’re sooo cute!

  11. Donna Meyer says:

    This is the kind of thing I love most about travel. These kinds of super-local events, with history and tradition to give them depth. And done especially by and for the local people, not just for tourists. Nice post!

    1. Thank you. It was one of the highlights of that trip!