The traveller`s guide

Transcription

> The traveller’s guide
The Traveller's
Guide
to the Bouches-du-Rhône
Sectors
Themes
The Five Sectors
Travel Themes
of the Bouches-du-Rhône
Aix and Salon-de-Provence Sector
Culture and Heritage
P. 7
Aix-en-Provence The Countryside around Aix-en-Provence Salon-de-Provence
The Countryside around Salon-de-Provence
Discovery Circuits
Saint-Rémy and the Alpilles Sector
Saint-Rémy de Provence
The Countryside around Saint-Rémy
Discovery Circuits
Arles
The Countryside around Arles
Discovery Circuits
Martigues and the Côte Bleue Sector
Church Architecture
P. 58
Castles
P. 59
Rural and Village Architecture
P. 60
Urban and Suburban Architecture
P. 61
Feast Days and Festivals
P. 62
P. 17
Crafts and Popular Traditions
P. 64
Cultural Creativity
P. 66
Gastronomy
P. 68
P. 25
P. 26
P. 30
P. 32
P. 56
P. 8
P. 11
P. 12
P. 13
P. 14
P. 18
P. 20
P. 22
Arles, the Camargue and La Crau Sector
Prehistory and Antiquity
P. 35
Martigues
The Countryside around Martigues
Discovery Circuits P. 36
P. 38
P. 40
Marseille and the Calanques Sector
P. 43
Marseille
The Countryside around Marseille and Aubagne
Discovery Circuits P. 44
P. 49
P. 50
Outdoor Pursuits
Water
P. 72
Protected Natural Sites
P. 74
Water-centred Activities
P. 76
Golf Courses and Driving Ranges
P. 78
Hiking, Horse Riding and Cycling
P. 80
Climbing and Caving
P. 82
Children
Practical Information
P. 86
General Information
P. 88
The Five Sectors
of the Bouches-du-Rhône
7
Aix
17
and Salon-de-Provence
25
Saint-Rémy
and the Alpilles
Arles,
the Camargue and La Crau
Martigues
and the Côte Bleue
Marseille
35
43
and the Calanques
Aix
and Salon-de-Provence
Overview
This sector, along with the Alpilles, is one of the inland
regions of Provence. To the north, the Durance River and
the Luberon Natural Park form a natural border. This
is an area of alternating hills and plains, favourable to
agriculture and urban life. Two towns have developed
here: Aix-en-Provence and Salon-de Provence. Emerging
from the landscape to the west and seen from many
miles around is the great sentinel of the Sainte-Victoire
Mountain (1,011m) - known all over the world through
the paintings of Cézanne. The City of Aix-en-Provence,
which lies at the foot of the mountain, was once the capital of Provence and attracts many visitors.
Climate
The climate is rather variable according to the area.
This region in fact has several microclimates. Overall,
the summers are hot, the winters sunny and mid-seasons
mild and ideal of travelling. Winters are colder away
from the coast in the north of the département.
Access
All modes of transport: Marseille-Provence Airport,
Marseille Sea Port, railway lines (TGV station close to Aix
in 2001), and major routes to Italy, Spain and the north
of France (A7, A8). The area of Aix is ideally located from
the point of view of natural environment and
communications network.
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Aix-en-Provence
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Overview and Climate
Notable Heritage
In the old medieval
town visit the Saint
Sauveur Cathedral
and its neighbourhood, the area around
the city hall. The
17th and 18th
century quarter is
well worth a visit for
the architecture in
general: the Quartier
Mazarin and the area
around the bishop’s
palace where the
music festival is
held, the Pavillon
de Vendôme, Place
d’Albertas, the private mansions, the
Cours Mirabeau and
the fountains. It is
extremely pleasant to
wander in any part of
the old town.
Sculpted doors and forged
doorknockers - the skilled
hands that fashioned these
show that there is even an
art to entering!
In the Middle Ages, the town was
fortified against all incursions.
Today it is open to excursions.
Siege of the city of Aix by the Duke d’Epernon – 16th century
– Musée Granet Collection – Ville d’Aix- plate B. Terlay
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The muscular body
of Atlas unveils the
splendours of a
golden age.
Gates of openwork
bars, stone pillars,
discreet entrances for
distinguished
residents.
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known since the first
century BC. In the
15th century, the
university was
expanded
and in the
17th and 18th
centuries the
town became a
model of architecture (Mazarin
Quarter).
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History
Originally founded
on the slopes above
the plain
(Entremont
Settlement),
the present site of
Aix bears
a Roman
name, Aquae
Sextiae.
The hot
water
springs
have been
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The summers are
hot, winters cool and
sunny, mid-season
is mild. The area
has several microclimates, some windy
some more sheltered,
some more humid.
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Aix-en-Provence
has a population of
134,222 and is built
on a plain at the
foot of the Puyricard
Plateau and the
Sainte-Victoire
Mountain.
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Beautiful mansions
everywhere: tall windows,
stucco ceilings and pier
glass mirrors.
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On the Place de
l’Hôtel de Ville
the old clock
idly counts
away the hours.
In the quiet gardens
of noble pavilions.
Rich reminder of
an era when luxury
rubbed shoulders
with sensual delight.
General At
mosphere
The tow
and aristo n is known for it
s
boast of a cratic charm. The distinguished
in
n
town, visu easy way of life. habitants
Fe
chic visito al town, it draws st stival
rs
u
fine 18th . 17th century cla dents and
century b
ssicism an
uildings a
prominen
d
t
re
a multitu in the old town, w very
de of han
h
ic
h
co
nceals
dsome tow
and wher
e
architectu one may wander n mansions,
casually in
ral enviro
theatrical
nment rem
a
decor.
iniscent o n
f
The town hall is also
a stage on which the
passer-by may become
a player in a carefully
chosen urban scene.
Famous Figures of the Past
A town is as
remarkable for
its people as for
its architecture.
Mirabeau was one
of the major players in the French
Revolution. Paul
Cézanne founded
modern art analysing the light of
the Sainte-Victoire
Mountain. His friend
Emile Zola lived here
before becoming
a novelist and taking up the cause of
Dreyfus and in the
20th century Darius
Milhaud followed in
the footsteps of the
17th century composer André Campra
(see “Route Cézanne
and Promenade Zola”
tours).
9
Close to Aix-en-Provence
Aix Sector
Museums
The Musée du Vieil
Aix, the Tapestry
Museum relate some
of the moments of
the local past. The
Granet Museum has
been renovated and
its collections extended. Now it is opening
to the public again
in majestic manner
in order to honour
of Cézanne. The
Museum of Natural
History tells of the
dinosaur eggs found
outside Aix. The
Pavillon de Vendôme
tells us love stories
of the 17th century. The Atelier Paul
Cézanne is enjoyed
by admirers of one
of the most important painters in the
history of art, with
souvenirs of the artist in the Maison des
Lauves where he finished his canvasses.
Monumental works
by the painter and
graphic artist Vasarely
are exhibited in the
Fondation on the
edge of the city.
Paul Cézanne’s Studio:
in the footsteps of the
master of Aix whose
nature it was to
recreate.
Events
The International
Festival of Lyric Arts
has brought notoriety
to the town both
within France and
abroad. The operas
of Mozart, baroque
music and bel canto
attract music lovers
Fitness
Aix is a spa town
with water cures
available at the
Sextius baths. The
spa, in the old town
centre, still offers
thermal cures in the
waters
discovered
by the
Romans.
Local Products
Calissons d’Aix,
made from almond
paste and crystallised
fruits, have been
the speciality of the
town since the 17th
century and should
not be missed. Other
pleasures of the palate include olive oil,
hand-made chocolates from Puyricard
(shop) (among
which the fig and
Provençal marc brandy flavoured “Clou
Lively markets
offer all the
flavours of
a fertile and
imaginative
land.
de Cézanne”) and
“pompes à l’huile”
(type of brioche).
The many lively and
colourful markets
present the products
of the surrounding
area.
Little calisson, how can
one not succumb…?
Place de la Rotonde:
a year-round Festival
of water.
to the old archbishop’s palace during
the month of July.
Other major events
include the “Danse à
Aix” (Dance Festival),
the Santon Fair, and
numerous congresses.
The countryside of
Aix-en-Provence is
famous for its country houses and landscapes and is usually
explored by car:
The Celto-Ligurian
Tholonet or the Route
Cézanne leads to
the Sainte-Victoire
Mountain through
beautiful countryside. The 17th and
18th century houses
scattered across the
landscape truly represent the art of living:
stone architecture,
gardens and
sculptures display
great distinction and
settlement of
Entremont, an archaeological site, is testimony to the history
of the Salyens, its first
inhabitants.
The Route du
And Emile Zola?
Who do Aix-en-Provence
and Sainte-Victoire make
you think of? Cézanne
of course, who painted
this mountain as if it
were the only one in the
world, but Emile Zola?
A friend of Cézanne’s, he
too came from Aix. His
father constructed the
dam not far from the
famous Route Cézanne,
which winds its way
from Aix out to the
Mountain. Emile Zola
was firstly a novelist and
his descriptions of the
bourgeoisie of the time
found fertile ground in
the Aix region where
he drew inspiration
for his naturalist saga
Les Rougon-Macquarts.
Plassans is based on the
town of Aix and one
episode even takes place
in Les Artauds, close to
the château of Tholonet.
Zola then left for Paris
where he wrote his great
novels: Germinal, La Bête
Humaine, l’Assommoir,
etc. Towards the end
of his life, Emile Zola
played a major role in
defence of Dreyfus with
his letter “J’Accuse” to
the newspaper L’Aurore.
Like Cézanne he was
from Aix, like Cézanne
he depicted his era, like
Cézanne he took the
high road…
The Sainte-Victoire Mountain: the
most important monument of Aix en
Provence - so present, yet seemingly
so distant.
a taste for beauty.
Visit La Mignarde, La
Gaude and Lanfant
on the Route des
Pinchinats, then the
Plateau de Puyricard.
The sunny vineyards
of Palette, which
produce some fine
AOC wines, are not
far out of town. The
Fondation Vasarely
houses the painter’s
monumental works
in a contemporary
building.
The Countryside around Aix
From Aix, in every
direction - the countryside and villages
are waiting to be
explored…
To the East
The Sainte-Victoire
tour (60kms) is an
introduction to the
Mountain: an arid
area with opportunities for hiking, climbing, paragliding, kite
flying, picnics, etc.
Welcome and
introduction to the
site (children) at the
Maison de SainteVictoire in SaintAntonin. Don’t miss
the dinosaur site
(see the Museum of
Natural History, Aix)
and traces of the
painters Cézanne and
Picasso (the Château
de Vauvenargues was
his last home). The
woodlands, natural
protected sites and
open to hikers and
children (closed
Château de Vauvenargues. Pablo
Picasso, tu es venu finir ta vie
créatrice au pied de SainteVictoire, comme Paul Cézanne !
during the summer).
The summit of the
Pic des Mouches is
easily reached via the
Col des Portes pass.
One may also venture
along the Wine route
of the Vallée de l’Arc
through Puyloubier,
Rousset, Peynier and
Palette.
Plaintain and permanent Provençal woodlands discovery centre for children), then
cross the Trévaresse
Range towards Le
Puy-Sainte-Réparade
(Château Lacoste
wines). Continue on
to the Romanesque
Abbey of Silvacane
and the village of La
Roque d’Anthéron,
which hosts an
International Piano
Festival in July and
August.
To the South and West
Take the hillside village route: Fuveau,
Saint-Savournin and
Mimet offer beautiful
views of the Sainte-
Victoire Mountain.
Gardanne is notable
for its industrial
activity (coal and
aluminium) and its
popular markets
(nature workshops at
the Fondation pour
la Forêt, a woodland
ecomuseum for
children and adults).
Further on, visit
Bouc-Bel-Air and the
18th century Albertas
gardens, Cabriès
(Edgar Mélik museum
in the château),
Plan-de-Campagne
for water sports
and aquarium for
children, the stone
houses of Ventabren,
the village of Eguilles,
etc...
To the North
Via Vauvenargues,
pass through the
forests of Jouques,
Meyrargues and
Peyrolles (Lac de
The Albertas Gardens - water scenario against
a backdrop of greenery.
11
The Countryside around
Salon-de-Provence
From the town
Salon has a population of 37,129 and is
located on the plain
of La Crau. The summer heat here is
relieved by the
mistral wind and the
winters are sunny,
sometimes windy.
Museums
The military museum
of the Château de
l’Empéri and the
Musée Grevin de
Provence are of
History and notable heritage
An impressive
architectural group
dominates the town:
the Château de
l’Empéri, begun in
the 9th century but
built mostly during
13th, 15th and 17th
centuries, and the old
fortified town. The
citadel dominates
the surrounding
countryside with the
pedestrianised old
town, the church of
Saint-Michel and the
clock tower at its feet
and set a little apart,
the lovely medieval
church of SaintLaurent.
The military area,
located on the edge
of town, centres
on the air base and
school (home of the
French formation
fliers).
interest to both
adults and children.
The Nostradamus
Museum, in the
house of the wise
man himself, attracts
lovers of esotericism
and enigmatic prophecies. Catherine de
Medici came here
to consult him. The
Musée de Salon et de
la Crau records the
world of traditions
and the techniques
of the old commercial and industrial
town during the time
of the soap makers. Don’t miss the
exhibition of olive oil
production.
Yesterday a fortress, today an air base,
this quiet little town attracts servicemen whose deeds are recorded in the
books and arms of the museum.
Events
At the Empéri Citadel: festival projectors replace the fire of warriors
of times gone by.
Originally from Saint
Rémy, Nostradamus
made his home
here. This astrologer,
author of the 16th
century “Centuries”,
today still holds a
fascination for many
people. Was he a
scientist, a poet or an
General At
impostor? Opinions
differ. Adam de Craponne,
who lived at the
same period, was an
ambitious engineer
who designed the
system of irrigation
channels that rendered the area fertile.
mosphere
Salon wa
s
The prese originally a little b
n
urban an ce of the air base b ourgeois town.
d
Ages and cosmopolitan asp rings a more
ec
th
mark on e 19th century ha t. The Middle
th
ve
along the is agreeable small left their
Cours Gim
to
terrace of
on and re wn. Wander
fountain. one of the cafés clo lax on the
se the mo
ssy
The Salon Jazz
Festival, held during
the summer, takes
place in the château
courtyard.
A colourful reconstitution of local history
includes the participation of the local
inhabitants.
Many Excursions.
Salon de Provence is
located in the centre
of the Bouches-duRhône. It is an ideal
location from which
to visit other areas:
the Alpilles, Arles, the
Côte Bleue and
Aix-en-Provence.
To the East
Take the road
towards Aurons,
Alleins and Vernègues:
old village, Roman
temple and wines at
Château Bas. From
Pélissanne, a village
laid out in the shape
of a helix, head for
La Barben: feudal
castle and a zoo for
children.
A little further away,
visit Rognes for its
stone quarries, wine
and truffle festivals, Lambesc for its
church architecture
and Saint Cannat and
the automaton village
for children.
To the South
Head for Calissanne
and La Fare (wine
and olive oil), then
visit the hillside
village of CornillonConfoux.
To the North
Take the road to
the Alpilles (see
Alpilles Sector) and
visit Lamanon: cave
dwellings, “Grottes
de Calès” and remarkable three hundredyear-old plane tree.
To the West
The plain of La Crau
is nearby (see Arles,
the Camargue and La
Crau Sector).
The plain of La Crau is nearby
(see Arles, the Camargue and La
Crau Sector).
Michel de Nostredame, alias Nostradamus
What an astonishing man Michel de Nostredame
was. Known as Nostradamus by the students at
the faculty of medicine of Montpellier, he was not
only an astrologer but firstly a scientist who studied
at this prestigious university during the 16th century and frequented the great humanist François
Rabelais, who was also a Hellenic scholar and a
doctor. He made his name as a scientist through his
methods of combating the plague and his treaty on
the preservation of jams. Did he not decipher the
secret of Egyptian hieroglyphics before Champollion?
He was also a poet and astrologer. And it is in fact
his work of prediction in verse, “Centuries”, for which
he is remembered nowadays. Is predicting the future
not the dream of every scientist today? Nostradamus
would surely have enjoyed life today. He would have
been interested in astronomy, meteorology, and perhaps even the preservation of jams…
Maison de Nostradamus in Salon de Provence
The Terrible and
Refreshing Mistral!
“The Mistral drives us
crazy!” With this sense of
proportion that
characterises the people
of Provence, they love
to complain about the
excesses of the terrible
north wind. Of course
cold winds rarely have a
good reputation
anywhere, but this wind
that is so dreaded that
the farms are built with
their backs to it, brings
nothing but good. First
of all, it guarantees good
weather because when
it gets up, the clouds are
swept from the sky so
that at the end of a day
of Mistral the olive trees
in the countryside and
the church facades in the
towns are resplendent
- bathed in the clear light
so loved by Van Gogh.
The wind also chases
away pollution, fumes,
and disease. When it
blows, there are no
insects left on the plants
and no mosquitoes on
the beaches! Lastly, the
mistral constitutes a
game. Will it blow for 3,
6 or 9 days? The mistral
is the soul of this country, but it is true that it
drives us crazy!
Château de la
Barben: in the heart
of the garrigue, the
art of topiary
persuades roguish
plants to see sense in
formal gardens.
