Editor’s Travel Tips: Group Deputy Editor Sophia Serin’s Guide to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Sophia Serin shares the places she returns to, the pieces she can’t resist, and the tables worth booking for one unforgettable night

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

Like clockwork, Sophia escapes to her happy place in the South of France, where days are spent combing through local marchés for keepsakes, cooking for long, rosé-fuelled family lunches and falling asleep to the cicadas’ nightly symphony.

Stay: My in-laws’ mas – a postcard-perfect Provençal hideaway that somehow manages to be even more beautiful in real life.

Culture fix: Visit Saint-Paul de Mausole, the storied monastery where Vincent van Gogh voluntarily sought refuge between 1889 and 1890. It was within these walls that the artist painted some of his most iconic masterpieces, including The Starry Night and Irises.

Shop: If there’s one thing I never miss in Saint-Rémy, it’s the Wednesday market. The entire town transforms into a vibrant maze of stalls, scents and colour, and I happily lose myself in it every single time. This is Provence at its most idealistic. Piles of glistening olives, wheels of local cheese, bunches of fragrant lavender, handmade ceramics, woven baskets and beautifully crafted bags line the streets beneath the shade of Plane trees.

Best people watching: For a front-row seat to Saint-Rémy life, head to Place Favier. This sun-drenched square is where everyone seems to gather-locals catching up over coffee, visitors lingering over a glass of rosé and friends meeting for an apéro before heading home for dinner.

What’s the first thing you pack for St Rémy?

Shirts. Mostly white or blue and white pinstriped. I wear them over a swimsuit by the pool, with jeans in town or tucked into a ball skirt for dinner.

What do you always over-pack, even though you know you shouldn’t?

Shoes. I just can’t help it. I always end up wearing my Bensimons for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Your packing philosophy in three words?

Pack. Three. Colours.

Suitcase Staples

1. A swimsuit: For the pre-breakfast and post-siesta swim.

2. Cap And Sunnies: You won’t take them off.

3. Hermès Scarves.

In my hair, around my neck, waist, wrists and tied to my bag – they always come in handy.

4. A Midi-Dress

That can be dressed up or down in a moment without having to think too much about it.

5. Stripes

Preferably of the Celine variety.

Where do you go when you want to feel like a local, not a visitor?

I pick up a cup of homemade ice cream (mint choc-chip) from Glaces de St Rémy and settle into the art of people-watching on their busy terrace.

Which table would you book if you had one night in town?

The rooftop at Hotel de Tourrel. Seating only 14 guests, it’s an in-the-know spot with sunset views and winning wine list.

What’s the soundtrack to this trip?

So Easy (To Fall In Love) by Olivia Dean

The souvenir you’d bring back that says everything about this place?

A cicada magnet or woven basket.

If St -Rémy were a look, it would be?

Jacquemus SS/26 – La Paysan

Beauty Mvps

You Haven’t Really Experienced Provence Until…

You’ve watched the sky at sunset. Washed in lavender, apricot and rose, it’s easy to see why Matisse, Cézanne and Van Gogh found endless inspiration here. More than a century later, the spectacle remains every bit as mesmerising.

Lead Image Credit: Sophia’s favourite things: homemade ice-cream, lavender fields and market baskets brimming with Provençal charm

Images Supplied

From the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia July / August 2026 issue