Opening hours for the nativity scene in Apt cathedral are listed in the events section of the Apt tourist office website: www.luberon-apt.fr.
Apt cathedral houses a beautiful Provençal nativity scene in the Sainte-Anne chapel. Topped by a dome, this magnificent chapel once held the relics of Saint Anne. According to tradition, Saint Lazarus, Saint Mary Magdalene and the Holy Marys brought them to Gaul and entrusted them to Auspice, the first bishop of Apt.
It is a fine setting for this majestic 40 m² nativity scene, carefully arranged using materials and plants gathered on the Claparèdes plateau. You can recognise Saignon, the village above Apt, and the nearby chapels of Notre-Dame-de-Lagarde and Saint-Massian. Local families contribute santons passed down through generations and kept in their attics.
Photographs of Apt cathedral's Christmas nativity scene: slideshow
Getting to Apt: GPS coordinates 43°52'37'' N – 5°23'49'' E