13
Aix and Salon-de-Provence Sector
Discovery Circuits
sible to go back to Aix through Beaurecueil
and Le Tholonet, or return on the higher road
through Saint-Savournin and Mimet: villages
and lovely view. Return to Aix via Bouc-BelAir and the Albertas Gardens.
3 North Sainte-Victoire:
Mountain and Forest (day trip)
Take the road to Vauvenargues via the Bimont
dam, built by Emile Zola’s father. From
Vauvenargues (village and Picasso’s château),
climb to the Croix de Provence. At the village exit, take the road to Jouques: La Sinne
natural site, excursion. Go through the Col
du Sambuc pass and head towards Jouques:
old village, Vignelaure wines and Pigoudet
Château nearby. Next, take direction
Peyrolles: Plantain Lake, Woodland Discovery
Centre. Head for Meyrargues with its château-hotel and Roman aqueduct then just
before you reach Aix, Les Pinchinats and its
remarkable 17th century mansions.
1 The Sainte-Victoire Tour:
Complete tour - allow at least one day.
Each ascent requires a half-day except
the Pic des Mouches (2-3 hours return trip).
The Sainte-Victoire tour can be done
in either direction. It is usually started
from the Route Cézanne which leads to
Le Tholonet. This beautiful route goes
from Aix to the mountain via Cézanne’s
Château Noir. In Le Tholonet: château,
beautiful Plane tree avenue, and Roman
dam (excursion on foot). Now head
for Saint-Antonin via Roques Hautes
(nature reserve, arboretum). Departure
point from Le Bouquet for the climb
to the Croix de Provence via the red
trail. In Saint-Antonin: panoramic view,
Maison de Sainte Victoire, departure
point for excursions. Now drive along
the south face of the mountain towards
Puyloubier. Excursions to the hermitage from Saint-Ser. From the village,
head for Pourrières then take the road
to Rians through the oak-forest. Turn left
to Vauvenargues before you reach Rians.
On the way there: woodlands, natural
site, ascent to the Pic des Mouches from the Col des Portes pass (2-3 hours return trip, panoramic
view). In Vauvenargues visit the village,
Picasso’s château, or climb to the Croix
de Provence via the hiking trail. Return
to Aix via the Bimont dam (follow the
blue way-markers for a tour of the
dams) and Bibemus (Cézanne’s cottage,
panoramic views).
2 South Sainte-Victoire:
hills and hillside villages
(day trip)
Start the Sainte-Victoire tour and after
Saint-Antonin turn right towards
Rousset then head for Puyloubier and
Trets through the hills of the Arc Valley.
Next, take the road to Peynier and go to
Fuveau via Les Michels: lovely views of
the Sainte-Victoire. From here, it is pos-
and winery. Next visit La Barben on the way
to Pélissanne. In La Barben, visit the medieval château and the zoo (picnic) then return
to Salon. (For children).
6
Towards the Alpilles and La Crau: (1/2 day trip)
Following the signs to Eyguières, head for the
Alpilles. The road crosses the Boisgelin and
Craponne canals. Suggested visit en route:
Lamanon for its cave dwellings (Calès) and
remarkable three-hundred-year old plane tree.
Eyguières: old village, museum and fountains.
Now head for Mouriès via the
hillside village of Aureille. In Mouriès: visit
the village and sample the Valley of Les Baux
olive oil. Then visit the steppe region of Saint
Martin de Crau: ecomuseum in la Crau and
Peau de Meau Nature Reserve. Return to
Salon.
4 La Trévaresse :
Hills and Romanesque Abbey (day trip)
This excursion can be started from either
Salon or Aix. From Aix, take the road to
Rognes via the Puyricard Plateau. Alternative
route via La Cride and Château la Coste. In
Rognes: old village in local stone, churches
(baroque reredos), wine and truffle fairs.
From Rognes head for La Roque d’Anthéron
and visit the beautiful Silvacane Abbey by the
Durance River (Romanesque Cistercian). In
La Roque d’Anthéron: International Piano
Festival in the grounds of the Château de
Florans, the village and museum. Next, take
the steep winding road to Lambesc. Stop off
on the way to visit the Romanesque Chapel
of Saint Anne and the cave dwellings. In
Lambesc visit the village and the church and
return to Aix either through the vineyards of
Rognes or via the little Route d’Eguilles.
5 From Temple to Zoo: (day trip)
From Salon, take the road towards Aurons
and head for Vernègues: old village. Make for
the ancient temple of Château Bas: temple
15
Saint-Rémy
and the Alpilles
Overview
Along with the Aix and Salon area, this is the second
inland region, located in the north-west of the
Bouches-du-Rhône, to the south of Avignon and the
Durance River and to the East of the Rhône. The
countryside is made up of small mountains and valleys.
The Alpilles mountain range crosses it from east to west.
This is traditional hinterland, the home of regionalist
writers Alphonse Daudet and Frédéric Mistral. The little
town of Saint-Rémy welcomed the artist Vincent Van Gogh
who realised his greatest paintings here (sunflowers and
cypress trees). The villages thrive on agriculture.
Climate
Hot in summer and sunny in winter. The north wind
blows from time to time, cool in summer, cold in winter,
mild in mid season (mistral).
Access
Good access by road from the Rhône Valley, Italy or Spain.
TGV station in Avignon, Nîmes-Arles-Camargue airport
nearby.
17
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Why are the olives
split here?
Overview and climate
Built on an irrigated
plain at the foot of
the Alpilles mountain
range, Saint-Rémy
has a population
of 9,806. The summers are hot and the
winters sunny. The
irrigated cultivated
land to the north
brings the shade and
humidity the people
of Provence love so
much. The dry
climate of the
Mediterranean is
typical almost
throughout the
Alpilles.
History and Notable Heritage
The original site
of the town was
the Greco-Roman
“Glanum”, of which
there are some
remarkable remains:
triumphal arch,
mausoleum, and excavations. The modern
town is a group of
stone houses built
from the Middle
Ages to the present
day. The 16th and
17th century urban
residential area is particularly interesting.
Outside the town, the
monastery of SaintPaul de Mausole is
worth a visit: it was
in this Romanesque
building, reshaped up
until the 18th century, that the painter
Van Gogh was incarcerated.
Two ladders are
necessary to reach
the highest branches
of the olive trees…
Valley of Les Baux, valley of the olive, silently preparing
its sunny oil.
Nostradamus was
born in Saint-Rémy,
where he lived until
moving to Salon.
Frédéric Mistral (see
Maillane) frequented
the town. Van Gogh
found all the
inspiration for his
creative genius in
the force of the light
here.
Museums
At Saint-Paul de
Mausole, the presence of Van Gogh
with his quest and
doubt can still be felt.
The rural museum
of the Mas de la
Pyramide
exhibits 3 centuries
of country life and
tools. The fragrances
and perfumes
of the Espace
Muséographic
and the Musée
des Alpilles
introduce the
visitor to life in
the hills (garrigue) and invite
us to discover the
Mediterranean flora.
The Renaissance
Hôtel de Sade presents objects taken
from the archaeological site at Glanum.
Monumental works
by the artist at the
Fondation Prassinos.
Fêtes de la Transhumance:
maintain the tradition so as
not to lose one’s place.
Arches and columns: the Romans
triumphed in “Antique” times at Glanum.
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At the market: nature offers the best
of its latest creations.
Local Products
In an area rich in
alluvial deposits and
agricultural knowhow, fruits and vegetables are the basis of
the flavourful cuisine.
Visit the market for
fresh products and
the fruit confectioneries in the town.
Events
All year round, traditional feasts punctuate the life of the
town: the Fête de la
Transhumance gathers shepherds and
sheep, the Fête de la
Charrette pays homage to the cart horse,
and the Provençal
Feria attracts lovers
of bull-fighting ama-
teurs. All the feasts
of Saint Rémy show
off the gorgeous local
traditional costumes.
Finally Christmas,
more a family occasion, unites the
people around the 13
desserts. There are
many lively feasts and
festivals here including an organ festival
in the summer.
Fitness
At the gates to the
town, the Alpilles
offer all the space
hikers and tourists
could desire. It is
very hot during the
summer.
Of course, the Les Baux
olive oil is renowned.
Without entering the
debate on the
comparative merits of
the oils of Mouriès, La
Fare-les-Oliviers, Aix or
Nyons in the Drôme, it
is useful to confirm that
the AOC first pressing
virgin oil is worth its
price. Less well known
are the split olives (olives
cassées) of the Valley of
Les Baux, which are
produced in the winter
and destined for local
consumption. But why
are the olives split? Well,
in mid-winter, when the
right variety of olives are
still green, these small
bitter fruit are picked
come rain or mistral.
They are then split with
tap of a mallet and left
to soak in clean water,
which is changed every
day for 9 days to get rid
of the bitterness. They
are then soaked for
another
9 days,
depending
on the
recipe,
in a tub
of brine
to begin
the phase of impregnation. It is at this point
that opinions differ. We
prefer them flavoured
with bay leaf and fennel and served with an
aperitif. There is only
one problem. Once you
start eating them it’s difficult to stop.
19
The Countryside around Saint-Rémy
A small sheltered
mountain range
above the plain,
the Alpilles form
a dry microcosm,
a harbour for
Mediterranean flora
and fauna (birds of
prey). There is a risk
of fire so please be
cautious. The summit
is the Tour des Aupiès
(493m).
château and oil
mills.
La
Montagnette:
on a little
mountain
stands the
Saint-Michel
de Frigolet
Abbey, which
Daudet made famous
with his “Elixir
du Révérend Père
To the North
Maillane: the home
of Frédéric Mistral,
Nobel prizewinner
for literature, founder
of the movement for
the preservation of
Provençal customs
and language during
the 19th century (le
félibrige). Don’t miss
the Museon Mistral in
the writer’s house.
In Graveson: Musée
des Arômes et du
Parfum (Museum of
aromas and perfume)
and museum of paintings by the Fauvist
Auguste Chabaud.
In Barbentane: 16th
and 18th century
A glazed pot contains the secrets
of savoir-faire within its rounded belly!
Gaucher” and the
village of Boulbon
(Romanesque chapels).
In Châteaurenard,
two tall towers
remain of the medieval castle from
which there is a mar-
vellous view of the
Montagnette, the
Alpilles and the
Mont Ventoux.
Tarascon: on
the Roman
road Domitia
on the banks
of the Rhône,
across the river from
Beaucaire (important
market in medieval
times). King René’s
feudal castle is beautifully preserved.
The pedestrianised
old town centre
makes agreeable
walking (arcades,
stone buildings, etc.).
Famous Provençal
fabric factory with
museum (Souleiado).
The Feast of the
Tarasque at the end
of June celebrates
ancient legends. Boat
trips on the Rhône.
Between Tarascon
and Saint-Etiennedu-Grès: magnificent
Romanesque Church
of Saint-Gabriel,
Les Baux: on this promontory in the skies, prince and architect gave
birth to a masterpiece in stone through the grace of art.
and its architecture
dating from the
Middle Ages to the
16th century. The
Cathedral of Images
puts on son et
lumière shows in
the old stone quarries. The hotellery is
renowned throughout the Alpilles
(gourmet cuisine and
luxury accommodation) as well as the
Santon Museum and
AOC wines.
To the South of the Alpilles
The whole of the
south face of the
range is dotted with
typically Provençal
villages.
In Fontvieille,
Maussane and
Mouriès, villages of
the Valley of Les
Baux, visit Alphonse
Daudet’s Mill and the
The vivid colours of Provençal fabrics
reflect the light and gayety of
holidays.
Provençal fabric factory (Les Olivades),
and fruit and vegetable market.
The centre
From the heart of the
Alpilles rises the
Citadel of Les Baux,
a fortified village
remarkable for its site
In Praise of Idleness
Of course, there is the rhythm of the seasons,
needs and obligations, but don’t let us forget the exceptions! Take the almond tree for
example. This tree, a symbol of Provence, only
produces fruit every other year. Then there is
the siesta, the afternoon snooze necessitated by
the heat of the Mediterranean summer. Didn’t
Ulysses take a nap after offering food to the
gods and Athena when he had been thrown
on an unknown beach by the fury of Aeolus?
When all is said and done, when you count the
bakers, night watchmen, children, idlers, convalescents, artists, top-level
sportsmen and women, lovers, dogs, cats, swimmers, party-goers, land workers, tourists and
Latin Americans, who doesn’t take an afternoon nap? So during the heat of July, when
the heat wave grips the towns and the countryside, alternate, and let the cicada sing, it only
has a few days to live!
Fontvieille stone, taste
the olive oil from
Mouriès (AOC), visit
the Roman aqueduct
and mill at Barbegal
(see also the Musée
de l’Arles antique),
watch the bull running in the village
bull ring, or enjoy a
Provençal Christmas.
By car, or bike for the
fitter types, tour the
Alpilles via Aureille,
Eyguières (Château
de Roquemartine,
Castellas de la Reine
Jeanne, Museum,
Midnight Mass, and
Aerodrome) and
Le Destet: landscape
of olive groves. Visit
the Chapel of SaintSixte in the beautiful
village of Eygalières
and the medieval
alchemist’s garden at
the Mas de la Brune
(high quality hotellery).
Fontvieille
“In front of Maitre Honorat Grazini,
notary with the
residence of Pampérigouste
To Alphonse Daudet Esquire, poet,
domiciled in Paris, Gaspard Mitiflo
Esquire sold a flour windmill, situated in the valley of the Rhône, in the
heart of Provence. Notwithstanding
such as it is and stands, states
Daudet to find the aforementioned
mill with suitability and being able
to be used for the work of
poetry”
“Letters from my windmill”.
The procession of the Tarasque,
dated 1788. Oil on parchment.
Anonymous. Museon Arlaten Coll.
21
Saint-Rémy and the Alpilles
Discovery Circuits
the site of Notre-Dame-de-Beauregard from
where there are lovely views. Head for
Eygalières as in circuit 1 then return to SaintRémy.
3 Towards the Montagnette. (Daudet’s imaginary character). The town
of Beaucaire, on the other side of the river is
worth a detour.
Take a boat trip down the Rhône from
Tarascon, effectuer une promenade fluviale
sur le Rhône, just for the pleasure.
(1/2-day trip)
Natural site of Inland Provence, the
Montagnette lies to the northwest of
the Alpilles, between the Rhône and the
Durance. Leaving Saint-Rémy, take the road
to Maillane to explore the village of Frédéric
Mistral, poet, linguist and Nobel prizewinner
(museum). Then go on to Graveson and visit
the museum of aromas and perfume. Now
head for Saint-Michel-de- Frigolet where
Alphonse Daudet chose to situate his tale
“l’Elixir du Révérend Père Gaucher”. The
excursion continues towards Tarascon as
described in circuit 4. From Tarascon, visit
the village of Boulbon and its Romanesque
chapels then return to Saint Rémy or visit the
agricultural plain known as the Petit Crau via
Barbentane and Châteaurenard.
4 Towards the Rhône. (day trip)
1
The heart of the Alpilles - from Les
Baux to Eygalières. (day trip)
From Saint Rémy, head to Les Baux-deProvence. The tour of the site requires
at least half a day: Renaissance urban
ensemble, château and citadel, museum,
Cathedral of Images. On site: gourmet Provençal restaurants and wine.
Bauxite, from which aluminium is made,
was discovered in Les Baux in 1822.
After this high altitude mineral tour
purified by the mistral, go down to the
Valley of Les Baux towards Maussane
and either directly or via Mouriès,
cross the Alpilles to Eygalières, a pretty
village between the mountain and the
plain. Just outside the village, visit the
remarkable Chapel of Saint-Sixte and its
cypress trees, and the alchemist’s garden at the Mas de la Brune (high standard hotellery). Return to Saint-Rémy.
2 Tour of the Alpilles. (day trip)
From Saint-Rémy head west towards
the village of Saint-Etienne-du-Grès.
On the way, near Fontvieille, visit the
very beautiful Romanesque church of
Saint-Gabriel. Next take the road to
the Valley of Les Baux. In Fontvieille:
Provençal village, Alphonse Daudet’s
windmill (Letters from my Windmill).
Interesting short detour to the prehistoric and Roman sites of Barbegal.
Continue towards Maussane and
Mouriès (famous olive oil), then on
to the hillside village of Aureille, then
Eyguières, running along the southern
face of the Alpilles. Visit the old village
of Eyguières. Now head for Orgon and
either go directly to Eygalières or on
to Orgon via the foot of Castellas de
Roquemartine, known as the Château
de la Reine Jeanne. In Orgon, visit
From Saint Rémy, head towards Tarascon. The
start of this circuit has a theme: Provençal
fabrics: “Les Olivades” in Saint-Etienne-duGrès and“Souleiado” in Tarascon (factory
and museum). In Tarascon, after a visit to the
renowned “Souleiado”, visit the old town,
King Rene’s castle,the Musée de Tartarin
23
Arles, the Camargue
and La Crau
Overview
This is waterland - river, marshes and the sea. Located to
the west of the Bouches-du-Rhône, the Arles sector lies just
above the Rhône delta and the ancient alluvial plains on
the edge of the Mediterranean.
It is a wild land where the sea, river and lakes are
intimately mingled and wild life is very present: birds,
bulls, horses, sheeps, etc.
The ancient town of Arles, on UNESCO’s World Heritage
List, is a bastion of Provençal and Camargue customs.
Climate
It is warm and sunny all year round, with days of strong
mistral. In the Camargue, the fauna is untamed mosquitoes are an integral part of the community and
must not be underestimated (creams and repellents).
Access
Easy access by motorway from the Rhône Valley, Spain
and Italy, TGV station in Avignon, Nîmes-Arles-Camargue
and Marseille-Provence Airports.
25
Arles
Was the Arlésienne
Japanese?
Arles has a population of 50,513 and
is constructed on
a plain close to
the Rhône Delta.
Summers are hot,
winters are sunny
and cool. The mistral
can blow at any time
of the year.
History
This grand ancient
town was built on
the intersection of
the routes linking
Rome, Spain, and
northern Europe:
Via Aurelia, Via
Agrippa and Via
Regordane. The
city prospered
until the 16th
century when
activity slowed. In
the 20th century
it came alive again
thanks to
agriculture,
tourism and
culture.
Dreaming statue
– time stands
still…
At Saint Trophime, Roman
art believes in the virtues of
hidden cloisters - Christian
version of more Latin and
more distant patios.
Notable Heritage
The ancient and
Roman town is on
the UNESCO World
Heritage list for its
outstanding interest: amphitheatre,
classical theatre,
underground galThe Roman amphitheatre we call
“arena”, meaning sand and which
is common to all Mediterranean
shores
Portrait of
a young
Arlésienne
– Alexandre
Hesse
(1806-1879)
Museon
Arlaten Coll.
Under the theatre of Ancient
Rome appear the remains of
gentle Greek civilisation.
lery (forum), SaintTrophime cloisters
and doorway. There
are Roman remains
all over the town.
Two outstanding
examples of church
architecture are the
Christian necropolis, Les Alyscamps,
painted by Gauguin,
and the Romanesque
church and cloisters
of Saint-Trophime.
The town centre is
rich in Renaissance
civil architecture,
examples of which
are the many mansions.
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The Arlésienne offers a highly
sophisticated image of a tradition that is today a spectacle.
The regionalist
writer Frédéric
mistral left
his mark
here, as well
as in SaintRémy and
Maillane (see
the Alpilles). The
Museon Arlaten is his
ethnographic
legacy, funded
by the money
from his
Nobel Prize.
Van Gogh and
Gauguin both
lived and
worked in Arles.
Let us establish which
Arlésienne we are talking about. Is it the
heroine of Alphonse
Daudet’s tale put
to music by Bizet,
who never arrives
and from which
we get the expression “l’Arlésienne”
to refer to someone
we are never able to
meet? Is it Miss Arles,
elected each year as
a representative of
the town at festivities? An inhabitant of
the town referred
to by poets? Or is
it simply a woman
who dresses in distinguished traditional
costume. Whether she
is Queen of a town
or a neighbourhood,
the Arlésienne has
first and foremost a
distinctly elegant bearing. Like the matador,
she dresses slowly with
the help of her family, slipping on skirts,
carefully positioning
ribbons, pins, crosses
and the sophisticated
head-dress to create
an image and prolong
a myth. There is some
Japanese influence in
this art of costume:
coded refinement,
classicism open to
variation. If Van Gogh
and Gauguin loved
Japanese art, could it
perhaps be because
there are subtle affinities between Nippon
and Provençal cultures?
Arlésiennes by Léo Lelée
27
Close to Arles
Arles
Museums
For Rhoneside
Antiquity, visit the
Musée de l’Arles
Antique, which possesses interesting
sculptures and splendid stone sarcophaguses. For customs,
the Museon Arlaten
keeps alive the memory of both the true
and mythical past.
See also the Musée
Réattu and the town
in general. Arles is
a veritable open-air
museum.
Sewing workshop
Diorama from a painting by Antoine Raspal.
Museon Arlaten
In the Musée de l’Arles Antique:
amphorae destined to be used for
preserving - of which the good state of
preservation allows the preservation of
the memory of amphorae!
The famous Langlois
Bridge painted by Van
Gogh.
Events
A festive city, Arles knows a lot
about presentation and
welcome: the elec-
Costumes keep customs alive.
Van Gogh
The Provençal Dutchman
tion of Miss Arles and
the Costume Festival
(fabrics, traditional
costumes, haute
couture, etc.). Bull
festivals: (bull running, corridas, ferias,
Ranchers’ Festival
or Mediterranean
games in full coded
force). Festival
of Photography
(National School),
Dance Festival and
International Santon
Festival. The publishers Actes Sud and
Harmonia Mundi
daily inject life into
the town.
On the sand of the arena,
encounters of
cultures from Spain
and Camargue.
Vincent Van Gogh was a mystic. Having
lived among the Dutch miners, he left for
Paris before subsequently setting up home
in Arles in Provence where his search
for God and the ideal became confused
with his artistic quest. His companion
Gauguin, having painted Les Alyscamps,
Why not take a boat
trip on the Rhône?
The river flows
through the town
itself. Van Gogh’s
bridge, on the road
to Port Saint-Louis,
is accessible by car.
It is one of the painter’s most well known
subjects. See also the
Espace Van Gogh in
Arles.
A short distance
away, the Abbey of
Montmajour rises
above the marshland drained by the
monks. The 11th
century monastery
is testimony to the
monastic grandeur
of the Middle Ages.
Visit the hermitage,
the cloisters and the
chapel - bathe in the
magic of the setting.
Arles is the gate to
the vast Camargue
(see the Camargue).
Local Products
Rice, bull meat, saucisson and salt are
the products of this
wilderness of the
Rhône Delta.
Espace Van Gogh.
Miss Arles may be elected democratically each year, but
the Rhône is a savage king with natural rights.
left for distant lands. The two artists were
completely taken up with their lives and
their art. Only Cézanne, native of the
town, stayed in Aix. What remains of Van
Gogh in Arles and Saint Rémy where he
painted most of his masterpieces? His
paintings, which are today worth
astronomical sums, travel the world from
one collector to another, now part of the
heritage of mankind. Vincent Van Gogh
was a link between Provence and the
rest of the world.
The Abbey of Montmajour:
order and rule allied to
the golden section and the
compass have raised these
abbeys of great dimension
- islands of stone and
prayer towering above a
scene from everyday life.
29
The Countryside around Arles
The Camargue is a
unique land, a wilderness where birds
(Etang de Vaccarès),
bulls and horses cohabit (feast
days and riding, ranchers
and ranches).
Rice is also
cultivated here
(AOC). It is
an important
stop-off point
in Europe for migrating birds (December
wintering) and there
are many parks and
reserves. In this
imposing space there
are a host of museums and initiation
centres to welcome
visitors, adults and
children alike. Bull
festivities punctuate
the seasons.
The Camargue
National
Reserve of
the Etang de
Vaccarès proposes exhibitions and discovery trails at
la Capelière .
The Camargue
Natural Regional
Park,as well as its
mission to protect
the environment, possesses an information
and exhibition centre
at Ginès.
The Musée
Camarguais can be
Camargue farmhouses, testimony to the wish of man to dwell in
the heart of the wilderness.
The Camargue
A land where the bull
reigns supreme
The men who raise them under the sun of
the Camargue and the Crau revere Bulls
and the Camargue horses reared to drive
the herds. Pure breed bulls are the reason
for the abundance of white farms and
ranches in the Rhône Delta. The bull meat
has an AOC label. And the Corrida? It
belongs to another ancient Mediterranean
tradition. In the villages other bull games
are popular: Camargue races, bull running
or “cocarde” racing where the competitor,
on foot, has to lift pom-poms and ribbons
from the horns of the bulls, which are often
to be seen leaping the barriers to chase
after the brave, white-garbed competitor.
There are also “abrivados”, when bulls
are driven through the villages during the
annual fetes by ranchers on horseback,
and “ferrades” where young bulls are
branded with a red iron. If there is an
element of the Far West in all this, there
is also antiquity: these games have been
played since the pre-Christian Greek era. It
is a fact that the Greeks of Phocea founded
Marseille 2,600 years ago so were in the
area several centuries before the Romans.
The Camargue is a primitive and ancient
land where the gods are closer to nature
than to man.
visited at the Mas du
Pont de Rousty: history and discovery
trail on a traditional
farm.
Flamingos: princely couple –
not camera-shy - preparing
for take-off.
See also the château
d’Avignon (grand
19th century
property of an
enlightened bourgeois).
The Domaine de la
Palissade, the property of the coastal
and lakeside conser-
vancy, puts on guided
tours of the flora and
fauna for groups or
individuals. See also
exhibitions on the
natural environment.
The Pont-de-Gau bird
sanctuary is a health
centre for birds: see
also on-site exhibitions and wildlife
trails.
The Association la
Sigoulette offers educational activities –
discovery and understanding of the area.
This ‘house of nature’
accommodates children, teenagers and
adults full board.
To the east of the
Rhône the Marais du
Vigueirat, is placed
under the watchful
eye of the coastal
and lakeside conservancy: observation
of the environment
(sansouire salt
steppe) and theme
circuits for children.
The Saintes-Maries
de la mer along with
Salin de Giraud, lies
at the gates to the
Camargue. This is
the Camargue of long
beaches, boat trips or
kayaking on the Petit
Rhône and the canals.
Don’t miss the 12th
The Camargue horse lives in the wild in the Rhône Delta.
Its temperament and ability to adapt to the environment make it ideal
for bull ranching.
century fortified
church and the gypsy
pilgrimage in May.
There is access to the
sea wall to the east of
Salin de Giraud, Visit the salt marshes
and dunes at the salt
works.
Not far from there,
Port-St-Louis-duRhône has a fortified
tower and long
deserted sandy
beaches. Boat trips
out to sea.
is supplied to stud
farms all over France.
Irrigation: the canal
system designed by
Adam de Craponne
during the 16th century is a network of
waterways which
has allowed the
development of local
agriculture (canal de
Craponne, canal de
Boisgelin)
and a whole network
between Salon and
Arles ; see also the
museum of Salon and
of la Crau.
La Crau
A second remarkable
feature of the Arles
sector is la Crau ,
arid steppe land rich
in fauna and flora
(sandgrouse).
In this dry area
unique in France,
prairie land has been
created by a system
of irrigation canals.
Discover the steppe
as an ecosystem: see
also the Musée de
Salon and of la Crau,
and the ecomuseum
at Saint-Martin de
Crau ; Sheep farming: The Merle sheep
farming training centre, which promotes
the Arles Merino
breed ; hay cultivation: the Crau hay
won the first AOC
for a forage plant and
The Merino sheep is at home in
the arid Crau steppe and takes its
summer holidays in the Alps.
The wild heart of Camargue
31
Arles, the Camargue and the Crau
3 Discreet Camargue.
Discovery Circuits
(day trip)
Take the road to Port Saint-Louis, stopping
off on the way to visit Van Gogh’s bridge - le
Pont de Langlois... Following the path of
the Roman canal from Arles to Fos-sur-Mer,
turn left at Mas Thibert towards the Vigueirat
marshes. Here you can see sansouires, areas
colonised by vegetation adapted to salt water.
Bird watching plus waterways. Visit the
tower of Port-St-Louis-du-Rhône, then cross
over to Salins de Giraud on the Barcarin ferry
and explore the salt marshes and beaches.
From the Domaine de la Palissade, guided
tours of the countryside and view over the
salt works. Return to Arles through the rice
fields on the D36 (Rice museum).
4 La Crau via the Alpilles.
1 The Camargue around Les SaintesMaries-de-la-Mer. (day trip)
2 Parks and Ranches of the Camargue. (1/2- to 1-day trip)
From Arles, head for Les Saintes-Maries
via the Château d’Avignon, an extraordinarily beautiful residence built by a
grand bourgeois at the end of the 19th
century. Next stop, explore the bird
sanctuary at Pont-de-Gau: introduction
trails. Lastly, visit the gypsy pilgrimage
site of Les Saintes-Maries: romanesque fortified church, windsurfing base and beaches, boat trips out
to sea and along the Rhône.For an indepth study of the environment, take
the sea wall out to the lighthouses on
foot or by bicycle for a better understanding of the delta’s complex network
of waterways. (Allow a whole day for
this 20km hike/ride.)
From Arles, take the road towards Les
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to the Mas du
Pont de Rousty where you can visit the
Musée Camarguais. Exhibitions are completed by a discovery trail. Next take the road to Domaine de
Méjanes to explore the world of ranches, bulls and horses: little train, horse
riding, etc. Now border the Vaccarès
Lake until you reach the Réserve
Naturelle de la Capelière: introduction
to the environment trails and bird watching. At the end of the circuit return
to Arles via the rice fields.
(1/2- to 1-day trip)
From Arles, take the road towards Les Bauxde-Provence to the Montmajour Abbey and
absorb its medieval past: cloisters, chapel,
hermitage, etc., then drive along the south
face of the Alpilles in the Valley of Les Baux
(see Tour of the Alpilles) to Mouriès. From
here, enter the landscape of La Crau, both
dry and humid, and head for Saint-Martin de
Crau : visit the village and above all the Crau
Ecomuseum and the Peau de Meau Reserve.
The visit can be extended to include Salonde-Provence. Return to Arles.
33
Martigues
and the Côte Bleue
Overview
There are two sides to the character of the Martigues
Sector - lakeside and seaside: the Etang de Berre occupies
a large part of the region, the coast is an assortment of
creeks, ports and beaches.
To this physical aspect one must add the contrast between
the industrial shore and the tourist shore where economic
activity rubs shoulders with leisure. Lying between the
two of them, Martigues assembles its whole heritage.
Climate
Hot and sunny all year round with a good airing from
the mistral at certain times of the year!
Access
Good access by road from all directions,
Marseille-Provence Airport on the edge of the lake,
railway stations in Martigues, Miramas, Arles and
Marseille, sea port in neighbouring Marseille.
35
Martigues
Known as the Venise
provençale because
it is built on the
water’s edge between
the sea and the lake,
Martigues has a
population of 43,493.
Summers are hot and
it is sunny all year
round. The mistral
can blow in any
season.
The lakeside city of Martigues, at the confluence of sea and lake.
History
The occupation of
one of the islands
was recorded as far
back as the 5th
century. This lakeside community saw
the fishing industry
develop between
the Middle Ages and
the 18th century but
the plague of 1720
brought considerable
decline. Nowadays,
the local economy
General At
has been revitalised
with the installation of the chemical
industry on the edge
of the lake and the
seashore and through
the opening of a port
and steel works complex in Fos-sur-Mer.
Tourism and culture
play their role in this
boost for the town
and surrounding
countryside.
mosphere
Town of C
la
nal Prove ssical architecture
n
many face çal fishing port, M and traditioa
What with ts. Enjoy a stroll a rtigues has
lo
very prese the lake and the se ng the canals.
n
its beginn t indeed. A lakesid a, water is
in
tury class g, Martigues’ past e town from
ic
Popular cu al and its present is 17th cenis in
lture, feast
days and dustrial.
festivals.
Notable Heritage
The old town centre
(Provençal Baroque).
on the water’s edge
Bustling, picturesque
is worth a detour:
fishermen’s quarter,
walk along the canals
suspension bridge,
to observe the 17th
Martigues is
century stone-built
essentially a port.
houses and
appreciate
the colourful
Everyday Speech
Mediterranean
There are as many ways of
facades. For
speaking in the Bouches du
examples of
Rhône as there are areas!
17th century
The language here lends itself
church archito variation and local accents
tecture see the
are not easily confused. Thus,
chapel of
Notre-Dame de
an inhabitant of the inland
la Miséricorde
Alpilles has little in common
and the Church
with a coastal inhabitant and
of Saintethe Marseille accent is quite
Madeleine
different from the one in Aix,
Quiet time.
A rare pleasure
in a fishing port
sheltered from
the wind.
although there is only 30kms
between the two cities!
Apart from these nuances, the
Provençal people use the
language dramatically,
irregularly, colourfully and
are prone to exaggeration.
Some local expressions
include: “he tires me” for
referring to someone
annoying, “she killed me” (she
bored me), a good kilo (they
don’t do things by halves),
“a good 15 minutes” for half
an hour, “it’s death” for it’s
difficult, “a monstrous mess”
for a traffic jam, “diluvian
rain” for heavy rain, “billions”
for millions, “hard labour” for
work, “it’s freezing” when it’s
cold, and “it rains all the time”
rather than occasionally. In
any case, restrain yourself
or you may be taken for a
Parisian or a northerner,
which roughly incorporates
the rest of Europe and even
further afield…
Museums
Musée Ziem – archaeology and
ethnology: 19th
and 20th century
Provençal paintings.
Events
Festive and Popular
town: world culture
festival in summer,
Provençal jousting
on the canals, many
water-centred
festivals (sardine
cookouts, Venetian
festival).
Local Products
Delicious fish and
shellfish dishes:
“Poutargue: a
local caviar made
from mullet eggs,
Coteaux d’Aix wines
and“brousse du Rove”
a soft white cheese.
Fitness
Boat trips out to sea,
sailing club,
swimming etc...,
all water sports can
be practised from the
town centre.
Cesar pontem fecit. Flavien
too built a bridge, in Saint
Chamas, to remind us of the
architectural genius of the
colonisers of Provence – La
Provincia Romania.
Seaside heritage,
a fish dish offers
an image of
diversity – to be preserved.
37
The Countryside around Martigues
Around the Etang de Berre
A vast salt water lake
connected to the sea,
the Etang de Berre is
surrounded by
beautiful countryside (towards Istres
and Saint-Chamas),
archaeological
remains (the Pont
Flavien in Saint
Chamas) and typical
villages (Saint-Mitreles-Remparts, SaintChamas, Miramasle-vieux), but also
industrial landscapes
(petrochemicals in
Berre, and la Mède).
In Saint-Blaise visit
the archaeological
site and settlement
from the Neolithic
period to the 16th
century.
Cave dwellings in
Saint-Chamas, rail-
beaches of Carry-leRouet, Sausset-les-Pins,
and La Couronne.
All types of water
sports are practised:
scuba diving in
Niolon, Regional
Maritime Park in
Carry-le-Rouet, boat
trips, fun board in
Carro.
Local Products
fished from the
Mediterranean garnishes the dinner
tables: fish, shell
fish, sea urchins
and violets (sea
squirts). Eldorado city
amusement park for
children between
way museum and
miniature boats for
children in Miramas.
In Istres, there is
the ancient town
centre to visit, the
Romanesque church,
a particularly interesting museum of
archaeology (amphorae) and Centre of
Contemporary Art.
Military Air Base
since 1917.
The Côte Bleue
The Côte Bleue is
devoted to tourism
with beaches, creeks
and little ports. The
most popular areas
are Carro and its
fun-board centre,
the creeks of Ensuès
la Redonne, where
Blaise Cendrars
wrote L’homme foudroyé, Méjean and the
Beaches and ports of the Côte Bleue:
unaffected Mediterranean.
Waiting for the miraculous draught of fishes! In the
creeks at the end of the Marseille-Martigues line.
Diving in the underwater plant
community. A visit to the
underwater world brings all the
sensuality of a third dimension.
Ensuès-la-Redonne
and Châteauneuf-lesMartigues.
An amusing way
to reach the Côte
Bleue is to take the
local coastal train
from Martigues or
Marseille (works of
art, tunnels).
Fos-su-Mer is a large
industrial port on
the coast (MarseilleFos, largest port in
France), with guided
tours of the industrial
sites (steelworks of
Sollac-Fos : guided
tours for children).
Don’t miss l’Hauture
du vieux Fos ram-
parts, history, Roman port and
medieval château.
Between Fos and
Martigues, in Portde-Bouc, the Musée
Moralès houses some astonishing
steel sculptures.
The Unseen Cicada
According to
the people here,
the cicada is
Provençal,
and according to Jean de
la Fontaine,
it sings all
summer long
- Wrong! This
astonishing creature
was well known both
in ancient China and
among the Indians of
North America. What is
more, the cicada does
not sing but produces the
noise as a mating call by
abdominal contractions.
To finish, its life above
ground lasts no more
than two weeks after an
underground life of
several years! In fact,
this enchanting insect
which accompanies us on
summer afternoons symbolises the country itself:
both noisy and mysterious. Like buried truffles
and underwater violets,
the cicada is
invisible to those who
don’t know it. Just like
Provence, it invites us to
search...
39
Martigues and the Côte Bleue Sector
Discovery Circuits
site of Saint-Blaise, which was occupied from
the Neolithic era..
3 The Lakes of La Crau.
(1/2-day trip)
This excursion is an alternative to the
previous one, combined with circuit 4 of the
Arles sector.
Take the road to Fos-sur-mer and visit the
old village (l’Hauture). It is also possible to
visit the Sollac steelworks, leader in its field.
Next visit Saint-Martin-de-Crau: tour of the
Étang des Aulnes, natural site protected by
the département, then Saint-Martin and the
Ecomuseum of the Crau, and the Peau de
Meau Nature Reserve. Return via Salon, or
directly through Miramas, Miramas-le-Vieux,
Istres and Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, as in
circuit 2, ending with the historical and
archaeological sites.
1 The Creeks and Beaches of the Côte Bleue.
between Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and
Ensuès-la Redonne.
(day trip)
The Côte Bleue is the jewel of the
Martigues region. Day trips are usually
made by road but it is also possible to
take the local Marseille-Martigues train.
Head for La Couronne and visit the port
of Carro where the fishing industry still
thrives (tuna fishing). Then visit Sausset-les-Pins and Carry-leRouet. In these seaside villages: sea-fishing trips, swimming, scuba diving, sea
urchins, etc...
Visit the underwater world of the
maritime park equipped with a snorkel. Head for Ensuès-la-Redonne a little
port and string of creeks and Méjean,
far from the beaches. Make a detour
to Niolon and its port for scuba diving. For children, stop off on the way
back at Eldorado City Amusement Park
(1/2-day trip)
This outing starts with a visit devoted
to the petrochemical industry. Either
follow the coast road or take the motorway towards Marseille, then Lyon and go
directly to La Fare-les-Oliviers (olive oil)
and Calissanne (wine). Now take the
road along the north shore of the Etang
de Berre – the route offers pretty views
over the large salt water lake - towards
Saint-Chamas : Roman bridge (pont
Flavien), village, cave dwellings. Head
for the village of Miramas-le-vieux and
follow the lakeside road to Istres where
you can visit the Museum of underwater
archaeology.
Return to Martigues via Saint-Mitre-lesRemparts : tour of the archaeological
2 Tour of the Etang de Berre.
41
Marseille
Overview
The Marseille sector lies between sea and mountains to
the south east of the Bouches-du-Rhône. This is a land of
contrasts. Towns have developed between the Etoile and
the Sainte Baume Mountains to the north and east and
the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The wide bay opens
out from the jagged coastline and accounts for the maritime calling of the city and its people since the beginning.
Marseille is the oldest city and the largest port in France.
The coastal landscape is characterised by sheltered creeks
and islands.
Climate
The mild coastal climate must be distinguished from the
colder inland one. Generally speaking, it can be hot and
sunny at any time of the year. The mistral regularly blows
here, conducive to nautical activities.
Access
Easy access to the city via road, rail, sea and air. The
third largest city in France, Marseille is constantly
updating its infrastructures to adapt to needs encountered
in large cities: TGV station in 2001, extension to the
airport, improvements to the ferry service to Corsica.
43
Marseille
What is a bette?
Overview and climate
The city itself has
a population of
798,430 - over a
million when one
includes the suburbs.
Located on a plain
at the mouth of the
river and surrounded
by hills, the great city
of Marseille looks out
across the sea:
fabulous year-round
views over the bay
and its islands.
Mediterranean
climate, hot and
sunny most of the
year but remaining
moderate due to
maritime influence.
The Vieux Port - its forest of masts
fluttering in the wind that calls from
out at sea.
History
Marseille is the oldest
city in France,
founded by the
Phoceans 600 years
BC (then known as
Savon de Marseille – we like it as
it comes, rich and raw, straight out
of the box.
General At
Phocée) then
developed by the
Romans (Massilia) as
a trading post.
The city developed
between the 15th
and 19th centuries
around the
commercial port
and industry (soap).
Marseille is
incontestably the
great port of the
Mediterranean, the
gateway to Africa and
the East.
Its development was
mosphere
A great M
ed
to a const iterranean port st
ay
ant stirrin
g of the p s alive due
The city is
op
fo
migratory unded on continu ulation.
ing
exchange
,
charm an
d identity which gives it its
. But it is
Provença
also a ver
l ci
y
Vieux Port ty where the sale
of fish on
, games o
th
f boules a
represent
nd caban e
th
ons
The oldes e traditional way
t city in F
of life.
rance, Ma
all mariti
rsei
m
islands an e, wide open to the lle is above
d the sea
bay, the
it
heritage.
Take a trip self, its most impo
rtant
de la Corn
along the
ic
P
Port to th he, the coast road romenade
e Creeks.
from the
Old
Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde watches over the fishermen. More important still, it signals the city from far off.
At Malmousque, if football is
our religion, Zidane is its enlightened prophet.
Fresh fish tops
the menus of the coast.
linked to colonisation.
Today, there are plans
to inject new energy
into the city with the
Euro-Mediterranean
Project.
Comex’s underwater
research and activity
confirm the maritime
calling of the city.
The port is also a
departure point for
cruises.
Notable history
The city has a rich
past as a port testimony to every
period of history
from antiquity to
the present day: the
ancient port, the old
Port, the Military
La Joliette:
from here one
can leave for
anywhere in the
Mediterranean.
port, (fortifications
at the Saint-Jean and
Saint-Nicolas forts),
the commercial
port at La Joliette.
Fabulous views from
the 19th century
Palais du Pharo.
The Panier
Neighbourhood:
On this hill in the
city centre are
the remains of the
ancient town (see
the Musée des Docks
Romains), some
beautiful classical
buildings (Vieille
Charité and Hôtel
Dieu) and popular
Mediterranean
habitat, an ensemble
of high contrast.
One often uses the
word pointu (pointed) to describe the
Marseille fishing boat.
In fact the initiated
prefer to use the word
barquette for the larger
boats and bette for the
smaller true fishing
boat rigged with square
sails, whose lateen
yards make one think
of some winged animal
or a lobster. It is true
that the 18th
century boats were
also known as cows or
bulls at a time when
machines had not yet
replaced work animals.
From the 12th century
right up until the mid
20th, the fishermen
from the Estaque or
the Vallon des Auffes
worked from these
boats, prepared to row
back when the wind
dropped - which often
happens here. The bay
became thus the scene
of coastal fishing where
small fry, scorpion fish,
bass, and angler fish
- the vital ingredients for the famous
Bouillabaisse fish soup
were caught. Times
were hard but good for
the fishermen
in the time of lateen
sails, or so tell the
barquettes and pointus
moored on the quaysides of the ports from
Les Saintes Maries to
Cassis and La Ciotat.
From the Palais du Pharo: the heart of a port beats fastest at its entrance.
45
Marseille
Important church
architecture includes the Saint-Victor
Basilica (Early
Christian to the
Middle Ages, crypts),
the churches of
Major (Romanesque
and Byzantine) and
Notre Dame de la
Garde, an important
pilgrimage site
(commemorative plaques) and a breathtaking view over the
city and the bay.
The civil architecture is above all
marked by 19th
century Haussman
style: Saint Charles
station and the Palais
Longchamp.
For contemporary architecture:
Le Corbusier’s Cité
Radieuse on the
Boulevard Michelet
expresses the ideas
of the great midtwentieth century
functionalist architect, the Vieux Port
ensemble built by
Fernand Pouillon and
at St Just, the Hôtel
du Département
designed by William
Alshop. See also the
villas, follies and houses scattered along
the coast: Villa Valmer,
Villa Magalone on the
Boulevard Michelet.
Towards Malmousque: the bay has
many islands and the city is proud
of its spectacular Corniche
promenade.
Museums
La Vieille Charité is a
remarkable museum
complex of particular architectural
interest. Collections
include: archaeology,
African Australian and
Amerindian arts,
exhibitions and
relaxation area.
The Musée des Docks
Romains and nearby,
the History Museum
at the Centre Bourse,
tell the tale of the
city’s ancient past
(Jardin des Vestiges at
the Centre Bourse).
The Musée Cantini
and the Musée d’Art
Contemporain are
devoted to presentday art.
The Musée Pastré,
in a natural coastal
setting, houses a
beautiful collection
of earthenware.
Don’t miss the Musée
de Beaux-Arts at the
Palais Longchamp
and the Château
Borély, above all for
their beautiful
gardens, as well as
the house of a
collector, the Musée
Grobet-Labadié.
An Archaeological Dump
In the 18th century, the Marseille City Council
introduced a rigorous system of quarantine for
boats and crews suspected of carrying contagious
diseases. Up to 500 ships a year were confined to
the Islands of Frioul, where sailors suffering from
fevers were treated at the Caroline hospital. The
layers of refuse up to two metres thick accumulated
over three
centuries under the boats anchored in the port of
Pomègues could be compared to a magnificent
dump, each layer telling a story of life and death,
on land and at sea. Crockery, cutlery, jam pots,
glassware, even the famous Dutch pipes from Gouda
dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Were
these clay pipes so fragile as to be found by the
hundred or were the pipes belonging to dying sailors broken before being thrown into the sea, giving
us the expression casser sa pipe (break one’s pipe)
meaning to die? Archaeologists continue the quest.
At the Musée de la Vieille Charité, masterly and refined classicism
in the quiet of the Ancient Greek quarter.
Marcel Pagnol
popularised 20th
century Marseille
through his
souvenirs of
Provençal childhood
and his trilogy of
plays Le Verbe et La
Verve locale that
reveals the doublesided nature of
Provençal identity
– secretive and
expansive.
The genius of Pierre
Puget is present in
the architecture of
the Vieille Charité.
His sculptures can
be seen in the
Louvre in Paris.
At the end of the
19th century,
Paul Cézanne
and Braque
were regular
visitors to the
fishermen’s
quarter known
as l’Estaque.
Supreme cuisine – all tiny fruits
and vegetables.
Events
Theme festivals for
passionate
spectators.
Boat show and
regattas for
the many sailing buffs, the
Fiesta des
Suds for lovers of Latin
music, football, many
theatres, the Santon
Fair at Christmas,
Voice and Dance
Festivals in the
summer…
Sport and Fitness
Sea, sail and sun - surfing the
waves in the city centre.
Local products
Seafood is of course
very present in
Mediterranean
cuisine: Bouillabaisse,
fish soup, grilled
All water sports can
be practised from the
town centre: sailing,
windsurfing,
speedboat racing,
scuba diving,
swimming, river and
sea kayaking, beaches
- Marseille offers a
complete range of
sports (children’s
games and initiation).
sardines, shellfish,
sea urchins, violets.
Pastis, the city’s
very own apéritif,
is known the world
over.
The famous soap ‘le
savon de Marseille’,
contains natural and
medicinal virtues.
Other specialities are
the navette, a biscuit
flavoured with
orange flower water,
pied paquets, made
from tripe and sheep
trotters, and “Panier”
chocolate bars.
Pastis: commonly known
as “le jaune”
- “yellow”
If the Provençal coast
dwellers invented Pastis
rather than the wine it
was surely because the
apéritif is a rite here,
with many followers the apéritif is considered
quite sacred. There are
many varieties of Pastis,
so many in fact that consumers order their preferred drink by the make:
a “Casa” for a Casanis, a
“51” for a Ricard. Served
with water according
to taste, Pastis is drunk
from small glasses. For
a short strong drink, ask
for a momie. If you are
more interested in the
flavour than the alcohol
content and prefer a mixture – also very popular
with the locals, try a
“perroquet”, Pastis mixed
with mint syrup, a
“tomate” mixed with
grenadine, or a
“Mauresque” the great
classic mixed with
almond syrup. But be
careful, if you accept a
Pastis from one of the
café regulars, you will be
expected to buy the next
round!
Panoramic view of the Port and the City of Marseille
(19th century). Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce
and Industry Coll.
47
The Countryside around Marseille
Around Marseille
Outside the city
itself, the bay and the
creeks provide
infinite space for
relaxation, sport and
adventure for all
tastes and ages.
The sea and the
islands offer cruises
and excursions: the
Islands of Frioul, the
Château d’If made
famous by Alexandre
Dumas in The Count
of Monte Cristo, boat
trips to the Creeks of
Cassis, scuba diving
under the wrecks.
For hikers: trails and
ascent to the summit of Marseilleveyre
(outstanding view)
and climbing in the
limestone creeks.
To the west, within
the confines of the
commercial port, the
Estaque offers a
gourmet stop-off
with chichis-fregis
(Marseille donuts).
Château d’If and its tales:
Edmond Dantès, alias the
Count of Monte Cristo, lived
here in the dungeon.
The “violet”
Sea potatoes
En-Vau calanque: relaxation rubs shoulders with adventure.
The town centre Calanques of Morgiou and Sormiou
take on a distant air in the mornings and evenings.
If you don’t already
know the violet, imagine
a brown potato growing
15 metres beneath the
sea! This maritime
potato is in fact an
animal, the sea squirt,
which clings to the rock
and communicates with
the water via a sensitive
tube. If you touch it, it
retracts and disguises
itself as part of the rock.
And there are still more
surprises in store: this
rock turns out to be
edible for those who
enjoy unusual flavours.
The orange and red flesh
lying inside on a bed
of mother-of-pearl has
a strong iodine flavour
that defies description:
a wild taste for lovers of
the extreme! Along with
the spiky sea urchin and
the strangely bananashaped holothurian
which cover the sea bed
and are eaten by the
Chinese, the violet is one
of a family of
underwater curiosities.
All the towns
and ports around
Marseille are easily
accessible by car.
The coast :
The fishing port of
Cassis offers beaches,
cafés, “Calanques”,
boat trips, AOC wine,
and a Museum of Art
and Popular Tradition
island for children),
the Regional Marine
Park, sandy beaches
(for children) and
local fishing museum.
Crest road between
Cassis and la Ciotat
(D141, spectacular
view).
The game of pétanque was invented in
this Provençal port
immortalised by the
Lumière brothers in
the earliest days of
cinema. Along with
Marseille, Cassis
and La Ciotat are
the departure points
for access to the
Calanques via the
coast.
Inland :
“He who has seen Paris but not
Cassis has seen nothing”
Aubagne, town of the
writer Marcel Pagnol
(museum and trails),
is par excellence the
town of clay since
Roman times: pottery
and santons
manufactured here
(crafts-persons and
workshops) (see the
Route de la Terre).
Venue for congresses
Pic de Bertagne: the Sainte-Baume Mountain, its wind-beaten crests
and magical forest.
and fairs, the town
has rich local
markets to entice
visitors. Tour in the
footsteps of Marcel
Pagnol to the summit of the Garlaban
Mountain (730m) and
to Allauch.
Gémenos, at the gates
to the Sainte-Baume
Mountain. SaintPons Romanesque
Cistercian Abbey
and woodland
park (children), the
Espigoulier Pass,
the Pic de Bertagne
(observation point).
Remarkable ancient
forest (children)
Pétanque from La Ciotat
From crest to crest, from Cassis
to La Ciotat via the cliff-tops.
La Ciotat: fishing
port, Calanques
(Figuerolles and
Mugel), l’Ile Verte
(excursions to the
Sugiton is like a maritime garden
for the University of Luminy: a study
centre for lovers of swimming and
climbing.
Before pétanque there was the game of longue.
This energetic game of boules
consisted of running 3 steps before releasing the boule. Legend has it that a certain
Monsieur Lenoir from La Ciotat, who suffered
from rheumatism, had the idea of inventing a
different game where one could remain
standing on the spot, a game of dexterity
played with the feet planted firmly on the
ground: Pétanque was born. The game is a
pretext for a chat and discussion even if it is
only about measuring the space between the
boule and the jack, known here as the
cochonnet. However, some players take the
game more seriously and then the stakes take
on a dramatic dimension approaching
tragedy… just before apéritif time.
Saint Pons at Gémenos: clear
spring water and Cistercian
Abbey in the forest park.
towards Mary
Magdalene’ cave.
Cuges-les-Pins and
the OK Corral
amusement park for
children.
Provençal Christmas
and living crib in the
hillside village of
Allauch.
In Château-Gombert:
museum of art and
popular tradition,
world dance festival.
49
Marseille and the Calanques
3 The creeks from Cassis to La Ciotat.
Discovery Circuits
(day trip)
By car, take the coastal road to Cassis (superb
views). Visit the village of Cassis: port,
museum, beaches, creeks and excellent wine.
Then take the spectacular crest road to
La Ciotat. In la Ciotat, visit the town,
the port, the museum, and the creeks of
Figuerolles and Mugel. Sea trip to the Ile
Verte – beautiful beaches. Return via the
same road or take the motorway.
4 Towards Sainte-Baume.
1 Sea Outings.
From the Vieux Port in the centre of
Marseille beckon the bay and the
Calanques. Allow at least half a day
for each trip.
The islands of Frioul face the city.
Select an outing with a stop-off at the
château d’If, built in the 16th century
under François I: tour of the fort and
evocation of the story of the Count
of Monte Cristo as told by Alexandre
Dumas. Now head for Frioul, a group of
two islands - Pomègues and Ratonneau:
on land, visit the Caroline Quarantine
Hospital built long ago to treat sailors
suffering from contagious diseases.
Swimming and scuba diving.
Set off for a trip to the Calanques from
Marseille, Cassis or La Ciotat. Fabulous
views of the cliffs. Combine your excursion with diving or hiking or even hiking and sunbathing on the little beaches
of the creeks.
2 The Calanques on foot, from Marseille to Cassis.
The sheltered Calanques area is ideal for
all types of hiking. Some of the most
interesting walks include: a climb to
Marseille veyre (lovely views), crossing
the Calanques from Cassis to Marseille
(long hike), excursions to the Grande
Candelle from Luminy, ascent of mont
Puget, exploring the creeks of Sormiou,
Morgiou, Sugiton, and the belvedere
En-Vau. Closer to Cassis, the creeks of
Port-Pin and Port-Miou... Allow a whole
day for hiking, swimming or climbing in
each creek.
(Ask for information about closure of
the range during the summer).
(day trip)
Take the road to Gémenos.
From here, head for the parc de Saint-Pons:
beautiful protected woodland, spring and
Romanesque Cistercian abbey. Now take the
road towards the col de l’Espigoulier from
where there are gorgeous views. Go to
Plan d’Aups and the Sainte-Baume forest:
from the hostellerie, visit the cave of Mary
Magdalene, the crest (panoramic view) and
the forest (tree oils, trails, etc).
Finally, come back down towards Nans les
Pin and return to Marseille via Saint-Zacharie,
Auriol and the motorway.
5 In the footsteps of Marcel Pagnol.
(day trip)
This trip combines literature and sightseeing.
First head for Aubagne to visit the old town:
santon-makers, pottery, fairs and markets,
organised Marcel Pagnol tours. Next make
the ascent of the Garlaban Garlaban for literary souvenirs and view. Return to Marseille
via the motorway or the back roads, for
example via the Musée des Arts et traditions
Populaires in Château-Gombert.
51
Travel
Themes
55
Culture and Heritage
Architecture
Cultural Creativity
Gastronomy
71
Outdoor Pursuits
Water
Natural Sites
Water Sports
Hiking, Horse Riding and Cycling
Climbing and Caving
85
Children
Culture
and Heritage
Here in Provence all is culture and all is
heritage: from the truffle to the 17th century
retable, the fishermen’s feast to the music
festival, the olive to the ancient temple.
Testimony to the past and contemporary
creation are today combined to present a
wealth of diversity. These are the palettes and
colours available to the artist-traveller! Choose
your personal itinerary of places and pleasures!
Architecture
Cultural Creativity
Gastronomy
55
Noves
The presence of
Caius Sextius
Calvinus and the
Roman legions put
a brutal end to this
civilisation in the 1st
century BC.
St Gabriel
(Ernaginum)
ARLES
(Arelate)
World Heritage
DO
MI
TIA
Wreck
Dolmen
Museum
Bridge
Vestiges
Cave
Prehistoric site Aqueduct
Eygalières
Les Baux
Grotte des fées
Lamanon
Mouriès
Eyguières
Barbegal
SALON
St Estève Janson
Vernègues
Le Puy
Ste Réparade
Pélissanne
VI
O
M
Cornillon Confoux
Entremont
A
AU
RE
LI
A
A
Meyrargues
The Salyens
AIX EN PROVENCE
(Aquae Sextiae)
St Antonin
Le Tholonet
Roman dam
Roquepertuse
N
Ventabren
C
A
N
A
L
ISTRES
Ancient Saltworks
St Chamas
Pont Flavien
Velaux
St Mitre les Remparts
St Blaise
Fos sur Mer (Ugium)
(Fossae Marianae)
The Roman temple of Château Bas on the hillside of Vernègues.
The sculpted stone vines that once capped these pillars have now
been replaced by living ones that produce fine wines.
Port
Triumphal Arch Settlement
Le Carrelet
Salt Fish (ancient factory)
phal arch, a mausoleum and important
remains of a GrecoRoman town.
In Marseille, see the
“Jardin des Vestiges”
and the ancient port
and in Meyrargues,
the aqueduct. In
Barbegal near
Fontvieille, after
visiting the aqueduct,
see the interesting
remains of an
industrial mill of
which a model is on
display in the “Musée
de l’Arles Antique”.
Temple
Orgon
St REMY
(Glanum)
Fontvieille Le Paradou
Hypogeums
From the 6th
century BC, the
Phoceans brought
Greek civilisation to
the site of Marseille
(Massalia) - the oldest
city in France. They
also colonised Arles
and Saint-Blaise.
During the 1st
century BC, Rome
took control,
founding Aix (Aquae
Sextiae) then
penetrating further
into the Bouchesdu-Rhône to Arles
(Arelate) and
Saint-Rémy (Glanum)
building great the
roads Via Aurelia and
Via Domitia as they
went.
There are still
many remains from
this era to be seen
here: Arles is a particularly
well-preserved
Roman town (see
Arles sector) on
the UNESCO World
Heritage list
(amphitheatre,
Roman theatre, baths,
underground
gallery). Glanum
possesses a trium-
VIA
R
man in the Bouchesdu-Rhône in
prehistoric times is
attested in the caves
such as the Grotte
Cosquer which was
recently discovered
by a scuba diver near
Marseille (beautiful
cave paintings dating
back to 20 to 30,000
years BC), or the
Grotte de l’Escale at
Saint Estève Janson
where there are traces of domestic fire.
From the Neolithic
period, (about 7,000
years BC), the habitat
was transformed and
there is still evidence
of many hillside
settlements: SaintBlaise in Saint-Mitreles-Remparts, SaintAntonin settlement
near Aix-en-Provence,
the Istres settlement
and the Laure camp
in Rove.
In Fontvieille there
are the remains of
early burial grounds:
hypogeums and a
dolmen.
The Entremont
settlement in Aix-enProvence tells the
story of the Salyens, a
Celto-Ligurian people
who were fine sculptors (very fine stone
heads at the “Musée
Granet”).
Beaucaire TARASCON
(Ugernum) (Tarusco)
Les Pennes Mirabeau
Châteauneuf les Martigues
MARTIGUES
(Maritima)
Camp de Laure
Le Rove
Carry le Rouet
(Incarus)
MARSEILLE
(Massalia)
Cassis
(Carsicis)
Grotte Cosquer
The Salyens The Celts known as Gauls
When the Romans invaded Provence, an
industrious and courageous people already
dwelt here. The geographer Strabon and
Julius Cesar called them the Gauls, rather as
we called the Inuit people Eskimos. In fact,
Europe was at the time a Celtic culture, from
Ireland to Turkey.
In Provence lived the Salyens, a Celto-Ligurian
people who were highly civilised, as we know
from their fine jewellery and advanced farming implements. These people, who lived in the Entremont
settlement above Aix-en-Provence were wiped
out or taken as slaves by the legions of Caius
Sextius Calvinus 122 years BC.
Their striking faces immortalised in the stone
sculptures at the Musée Granet remind us
that the inhabitants of this place were neither
Gauls nor pagans, but Celts.
La Ciotat
(Citharista)
The Salyens, Celto-Ligurians: sculpted stone heads at the
Musée Granet in Aix
57
Castles
Church Architecture
Barbentane
Château des Puget-Barbentane
Châteaurenard
Boulbon
With the end of
ing those of the
beautiful chapel of
Saint-Etienne du
Grès, the Cistercian
Abbeys of Silvacane
and Saint Pons, the
church and cloisters
of Saint-Trophîme in
Arles, on the route
of Saint James of
Compostella and the
fortified church of
Les Saintes-Mariesde-la-Mer. Provençal
Romanesque style
became soberly
integrated into the
environment.
The Classical and
Baroque eras saw
the art of building
tend towards description and decoration.
The sculpted retables
the Roman Empire in
the 5th century, the
early Christians
started building as
a way of proclaiming their faith:
Gauguin painted The
Alyscamps necropolis
in Arles. All over the
area, ancient crypts
remain the
foundations of
churches, such as
in Saint-Victor in
Marseille or the
Saint-Sauveur
Baptistery in
Aix-en-Provence.
The Middle
Ages saw
St-Michel de Frigolet
Noves
cloisters and
Boulbon Graveson
Romanesque Eyragues St Andiol
TARASCON
arches Mollégès
St REMY
flourish,
St Etienne du Grès
St Paul de Mausole
St Gabriel
includEygalières
Les Baux
Towards Saint-Gilles
ARLES
Fontvieille
Maussane
Montmajour
Mallemort
Ste Anne
Eyguières
Alleins
Stes MARIES de la Mer
Servanes
view over the bay
and the town.
In the countryside,
on back roads and
hillsides, chapels and
oratories abound,
particularly in the
Alpilles area, such as
the perfectly
proportioned
Chapel of SaintSixte in Eygalières,
its cypresses standing proud beneath
the sun. There are
wrought iron campaniles everywhere to
be seen…protecting
the bells from the
wind rather than the
rain.
St Paul lez Durance
Jouques
St Michel
St Laurent
Ste Anne
AIX EN PROVENCE
St Sauveur
Towards Le Thoronet
Trets
Istres
Cabriès
St Sulpice
SALON
l’Empéri
Peyrolles
St Sépulcre
Rognes
Le Puy Ste Réparade
La Fare les Oliviers
Peyrolles
ARLES
Silvacane
St Chamas
Castellas de Roquemartine
Aureille Eyguières
Mouriès
Lambesc
SALON
Les Alyscamps
St Trophime
Tour Cardinale
Château de Roussan
Les Baux
Orgon
St Sixte
Orgon
St REMY
Château du roi René
Towards Sénanque
St Vincent
Mouriès
TARASCON
of the church in
Rognes conserve
rich traces of a more
affected expression
of faith.
See also the
churches of
Martigues and
many others in the
Bouches-du-Rhône.
Finally, in the 19th
century, the
cathedrals of
Marseille aimed at
gigantic proportions
of somewhat exotic
influence such as
the Byzantine style
Cathédrale de la
Major or even
Notre-Dame de la
Garde, ideally located
as a pilgrimage site
(see the sailors’
commemoration
plaques). From here,
there is a striking
St-Jean du Puy
La Barben
Meyrargues
Puyricard
Towards Aigues-Mortes
Château d’Avignon
Velaux
AIX EN PROVENCE
Dungeon
Trets
Fos sur Mer
Port de Bouc
Port St Louis
Fort St Jean
MARSEILLE
Château d’If
Castles and dungeons
From the Middle
Ages, the people
of Provence fortified their habitat as
a defence against
assault: the hillside
villages were thus
protected from
invasion, incursion
and robbery.
Architecture
emphasised a protective element.
Castles and keeps
protected nobles:
the Château du Roy
René in Tarascon,
Citadel
Ruins
Cassis
Forts
the Château de La
Barben, and the
Chatêau de l’Empéri
in Salon are fine
examples. Churches
were also fortified:
in Les Saintes-Mariesde-la Mer, Saint
Andiol, Saint Victor
in Marseille and the
Montmajour Abbey.
This typically
medieval approach
found an urban
dimension in the
shape of citadels
where castle and
Fort St Nicolas
St Victor
village are combined
such as at Les Bauxde-Provence.
From high in this
eyrie, social life could
be contained within
the walls of the
citadel at the first
sign of trouble.
In the 17th
century, war and
developing technol-
ogy changed common practice and
specialised forts
supplanted castles.
Vauban constructed
these military bases
all over France. The
Saint Jean and Saint
Nicolas forts and the
Château d’If in the
bay watch over the
port of Marseille.
MARIGNANE
MARTIGUES
The Major
Vieille Charité
Roquevaire
Ste Madeleine
St Pons
MARSEILLE
Gémenos
AUBAGNE
1st christians Roman Chapel/oratory Baroque/Classical 19th cent. buildings Fortified church
St Victor
N D de la Garde
LA CIOTAT
Cuges les Pins
The mistral blows so hard in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
that the church had to be fortified to help it resist…
59
Urban and Suburban Architecture
Rural and Village Architecture
Land has been cul-
tivated in Provence
since the early days.
Renowned savoir
faire in agriculture
and breeding is preciously maintained:
for breeding, see the
sheep of La Crau and
the bulls and horses
of the Camargue, for
agriculture, taste the
little fruits and vegetables (melons), olive
oil, and the wines of
the five AOC zones.
This rural civilisation can be observed
in the architecture
- adapted to the climate, the land and
society.
The villages, often
built on hillsides,
demonstrate the wish
of the population to
live in communities.
The Roman roof tiles
were inherited from
the old colonisers.
Around the churches
in the village centres,
the squares and fountains serve as much
as meeting places as
passages: here one
might play a game of
boules, drink a Pastis
on the café terrace,
chat or listen to conversation.
In the countryside
around the villages,
farmhouse architecture perpetuates
the tradition of the
Roman style villa:
farmhouses of the
Alpilles and La Crau,
Camargue farmhouses with thatched
roofs and white walls.
The dovecotes,
sometimes set a
little apart from the
houses, add a touch
of nobility, while
The major towns
“Here is better than there”. Made of bricks and wood, Marseille
cabanons are modest: the luxury of the natural seaside setting
makes up for lack of comfort.
still further away,
for example in the
vineyards of Aix, the
cabanon is used as a
weekend cottage.
The Marseille cabanons, in the
surrounding countryside, are modest and
ideal for short breaks.
In the Calanques
of Sormiou and
Morgiou the cabanon
is considered a
luxury, in spite of the
fact that it has no
modern comforts.
of the Bouches-duRhône offer great
architectural diversity. As well as their
Roman past (see prehistory and antiquity
map) and medieval
foundation, they
present a complete
range of the most
important architectural styles.
To the west, the
16th century is well
represented in Arles,
Tarascon, Saint-Rémy,
Les Baux and Salon:
sumptuous stone
houses, mullioned
windows.
In the Rhône delta, everything
is on the move: the river, the sea,
the canals, the salt, the wind and
the birds. Only man is invited by
nature to rest for a little while
in the thatched farmhouses of
Camargue.
In Marseille: Vieux Port and
Canebière. Comings and goings
around the port
– urban movement,
human migration…
To the east, along
with Martigues,
Aix-en-Provence
offers one of the
most perfect faces of
17th century classical
architecture with
gorgeous town
houses, the Pavillon
de Vendome and
The Quartier Mazarin:
a housing estate!
In Aix, on the Place d’Albertas.
Liquid instruments, the fountains
improvise melodies under the
water’s fluid fingers.
above all the beautiful Quartier Mazarin.
The surrounding countryside
is scattered with
fine homes, in Les
Pinchinats and Le
Tholonet.
In Marseille, by
contrast, as well as
the houses and follies
along the coast, the
city offers fine 19th
century civil and
church architecture,
built when the commercial port was at
the height of activity.
Le Corbusier’s
Cité Radieuse adds
a contemporary
touch to the composite tableau of a
great Mediterranean
city along with the
very beautiful 17th
century classical
Vieille Charité, the
Hausmann boulevards
and an exuberant
local habitat.
As surprising as it may seem, the
elegant Mazarin neighbourhood of Aixen-Provence, perfect example of classical
architecture, was built as a housing estate!
In 1646, a plot of land to the south of the
town walls was divided into lots on which
to construct new houses. It was certainly
not intended as low-cost housing since the
zone was destined for wealthy town dwellers wishing to show off their wealth and
affirm their taste.
So the neighbourhood was embellished
with beautiful town houses from the Place
des Quatre Dauphins from where the view
of the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte and
the Musée Granet is close to perfection. The
space expresses the spirit of Aix: solemn
but not weighty, refined without ostentation, and is just a few steps from the Cours
Mirabeau and the medieval town centre.
This harmony leads us to consider the need
in architecture to reconcile order with disorder, rules with initiative, careful classicism
with exuberant Baroque. Here is a lesson
that the post war functional architects have
yet to learn. Maybe that is why the people
of Marseille have nicknamed Le Corbusier’s
Cité Radieuse “la maison du fada” (the
crackpot’s house).
The Docks of Marseille, constructed at the height of commercial
activity, testimony to the splendours of a
26-century maritime calling.
61
sheep, such as the
Transhumance festival in Saint-Rémy.
Christmas celebrations are a family
occasion and are
raditional
centred on midProvençal feast days
night mass and the
are very lively affairs
Christmas Crib.
in the Bouches du
The shepherd
Rhône, glorifying
brings his herd
moments of traditionof sheep into the
al life. Fishermen’s
church for the pasfeast days in
trage ceremony
to the sound of
the choir
singing carols
in Provençal.
Modern versions of traditional feast
days, these
The raseteur and the bull in a “course à la
festivals light
cocarde”: play is sometimes
up the evenings
in Provence all sumMartigues and on the
mer long.
Côte Bleue, when sea
The International
urchins are devoured
Festival of Lyric Arts
by the thousand;
of Aix-en-Provence
ranchers’ festivals in
attracts opera lovers.
the Camargue Arles
The great
masters
gather in the
grounds of
the château
of La Roque
d’Anthéron
for the
International
On the shores of the Mediterranean, black and Piano Festival.
white icons are borne at the head of a
Also: Jazz
procession of the faithful.
festival in
Salon, organ festiand the Alpilles to
vals in Saint-Rémy
celebrate the bull
and Roquevaire, the
(branding, abrivados,
Festival of Marseille,
bull running and
ferias) and cultural
festivals in the Alpilles
to celebrate the olive,
horse drawn carts or
A few dates for your diary
Festivals
Music
• Southern Fiesta (Fiesta
des Suds), in October in
Marseille
T
Celebrating the human body on the festival boards.
the World Culture
Festivals of
Château-Gombert and
Martigues, the Dance
Festival in Aix and
the Photography and
Southern Music festivals in Arles.
Provence and the
Bouches du Rhône is
a truly land of
festivities during the
summer season.
Celebrations continue throughout the
year: Cinema festivals
in Gardanne,
Aubagne, Aix and La
Ciotat; music in the
St Victor Abbey in
Marseille and “Aix en
Musique”.
In Marseille every
autumn the Docks
neighbourhood
comes alive to the
rhythm of music
from all over the
planet with “la Fiesta
des Suds”.
Provençal Christmas
Is Christmas a Provençal event? Christ was
certainly born on the edge of the Mediterranean
and nowhere else is the occasion surrounded
by so much ritual: the Christmas crib and its
santons, the 13 desserts, Christmastide evenings
represented in the Museon Arlaten, Nativity
plays in Provençal. Midnight mass is not the
least of these celebrations. Towards midnight,
after a light meal, one makes one’s way to the
church to await the shepherds, reputed to be
deep thinkers. There then proceeds the pastrage
ceremony in which a procession of bleating
Merino sheep (with a strong odour of billy-goat)
enter the church with the shepherd bearing the
latest born lamb under his cape. Sometimes a
cortege of Marseille fishermen and fishmongers
joins the procession, with torches, fifes and
tambourines. This primitive and charming performance, a live representation of the Nativity,
is taken very seriously. Afterwards, when the
Christmas bells have rung and everybody has
happily and loudly sung the Minuit Chrétien,
everyone goes home to begin the rather more
pagan banquet. In the kitchens, traditional
local family cuisine once again takes pride of
place.
• Piano Nights (Nuits
Pianistiques) in the Aixen-Provence area during
the autumn
• Music Festival (Festival
de Musique de SaintVictor) in Marseille in
autumn
• Music in the Street
(Musique dans la Rue) in
Aix-en-Provence in June
• Five Continents Jazz
Festival (Festival de Jazz
des Cinq Continents) in
Marseille in July
• Organ Festival (Organa)
in Saint-Rémy-deProvence from July to
September
• International piano festival (Festival International
de Piano) in La Roque
d’Anthéron in July and
August
• Music festival (Les
Suds) in Arles in July
• International Music
Festival (Musique à
l’Empéri) in Salon-deProvence in August
• International festival of song (Festival
International d’Art
Lyrique) in Aix-enProvence in July
Summer Floats Festival.
• International Organ
Festival (Festival
International d’Orgue) in
Roquevaire in SeptemberOctober
Dance
• Festival of Gestual Arts
(Festival des Arts du
Geste), les Elancées in
Istres and on the Blue
Coast in January and
February
• Dance festival (Festival
Danse) in Aix-en-Provence
in July-August
Miscellaneous
• Music and dance festival (Festival Musique et
Danse) in Les Baux-deProvence in July
• Le Festival de Marseille
in July
• International Folk
Festival (Festival
International de Folklore)
in Château-Gombert,
Marseille in July
• World dance, music and
song festival (Festival
Danse, Musique et Voix
du Monde) in Martigues
in July
Comic strips, Cinema, Photo
• Comic strip festival (Les
Rencontres du 9ème Art)
in Aix-en-Provence in
March-April
• Film festival (Festival du
Film) in Aubagne in April
Marseille in February
• Documentary Film
Festival (Festival du Film
Documentaire, FID) in
Marseille in July
• Romany pilgrimage
(Pèlerinage des gitans) in
Les Saintes-Maries-de-laMer in May
• International photography
exhibitions (Rencontres
Internationales de la
Photographie) in Arles
in July
• Transhumance Festival
(Fête de la Transhumance)
in Saint-Rémy-deProvence in June
• 1st French-speaking film
festival (Festival du 1er
film francophone), organized by the “Berceau du
Cinema” association in La
Ciotat in June
• Autumn Film
Festival (Festival
Cinématographique
d’Automne) in Gardanne in
October-November
• International Shorts
Festival (Festival Tous
Courts) in Aix-en-Provence
in December
Traditional and religious celebrations
• Provençal Christmas
(Noël provençal) with the
Shepherds coming down
from the mountains in Les
Baux-de-Provence and
Allauch
• The Shepherds’ Festival
(Fête des Bergers) in
Istres in December
• Pancake Tuesday Festival
(Fête de la Chandeleur) in
Southern Rhythms.
@
• Tarascon Monster
Festival (Fête de la
Tarasque) in Tarascon
in June
• Madonna of the Basket
Festival (Fête de la Vierge
du Panier) in Marseille in
August
• St. Ely Festivals (Fêtes de la Saint-Eloi),
carreto ramado (literally
“cart decorated with foliage”) in the Alpilles and
Montagnette areas from
June to August
Bullfighting and festivals (ferias)
• Easter Festival in Arles,
• Horse Festival in Les
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
in July
• Bullfighting without the
killing of the bull (courses
camarguaises) May to
August
• Saint-Rémy Festival in
August
• Rice Festival in Arles in
September
All the events, from day to day, on
www.visitprovence.com
63
Châteaurenard
The Bouches-du-
Rhône is particularly
well known internationally for its fabrics.
Issue of a long tradition, Provençal
designs and colours
today inspire the
haute couture of
Christian Lacroix.
The workshops of
Souleiado in Tarascon
and Les Olivades in Saint Etienne-duGrès are constantly
renewing centuriesold knowledge.
The Museon
Arlaten in Arles, the
Souleiado Museum
in Tarascon and the
Museum of Arts and
Popular Traditions
in Château-Gombert
give a good overview
of Provençal and
Arlésienne costume
of the last centuries.
Santons are also
renowned. Many
museums have
exhibitions of some
of the old Christmas
crib figurines, in
Marseille, Arles, le
Paradou, Maussane
and Les Baux. The
workshops of the
many santon makers
Little clay santon will be
rendered beautiful in the hands
of the santonnier.
in Aubagne, Marseille
and Aix make an
interesting diversion
as do the Santon fairs
at Christmas time.
Santons can be
purchased either
painted, unpainted, or
clothed. Clay is also
used in earthenware
and other
pottery (Aubagne).
The soaps of
Marseille and Salon
brought wealth to
the Bouches-duRhône during the
19th century thanks
Graveson
to their still present
natural goodness.
Orgon
TARASCON
Souleiado
St REMY
Pots Earthenware Stone
Soap Santonnier
Fabrics Museum Shipbuilding
Les Olivades
St Etienne du Grès Mas-Blanc les Alpilles
Les Baux
Fontvieille
La Roque d'Anthéron
Stone of Les Baux
Le Paradou
Maussane
Stone of Rognes
SALON
ARLES Museon Arlaten
Rognes
Meyrargues
Vernègues
Eguilles
Leather / Camargue saddlery
Coudoux
ISTRES
Gardanne
Fos sur Mer
Port de Bouc
MARTIGUES
The Boutis is Back!
Provence as we all know, is a land, or rather a port of fabrics.
It is thanks to maritime fabric trading that the manufacture of fabrics
and clothes is today one of the high points of the local economy: fabric
printing in Tarascon at Souleiado or original ready-to-wear designs
in Marseille. Jeans were from Genoa just as denim was from Nîmes.
Printed calicos and cottons are the pride of a region where one rarely
encounters a spinning wheel or
threads!
The boutis, in particular the
Marseille boutis, belongs to another
branch of local expertise. A combination of embroidery and
stuffing requiring a special
needlework technique, it is the
preserve of haute couture or museums. White was considered a
supreme luxury, as it cannot withstand errors of fabrication. There
are some beautiful examples in the
Museon Arlaten in Arles. Requiring
immense patience and thus very
costly, this craft has found a new
lease of life and the old technique
is once again being taught in
the Musée des Arts et Traditions
Populaires in Château Gombert.
AIX EN PROVENCE
@
Mimet
l’Estaque
Allauch
Plan de Cuques
Roquevaire
Château-Gombert
Craft fairs and a selection of the craftsmen who best represent traditional expertise e.g. potters,
santon makers, wrought iron makers on
Trets
MARSEILLE
Soap of Marseille
Gémenos
AUBAGNE
Cassis
Lace-backed Arlésiennes
in a display of togetherness.
Reinventing arts and crafts over and
over again.
65
Cultural Creativity
Frédéric Mistral
founded “Le
Félibrige” with
Joseph Roumanille,
in order to promote
Provençal language
and culture.
In Fontvieille,
Alphonse Daudet
wrote his “Letters
from my Windmill”,
including
“Mr Seguin’s Goat”,
in which he brought
back the style of
the tales of inland
Provence.
In Marseille and
Aubagne, Marcel
Pagnol staged the
Verve Locale in his
trilogy for theatre.
P rovence is a land
of sunshine and
welcome. Many artists have found
inspiration for
their works in the
light here, notably
between 1850 and
1950.
Among the
Provençal masters
emerge two great
figures in art: in Arles,
Van Gogh introduced
the beauty of the
Bouches-du-Rhône
to the rest of the
world and Cézanne
founded modern art
in Aix, Gardanne and
l’Estaque.
Frédéric Mistral, a nonchalant
pose on Place du Forum in Arles.
The regionalist
writers illustrated
the secretive nature
of the people of
Provence. It was
near Arles that
St Michel de Frigolet
Maillane
Chabaud
Emile Zola, friend
of Paul Cézanne and
native of Aix, set his
“Rougon-Macquart”
tale in the area: he
became famous
thanks to his
naturalist novels
and his appeal for
Dreyfus (J’accuse).
And last but not least
the prophecies of
Nostradamus have
intrigued readers
since the 16th
century.
Among the
composers who
have set Provence
to music are: Bizet
(Alphonse Daudet’s
Arlésienne and
Gounod (Frédéric
Mistral’s Mireille).
Mistral
J. Roumanille
Graveson
St REMY
Van Gogh
Prassinos
M. Mauron
Fontvieille
A. Daudet
ARLES
Van Gogh
Gauguin
Actes Sud
Harmonia Mundi
National School
of Photography
Nostradamus
SALON
Mistral
J. d’Arbaud
P.J. Toulet
Bizet
Gounod
Zola
Mirabeau
Milhaud
Campra
Cézanne
Vasarély
Edisud
Preljocaj Company
AIX EN PROVENCE
Vauvenargues
Cabriès
Picasso
Mélik
Moralès
GARDANNE
Port de Bouc
Ziem
MARTIGUES
Gipsy music
Ensuès la Redonne
Cendrars
Carry
Fernandel
Music
Literature
Painting
Dance
Sculpture Cinema Photography Publishing
energise literary and
musical publishing.
In Aix and
Marseille, the
Preljocaj Company
and the School of
Dance participate
Near life experience of Preljocaj: from the depths of
the body rose a decisive desire to be free.
actively in the production of live performances.
Marseille is a
bubbling cultural
melting pot with
an active theatre
life, thriller writers,
music groups ‘IAM’
and ‘Massilia Sound
System’, cineasts
and painters.
Paul Cézanne’s Studio, Aix-en-Provence.
Sainte-Victoire - the Blue Mountain
Pétrarque
Noves
Contemporary
Creativity is generated in the towns
of the Bouches-duRhône. In Arles,
Actes Sud and
Harmonia Mundi
Puget - Monticelli
Ecole provençale - César
Dumas
Izzo
Carrese
L’Estaque
Cézanne
Cézanne - Braque - Derain- Dufy
Guédigian
MARSEILLE
Laffite
Dimanche
National School of Dance
Opéra
National Ballet of Marseille
IAM
Massilia Sound System
AUBAGNE
Pagnol
LA CIOTAT
The Lumière brothers
Sainte-Victoire or La SainteVictoire? The debate remains open.
Whatever the case, it is this mountain that Paul Cézanne immortalised in his paintings. Why does it
draw so many painters and writers? First of all there is the light.
Discouraging for the amateur photographer, it seems this place possesses a special magic perceptible
only to the naked eye and which
refuses to come out on film!
Sainte-Victoire is apparently
of white limestone but in fact it
can change colour frequently during the day. On summer evenings
when the cuckoo sings it is so blue
that in Saint Antonin one of the
trails is called the path of mauve
shadows.
At this time of day “La Sainte”
reveals its hidden dimensions to
the tardy passer-by.
International Photography meetings. Throughout the town,
inspiration demonstrates passion.
@
Arts centres, artists’ studios, museums and cultural venues on
67
Gastronomy
St Michel de Frigolet
Elixir
The cuisine of the
small specialised
areas, Côtes de
Provence at the foot
of the Sainte-Victoire,
Coteaux d’Aix and
the wines of Les
Baux-de-Provence.
TARASCON
Cheese
Herbs
St REMY
Crystallised fruits
Chocolates
Olive oil
Cheese
Cherry market
OC
ro v e nc e A
Fontvieille B a u x d e P
s
Olive oil
Fruits L e Maussane
Split olives
ARLES
Rice AOC
Bull AOC
Saucisson
Olive oil
Olive oil AOC
Split olives AOC
St Martin de Crau
La
Cheese
Cra u
Truffles
Aureille SALON
Mouriès
Lambesc
e
Eguilles
Puyricard
Olive oil
Salt
Sea urchins
Pieds et paquets
or Pieds Paquets?
Auriol
Allauch Roquevaire
Brousse du Rove
MARTIGUES
Sausset les Pins
Carro
Carry le Rouet
Tuna/Fish
Chocolates
Calissons
Pompe à l’huile
e AOC
Palett
Côtes de Pr
ovence
AO
C
Fruit/Vegetables
Salins de Giraud
Olive oil
AIX EN PROVENCE
Berre Velaux
Mêlets
Poutargue
(hard roe)
Jouques
Truffles
Cheese Christmas liqueur wine
Olive oil
Tellines (shellfish)
Local produce
Puy Ste Réparade
Rognes
a
Grans u x d
’A
Olive oil
i
Cornillon x A O C
La Fare les Oliviers
Mutton/Lamb
Are the pieds et paquets known
in Marseille as pieds paquets native
of this city? Who knows? It is true
that “certain northerners” (within the
Bouches-du-Rhône of course) have
quite rightly pointed out that there
is nothing very Mediterranean about
the recipe and that lamb is more a
speciality of the Alps.
They claim the dish must come from
Sisteron where the cooking of pieds
et paquets is a fine art. Whatever
the case may be, indigenous or
immigrant, this delicious dish was
certainly adopted by the people of
Marseille in the 19th century. As
the name indicates, pieds et paquets
are composed of two main ingredients: lambs’ trotters and stuffed
lambs’ tripe parcels. Allow 1 hour for
preparation and at least 6 for slow
cooking.
They are succulent and natural.
Add a local truffle for a completely
different experience!chose !
Wine
t
Little local vegetables for delicate gourmet
cuisine looking for great lovers of taste.
Valley of Les Baux,
split olives and virgin
olive oil which is
pressed all over the
département and is
one of the ingredients in the savon de
Marseille, and the
poutargue (hard roe)
of Martigues, the
caviar of Provençal.
Restaurants often
feature traditional
local cuisine.
The wines of the
Bouches-du-Rhône
are as varied as the
département itself.
From East to West,
there are 5 AOC
(quality label) zones:
Cassis and Palette,
Noves
Graveson
Cô
Bouches-du-Rhône is
above all Provençal,
fruit of the earth,
sunshine and water.
For gourmets, it
starts on the Local
Products markets
held in every town
and village of the
area.
When it is time to
come to table sample
our tapenade (olive
paste) or anchoïade,
then a “soupe au
pistou” (basil) or the
delicious “aïoli” (garlic mayonnaise).
At Christmas time
the meal ends with
the 13 desserts,
gibassiers, fougasses
or pompes à l’huile
(olive oil brioches).
Specialities
abound. What to
choose? In Marseille,
try the Bouillabaisse
- fit for a king - or
pieds et paquets, the
extraordinary violets
or simply grilled sardines?
In Aix, taste the
“calissons” (honey
and melon marzipan)
and the Puyricard
chocolates. In
Rognes the truffle
reigns supreme, in
Saint-Rémy,
crystallised fruits.
Sea urchins in Carry
le Rouet, bull meat
and rice in Arles and
in Les Saintes Mariesde-la-Mer, delicious
tellines (shellfish)
gathered on the edge
of the beach. In the
Melons
Fruit and vegetables
Olive oil
Châteaurenard
L’Estaque
Chichis
Panisses
Olive oil
Capers
Nougat
MARSEILLE
Bouillabaisse - Pieds et Paquets - Garlic
Fish- Pastis - Violets - Navettes
Cassis
Ceyreste
s AOC
Cassi
Olive oil
La Ciotat
Olive oil
Sumptuous bouillabaisse, essence of the
Mediterranean, issue of the diversity of the
underwater world.
Pressed olives, the fruit of ancient trees, render in oil
a thousand times what they demand in hardship.
@
Gourmet food fairs and a selection of local producers who promote the excellence and true taste of olive oil,
wine, Calisson almond confectionery etc.
69
Outdoor
Pursuits
From the sea to the mountains, the hillsides and canals, this land continues to astonish.
Do you enjoy relaxing at the water’s edge or
do you prefer sailing, hiking or more energetic
sports? All points are cardinal on the compass
card: the west flat and the east mountainous,
the fertile north maritime south.
We’ll leave the choice up to you.
Water
Natural sites
Water sports
Golf courses and Driving Ranges
Hiking, horse riding and Cycling
Climbing and Caving
71
Water
r
ve
e R
i
Rh
ôn
ran
ce
Ri
ver
Les Baux
Th e
the Baux
ARLES
Crap
V alley Ca
nal
onne
Can
St-Christopher reservoir
Lamanon
ED
SALON
al
Langlade Canal
MARG
CA
U
Vacc
ar
ès L a k e
l
na
ISTRES
os
oub
na
Peyrolles
l
re
AIX EN PROVENCE
Water from the
Verdon River
r
ive
rc R
eA
Th
Vauvenargues
Roquefavour Aqueduct
Bimont Dam
Zola Dam
Fos-sur-mer
The Arc
River
Berre
Lake
The Réaltor reservoir
Ma
ud
rseil
ira
Etang des Aulnes
oF
st
de
G
Ca
le
Ar
Sa
l in
CRAU
Plantain
Ca
m
ro
a
le C
MARTIGUES
na
Vallon Dol
l
Please note: the
lakes are not always
accessible to swimmers because they
are drinking water
reservoirs.
In the towns and
villages, fountains
were used to supply
the inhabitants and
cattle with water.
Aix-en-Provence
has preserved many
examples. A spa
town since its
foundation by the
Romans, the urban
water system can be
observed in every
neighbourhood: Place
d’Albertas, Place des
Quatre Dauphins,
Cours Mirabeau.
E
Th eT
oul
F
ED
F
lf
T HE
na
channels, notably in
the La Crau plain but
also in the Camargue.
Between the Etang
de Berre and the sea,
the Rove tunnel
allowed the passage
of barges between
Marseille and the
Etang de Berre until
1963.
Thanks to this system of irrigation the
département became
a rich agricultural
land. Emile Zola’s
father constructed
the dam which bears
his name above
the Roman dam in
Tholonet and Franz
Mayor de Montricher
brought fresh water
via the Roquefavour
aqueduct close to
Ventabren right to
the Palais Longchamp
in Marseille, built by
H. Espérandieu, the
architect of NotreDame-de-la-Garde.
T
e
The song of cool natural spring water
in the town fountains.
HE
Cadarache Dam
Mallemort Dam
Ca
According to legend, Mary Magdalene
went into retreat here after landing in
Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Since that time
there has been an annual gypsy pilgrimage
in Les Saintes-Maries, and thousands
of Christians tread the path to the cave of
Sainte Baume every year. But believers are
not the only visitors to this place, where one
also frequently encounters hikers.
The forest shelters some remarkable trees:
tall beeches from the original forest,
ancient mysterious yew trees and huge
holly trees. There are many delightful trails
such as the sentier merveilleux, abrupt
passages such as the pas de la cabre or the
cliff path equipped with cables and chains
to the balcon Marcel Estruch.
Close to the sea, pick wild strawberries and
lime-blossom or take a trip to Paradis, a
grassland close to the crest, or even climb
up to the glaciers where ice was made and
preserved for the inhabitants of Marseille
from as early as the 17th century!
These astonishing constructions are
embedded deep in the ground. In winter,
freezing water was poured into the pools
before being transported to the city by cart
where it was used in great quantities
in medicine and preserving.
the
Du
al
s Can
Alpille
r e a t R h ô ne
La Sainte-Baume, Miraculous Forest
T
he
St REMY
Th e G
area, fresh water is a
precious commodity.
To compensate for
the dryness of the
area, the Romans dug
canals and built
aqueducts to supply the towns
with water: aqueducts of Barbegal
in Fontvielle,
Meyrargues,
Le Tholonet near
TARASCON
m all R h ô n
Th e S
In the Mediterranean
Aix-en-Provence.
Their successors, no
less ingenious,
wanted to cultivate
the fertile land
bordering the
Durance River.
In the 16th
century, Adam de
Craponne, and more
recently the Canal
de Provence and
Marseille water
companies irrigated
the entire country
with canals and
streams (roubines)
creating thus an
efficient network of
MARSEILLE
Me
diter
r a ne an S ea
e
Th
Hu
veaune River
AUBAGNE
LA CIOTAT
The Rhône in Arles.
At the Etang des Aulnes, on summer evenings, one can distinctly
hear distant music which seems to well up from a forgotten city
at the bottom of the lake.
73
Protected Natural Sites
M
T
ON
AG
NE T
TE
Botany
TARASCON
r
e R
ive
Rh
ôn
LES A
LPILLE
S
387m
ARLES
On the Côte Bleue,
the Domaines du
Conservatoire du
Littoral permit hiking
along the coast. The
fauna in the marine
parks of Carry and La
Ciotat is protected.
The natural sites of
the département are
perfect for family outings or cycling. Trails
have way-markers.
Mugel at La Ciotat. Away from
the long beaches, cool water
creeks are reached via “the trail
of the initiated”.
Birds of prey
Flowers
Les Baux
AN
The Magic Herbs of Provence
Their names are thyme, rosemary, savoury,
sage and oregano. Fennel and basil may be
added. From the beginning, homo-provençalis
understood that herbs are part of an ecosystem
where the flora and fauna live in close relationship to man, and in their wisdom, they used
them as seasoning and remedies.While the
modern pharmacist travelled to distant lands
in search of new medicines, the herbs gathered
by our grandmothers reached the cooking pot
along with olive oil and wine and joined hare,
thrush, mutton and snails nourished in the garrigue on the “pile de Cassis”*. That is the secret
of the healthy Mediterranean cuisine. It remains
close to nature’s own alchemy. Moreover, during
the plague of the 18th century, doctors protected
themselves from the disease by wearing masks
filled with aromatic herbs! How many times
have we avoided an accident by grabbing at
their solid roots when missing a step on the cliff
paths of this country? The Herbs of Provence
save our lives every day, if only in preserving us
from the banality of international cuisine. And they smell so good...
ER
Caireval
St Martin de Crau
LA
Salt steppe
CRA
U
ISTRES
Ecomuseum
ON
Puy Ste Réparade
Jouques
La Manueye
Valbonnette
LA TREVARESS
E
Velaux
Val de Vigne
AIX EN PROVENCE
Birds
Le Petit Arbois
Panorama
Ornithological Conseil Général
park
Property
Fossils
Lambesc Rognes
Etang de Berre
Le Taulisson
Forests
Boars
des
Lambruisse Pic
Mouches 1011m
La Sinne
E
IR
TO
C
Maison de Ste Victoire
STE VI
St Antonin
Dinosaurs
Roques Hautes
Port de Bouc
La Capelière
La Palissade
ET
Coussoul
Sandgrouses - Falcons
Mérino sheep
Donkeys
Natural Reserve
Château d’Avignon
Regional Natural Park
Etang des Aulnes
Domaines du Conservatoire du Littoral
/Lakes
Underwater nature
reserve park
e l Régional d u
LU
B
SALON
Domaine de la Brune
Musée Camarguais
LA C
AMAR
GUE
tur
Bauxite
Stone
Coypu
Birds - Flamingos
Bulls- Horses
Na
Fauna
GARDANNE
Le Castillon
MARTIGUES
GS
LA NER
Mimet
L’ETOIL
E
TH
E
C O T E B L E UE
St Savournin
E
access is possible via
the sea (shuttle service) to minimise the
risk of fire.
rc
Aupiès 493m
Me
Nearly as numerous as the stones on the trail, the sheep
of the Crau populate the arid
steppe.
Pa
St REMY
Geology
ST
of the Bouches-duRhône are placed
under the protection of a number of
public institutions
but their safeguard is
also entrusted to the
people. Please take
care not to start fires
or leave litter.
The Camargue is of
great ecological
interest with the
National Reserve,
the coastal and
lakeside conservancies, the Regional
Natural Park and
the Departmental
Reserve among others.
The entire ecosystem is protected,
particularly the bird
life. It is nonetheless
a fairly wild area and
often requires the
assistance of a guide.
In the Alpilles, a
vast and sparsely
populated area,
it is possible to
walk freely in the
Mediterranean scrubland on condition
that the birds of prey
are respected and fire
risk is avoided.
Access to La Crau
is more often than
not via the intermediary of the Saint
Martin Ecomuseum
LA
Th e
The natural sites
(protected birds).
In the SaintVictoire hiking is
authorised almost
everywhere. The site
is currently in the
process of classification by UNESCO
In the Calanques,
from Marseille to La
Ciotat, there is free
access except during
the summer when
In the Camargue:
webbed feet for deep
sea diving, the rare
Cormorant takes a
breather on the shore
before setting off
to fish.
La Nègre G A R L A B A
B
N
Forests
Beech
A UHolly
ME
Carry le Rouet Iles du Frioul MARSEILLE AUBAGNE Pic de Bertagne
Gémenos
diter
It would not be an
exaggeration to
describe the
Bouches-du-Rhône as
a rich mosaic of
different milieus,
each hiding natural
treasures.
The Camargue
Delta ecosystem
includes vegetation
adapted to salt water
- sansouire - and a
population of wild
bulls and horses.
Stop-off point for
migrating birds, it
welcomes the flamboyant pink flamingo.
La Crau is an
arid steppe land,
Le Coussoul, where
different species of
r a ne an S ea
ND de la Garde
Marine park
Mont Puget
Domaine de Morgiou
bird cohabit. It is the
only place where the
sandgrouse is found
as well as certain
farm animals such as
the Merino sheep of
Arles.
The Alpilles is an
area of scrubland, dry,
sparsely populated,
inhabited by birds
of prey such as the
Bonnelli Eagle.
The Mediterranean
flora develops under
extreme conditions
At 1000m altitude,
the Sainte-Victoire
Mountain is bordered
to the north by a
large forest populat-
C A L A NQ U E S
La Barasse St Pons
Fontblanche
Cassis
LA CIOTAT
Flowers
Groupers Cap Canaille
Ile Verte
Coral
ed with wild boar. To
the south, the deposit
of dinosaur eggs is
reputed.
In the dry
Calanques of
Marseille, real fjords
fall just at the right
moment into the
Mediterranean Sea
where grouper and
red coral can be
found.
In every corner of
the département,
children and adults
alike can obtain
information on the
environment.
From the north
of the Bouches-duRhône it is possible
to reach the Luberon
Natural Park in the
Vaucluse, a nature
reserve.
To the west, the
ancient forest of
Sainte-Baume in the
Var possesses the
last beech trees in
Provence. Giant holly
trees are also found
here.
* Pile de Cassis:sculpted and polished local stone sink.
75
Water Sports and Activities
of life and health,
laps, flows and roars
here in all its forms.
Along the coast,
the beaches mark out
the littoral: vast
beaches of sand in
the Camargue, easily accessible sandy
beaches at La Ciotat,
sandy beaches and
creeks on the Côte
Bleue, beaches
of sand, pebbles
or stones in the
Calanques for lovers
of tranquillity in
plastic shoes…
One can also
bathe in the towns
of Marseille and
Martigues or in the
lake at Peyrolles.
(Don’t forget Submarine sports
TARASCON
Port
Fishing
Beach
Boat trips
Hydrotherapy
Spa
Naturism
e R
i
ve
r
Thalassotherapy
ôn
Les Saintes-Mariesde-la-Mer, and there
are fitness centres
and cures in the spa
towns of Camoinles-Bains and Aix-enProvence.
Rh
Niolon and Marseille.
River and sea boat
trips are very popular
with all age groups:
cruises on the
Rhône, tours of the
Calanques and the
islands of Marseille,
Cassis and La Ciotat.
Seawater therapy
is available on the
coast in Marseille or
Th e
Water, the source
sun creams and
refreshments).
The ports are
mostly collected in
the coves and bays
between the Rhône
and the Calanques,
where all water-centred activities are
practised: sailing, fishing, speedboat racing.
Scuba diving is par-
ARLES
SALON
River boat trips
Peyrolles
Plantain Lake
AIX EN PROVENCE
ISTRES
The Pyramide
BERRE L'ETANG
River/Sea boat trips
Fos sur Mer
MARTIGUES
Port St Louis du Rhône
Sea b oat t
rips
ticularly developed in
the waters beneath
the cliffs, the marine
parks or around the
wrecks in the bay of
Marseille, notably at
Let’s go down to the sand and pebble beaches to sacrifice ourselves to the
gods of the sun and the sea.
United as the fingers on a hand,
five little sailors take the helm on
the deep blue sea.
Scuba Diving at Les Impériaux
The seabed of the bay of Marseille is
not flat. For the scuba diver at any rate it is
made up of cliffs, valleys and plains.
At the western point of the Ile de Riou,
often known as Rat Island to dissuade
potential invaders, Les Impériaux is the
site of reference for divers of every level.
In this kingdom of the Mediterranean,
Les Impériaux are the different levels,
shallow, medium and deep as the
depth increases.
Here, the top
resembles the bottom, the grouper
is protected, and
the live gorgonia and
red coral with which
the Romans made much sought after jewellery, slowly develops in the caves. Little by
little we learn how to protect the flora and
fauna, how to see and respect it…because
we like to come back every week.
Aquacity
Etang de Berre
@
C O T E B L E UE
Sausset Carry
Les Camoins
Gémenos
MARSEILLE
Sea boat
trips
Me
L’Estaque
AUBAGNE
Iles du Frioul
diter
Water sports on
r a ne an S ea
C A L A NQ U E S Cassis
LA CIOTAT
Archipel de Riou
Sea boat
trips
Ile Verte
Flippers on! There’s treasure hidden beneath these waters.
77
Golf clubs
ful opportunity to
taste truly gourmet
Provençal fare.
Located at the heart
of Bouches-du-Rhône,
with the golf courses
in Miramas and the
Salon flying school,
Pont Royal boasts a
particularly outstanding course designed
by Severiano
Ballesteros and located within a superb
estate. Close to Aixen-Provence, there
are three parkland
golf courses – the Set
Golf is a multisports
complex, the AixMarseille course is
adjacent to the town
and the airport and
Set like green oases
are the city centre
Salette and Borely
courses, set amid a
rustic environment
that is particularly
delightful in the summer months.
ve r
e R
i
ARLES
Allauch
• Golf d’Allauch (9 trous)
Domaine de Fontvieille
Route des 4 saisons
BP 33
13718 Allauch cedex
Tel : 04 91 07 28 22
Fax : 04 91 05 09 69
SALON
Domaine du château de l’Arc
Chemin du Maurel
13710 Fuveau
Tel : 04 42 29 83 43
Fax : 04 42 64 11 60
[email protected]
www.saintevictoiregolfclub.com
Les Baux-de-Provence
• Golf des
Baux de Provence
(9 trous)
Domaine de Manville
13520 Les Baux de
Provence
Tel : 04 90 54 40 20
Fax : 04 90 54 40 93
[email protected]
www.golfbauxdeprovence.com
Mallemort
• Golf de Pont Royal
(18 trous) Golf Pass
Domaine et golf
de Pont Royal
Marseille
• Golf de Marseille La Salette Fax : 04 90 58 01 16
[email protected]
www. golfclubmiramas.
monsite.wanadoo.fr
Mouriès
• Golf club de Servanes
[email protected]
www.golf-pontroyal.com
[email protected]
www.opengolfclub.com/
servanes
Impasse des Vaudrans
La Valentine
13011 Marseille
Tel : 04 91 27 12 16
Fax : 04 91 27 21 33
• Golf Club Marseille
Borély (9 trous)
Place Emile Cartailhac
13008 Marseille
Tel : 04 91 14 01 14
Fax : 04 91 14 06 46
[email protected]
Miramas
• Golf de Miramas
(18 trous)
Mas de Combe
13140 Miramas
Tel : 04 90 58 56 55
Domaine de Servanes
Route de Servanes
13890 Mouriès
Tel : 04 90 47 59 95
Fax : 04 90 47 52 58
Salon-de-Provence
• Golf club
de l’école de l’air
(18 trous)
C/o base aérienne 701
13661 Salon de
Provence cedex
Tel : 04 90 17 61 63
Fax : 04 90 17 81 51
[email protected]
perso.wanadoo.fr/club.
golfdelecoledelair/
The Pass is a booklet of 3 or 5 green fees available all year and sold at
a flat-rate price. It gives access to 3 or 5 of the courses selected from
among the golf clubs taking part in the scheme.
Golf de l’Ecole de l’Air (18)
Miramas
Golf de Miramas (18)
Set Golf(18)
AIX EN PROVENCE
Les Milles
Golf d’Aix les Milles(18)
Sainte-Victoire Golf club (18)
Fuveau
GARDANNE
13370 Mallemort
Tel : 04 90 57 40 79
Fax : 04 90 57 50 19
by buying a Golf Pass Provence, you have a choice of 15 courses in
the Provence Alpes Côte d’azur region, four of them within Bouches
du Rhône i.e. Servanes, Pont Royal, La Salette and the Sainte Victoire
Golf Club.
Mouriès
ISTRES
[email protected]
www.golfallauch.com
Fuveau
• Sainte-Victoire
Golf Club How to use your Golf Pass Provence:
Mallemort
Golf de Pont Royal (18)
Golf de Servanes (18)
Domaine de Riquetti
13290 Aix-en-Provence
Tel : 04 42 24 20 41
Fax : 04 42 39 97 48
[email protected]
www.setclub.com
In search of the perfect swing
in a select environment.
Golf des Baux (9)
(18 trous)
• Set Golf (9 trous)
1335, chemin de Granet
Tel : 04 42 29 63 69
Fax : 04 42 64 11 60
ST REMY
Les Baux
Aix-en-Provence
• Golf club Aix-Marseille [email protected]
www.golfaixmarseille.com
TARASCON
Th e R
hôn
in a Mediterranean
landscape, the eleven
golf courses in
Bouches-du-Rhône
have a whole range
of environments and
amenities. Located
on the outskirts of
towns in the west
of the area or close
to Aix-en-Provence
or Marseille, all the
courses are close
to airports, railway
stations or the motorway network. The
courses in Servanes
and Les Baux provide a glimpse of the
Alpilles mountain
range close to Les
Baux-de-Provence
and Saint-Rémy. As
to the hotels, they
provide a wonder-
the Sainte Victoire
Golf Club provides
a breathtaking panoramic view of the
Montagne Sainte
Victoire. In Marseille,
in addition to the
Allauch course, there
The Golf Pass also offers a selection of 10 places to stay in Bouches
du Rhône that are particularly suitable for golfers.
Happiness is green…
Brochure available free of charge from the Tourist Board (Comité Départemental du Tourisme)
Tel: (+33) (0) 491 13 84 40.
MARTIGUES
ALLAUCH
Golf d’Allauch (9)
MARSEILLE
Golf-club marseille-Borely (9)
Golf de la Salette (18)
Cassis
LA CIOTAT
79
Hiking, horse riding and cycling
M
TE
Pa
St REMY
TARASCON
v er
NE T
Rhô
ne
Ri
LES AL
PILLES
t u r e l Régiona
l
GR6
Aureille
LA CA
MARGUE
children is available
throughout the area.
S
HA
IN
LA C
RAU
The Sport and Fitness family on the back-roads of Olympic form.
DE
C H A I N EC
walking
du
Lu
ES
T
CO
EYGUIERES
SALON
ber
on
LAMBESC
ED
GR9
EL
Jouques
AT
REV
ARE
S
SE Vauvenargues
AIX EN PROVENCE
ISTRES
horse-riding cycling mountain biking
IC
STE V
TO
IRE
Etang de Berre
MON
TAG
N
TA
E DE
NG
S
NERTH E
’E
OI
LE
AB
AN
A
G
L
T
B
C O T E B L E UE
LA
NA S
E
MARTIGUES
REGA
G
L
E
AR
Caution! Access to the woodlands is regulated during the
summer and in high winds due to fire risk. Always make
sure access is permitted before organising an outing.
Na
Eygalières
Les Baux
ARLES
rc
ST
natural space here
is conducive to
hiking, horse riding
and cycling, as
described in
the guides and
specialised detailed
maps.
For hiking, day
trips are often the
most appropriate.
Among the most
remarkable sites
are the SainteVictoire Mountain,
the Calanques and
the Sainte-Baume,
but other hills and
mountains offer
beautiful, lesserknown walks.
For road cycling,
take the smaller
roads in the north
of the département,
where there is less
traffic. Avoid the
Nationale (N) and
Départementale (D)
roads if possible.
Please take note
that mountain biking is not authorised
everywhere.
The north of the
Sainte-Victoire and
the south of the
Sainte-Baume are
often the best places,
as hikers less often
frequent them.
There are many
horse-riding centres
LA
AG
Th e
The vast area of
in the Bouches-duRhône.
Riding usually
takes place in the
countryside, in
particular in the
Camargue where
Camargue horses
are the object of
lively local traditions
related to cattle
breeding: dressage,
riding, saddles,
costumes and games.
Pony riding for
T
ON
Carry le Rouet Iles du Frioul MARSEILLE
AUBAGNE
The Calanques or the scene of sports…
Fjords in Scandinavia, calanches in Corsica, the
Calanques reserve the most extraordinary sensations for the
visitor.
In Marseille and Cassis, they offer their white limestone
indentations to those seeking strong sensations.
There are few woodland areas here and few springs, but the
Calanques meanwhile offer spectacular views, land and sea
excursions, swimming and diving. It would seem that all
leisure activities have a rendezvous in this
theatre of sea and rock whose wings begin
in the centre of Marseille. All over this rocky
stage anchor chains unwind and climbing
ropes are tossed for adventurous crossings with
evocative names such as voie sans retour, voie
Tabarly, grande croisière, tour de l’extrême bec de
Sormiou... Sometimes climbers can be seen
descending from the overhangs known as
roofs, sometimes they pass inside the cliff walls
through galleries called chimneys, sometimes
they make their way along branches above the
cliffs to the sound of the lapping of the waves.
For hikers, the observation points of Devenson
and En-Vau offer impressive views. For bathers, the beaches offer cool clear water such as
the one at Sormiou near Cosquer’s cave where
the walls are covered with paintings made
The Calanques of
over 20,000 years ago and were recently discicadas, sunshine and
cool water.
covered by a diver from Cassis.
Me
diter
r a ne an S ea
U
M
E
Gémenos
LA CIOTAT
Return of the tribe to nomadic life.
81
Climbing and Caving
Ramblers' guides (Topoguides)
available from the Tourist Board (CDT):
graphical guides to
all the sites.
The Calanques,
from Marseille to
Cassis, represent a
paradise for climbers
of every level, the
huge range of possibilities is impressive:
training routes, intermediate routes in the
Calanques of En-Vau,
modern standard
high level routes in
Sugiton, adventure
routes over the water
towards Castelvieil,
long mountain-type
routes at La Candelle.
Sainte-Victoire
offers more specific
routes, the slabs are
In the rocks or
under them, climbing
and caving complement each other and
are practised most of
the year round.
The Bouches-duRhône and South
East France in general attract climbers
from all over Europe
because it is one of
the most thrilling
sites and its climate is
favourable for climbing 12 months of the
year.
That is why many
top-level climbers
choose to live here.
There are topo-
more compact and
outward-facing and
deciphering passages
is more specific on
almost faultless limestone.
In the Alpilles,
Mouriès and Orgon
there are many keen
climbers.
As for caving-lovers, they have access
to 600 sites - caves or
complex networks,
mostly located
between Marseille
and the Sainte-Baume.
A collection of 13 short walks and longer hikes
• Alpilles, Orgon: The gateway to Notre-Dame de Beauregard
• Cap Canaille, Cassis: On the Soubeyran Plateau and down to La Ciotat
• Chaîne des Côtes, la Roque d’anthéron: La Baume Valley – Castellas Valley
and a walk around the village of Vernègues
• Chaîne de Lançon, Cornillon-Confoux: A walk in the hills
• Chaîne de la Fare, Eguilles: A walk in the hills
• Concors, Vauvenargues: Boucle du Taulisson (Around le Taulisson)
• Collines de Saint-Blaise: Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, Balcon de Caderaou
• Fontblanche, Ceyreste: A walk in the hills
• Montagnette, Boulbon: Saint-Michel de Frigolet Abbey
Blonde apparition
descending from
on high…
LA
M
ON
TA
GN
Cavaillon
TARASCON
Pa
St REMY
v er
Ri
ne
Rhô
Th e
• Régagnas, Trets:
Saint-Jean-du-Puy, Mont Olympe,
Rocher de Onze Heures
E T TE
LES AL
PILLES
Fontvieille
ARLES
ORGON
Aureille
Mouriès
rc
Na
Towards Buoux
t u r e l Régiona
l du
Lu
ber
• Sainte-Baume, Auriol: From Pont des Encanaux to Pic de Bertagne
Eyguières
Meyrargues
Lambesc
SALON
IC
STE V
AIX EN PROVENCE
ISTRES
Published with the assistance of the local ramblers’
association (Comité Départemental de Randonnée
Pédestre des Bouches-du-Rhône).
Jouques
Vauvenargues
Calissanne
TO
IRE
Caution! Access to the woodlands is regulated
during the summer and in high winds due to fire
risk. Always make sure access is permitted before
organising an outing.
Châteauneuf les Martigues
Mountain
diter
r a ne an S ea
Pic de Bertagne
Allauch
Cuges
AUBAGNE Gémenos les Pins
E
Caving
Auriol
M
Me
MARSEILLE
LE
U
Carry le Rouet
OI
BA
E
L’
T
STE
MARTIGUES
Climbing
• Sainte-Victoire, Vauvenargues: Circuit of the citadel - Pic des Mouches
Towards The Verdon
on
LA CIOTAT
83
Children
What does a child need? Very little in fact: a
beach, a boat trip, a nature reserve and an
aquarium, a medieval château and a couple
of automatons, a little train and some horses,
a Christmas crib and a zoo - a complete list of
daily pleasures.
It is simply a question of knowing who is going
to lead the way in the Bouches-du-Rhône
- parent or child?
85
Activities for Children
and Eldorado City,
or the automaton
village in Saint
Cannat, the Musée
Grévin in Salon, the
Cathedral of Images
in Les Baux and the
zoo in La Barben.
Up to you!
Children love water.
The Bouches-duRhône proposes a
choice: boat trips on
the Rhône or the sea,
swimming and introduction to sailing in
the ports and on the
lake Peyrolles, water
games at Aquacity in
Plan de Campagne
and the Pyramide in
Istres, the Planète
Aquarium in Plan de
Campagne or specially adapted beaches.
For sports, horse or
pony riding, cycling
or hiking, are all
available here
(see special guides
from the Comité
Départemental du
Tourisme).
For exploring nature
there are protected
areas reserved for
young visitors and
specially adapted
circuits and stays,
particularly in the
Camargue.
The Ecomuseum of
Gardanne, the Maison
de la Sainte-Victoire
in Saint-Antonin
allow budding
ecologists to become
knowing travellers.
In this age of games
there’s no time for
boredom! Why not
visit the amusement
parks of OK Corral
TARASCON
King René's Castle
Musée Tartarin
River boat trips
St REMY
Cathedral of images
Les Baux
"Cheval taxi"
Fontvieille
Moulin
Animated Santons La Roque d'Anthéron
Maussane
ARLES Paradou
La petite Provence
SALON
Little train
La Barben
River boat trips
Plantain Lake
Peyrolles
Automaton Village
Musée Grévin
St Cannat
Méjanes - Little train
Musée Camarguais
Pont de Gau ornithological park
Vigueirat Marshland
LA CA
MARGUE
The liberating country air.
Children’s Christmas Crib
Originating in Italy in the 13th
century, invented by Saint Francis
of Assisi, the Provençal version of the
Christmas crib has existed since the
16th century and took on its
contemporary shape in the 19th
century in a regional context
adapted to include local primitive
traditions. Lagnel from Marseille
designed the first clay santons in
1797. In the home the crib is
essentially for children as is the
Anglo Saxon Halloween or the Feast
of Saint Nicholas in Germanic
countries. First we choose the
santons on the markets in Marseille
or the clay centre of Aubagne, in Aix,
Arles or elsewhere. One compares
figures and prices, the three wise
men, the donkey and the ox, the ravi
with his arms raised, the sheep, the
knife-grinder, the Angel Boufareu
with his cheeks puffed out like Louis
Armstrong - a whole miniature world
representing the Provençal village of
yesteryear. Next one goes out into the
country to look for the moss which is
used as grass. On the way, look for
wild asparagus and butcher’s broom
for decoration and don’t forget the
straw for the baby Jesus.
The Pyramide
Electric boats
La Capelière
La Sigoulette
La Palissade
River/Sea boat trips
Little train
Salins de Giraud
Little train
AIX EN PROVENCE
ISTRES
Plan de Campagne
MARTIGUES
Sausset les Pins Carry le Rouet
Me
diter
r a ne an S ea
Château d’If
Sea boat trips
Little train
St Antonin
Trets
Ecomuseum Fuveau
Musée des transports
Eldorado City
Beaches- Sea boat trips
Man and beast
getting along fine.
GARDANNE
Planète Aquarium
Aquacity
Sea boat trips
Beaches- Sea boat trips
Maison de Ste Victoire
Etang de Berre
Fos
sur Mer
PORT-St LOUIS
du Rhône
Beaches
Miramas
Mini-Boats
Medieval casle - Zoo
Le petit monde
de Marcel Pagnol
Beaches
Little train
AUBAGNE
Cuges les Pins
MARSEILLE
OK Corral
Cassis
LA CIOTAT
Sea boat trips
Little train
Beaches- Leisure park (horse-riding)
Sea boat trips
First steps on the sporting stage of a life
of adventure.
Picnic or the art of outdoor dining away
from the hubbub of everyday life.
87
• Ass. Maisons d'Amis en France
Fleurs de Soleil
Domaine du Frère
Les Milles - Aix en Provence
Tél. : 04 42 24 24 62
Fax : 04 42 24 37 89
[email protected]
fleurs-soleil.tm.fr
• Comité Régional de Tourisme
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Les Docks - 2, Place de la
Joliette - 13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 56 47 00
Fax : 04 91 56 47 01
email : [email protected]
• Hotel Guides Logis de France
• Guide holiday rentals Clévacances
• Hotel Guides, Camp site Guides (www.visitprovence.com)
• Gîtes de France and Bed and Breakfast Guide
Available for a small fee from the Relais Départemental des Gîtes de France - Domaine du Vergon - BP 26 - 13370 Mallemort
Tél. : 04 90 59 49 39
• Marine life-saving service Crossmed: 04 94 61 71 10
• Coast guard service: 04 91 14 15 16
[email protected]
crt-paca.fr • From the north of France:
Motorways A6 and A7:
Paris – Lyon – Marseille
Train station
• From the west and south west:
A 62 et A 61 : Bordeaux Toulouse - Narbonne.
A9 : Spain - Montpellier.
• From the south east:
A8 : Italy, Nice - Marseille.
• From the Alps:
A51 : Gap - Sisteron - Aix.
Aix
Aéro
port
-Ma
ries
Tara
scon
émy
Stes
St-R
seil
le
tigu
es
Salo
n
Mar
Mar
Local
Distance Chart
t
Access and Transport
Major Roads
Guides to Accommodation in the Bouches-du-Rhône
are available from :
Comité Départemental du Tourisme des Bouches-du-Rhône
13, rue Roux-de-Brignoles - 13006 Marseille - France
Tél. : 04 91 13 84 40 - Fax : 04 91 33 01 82
• Burns centre:
04 91 38 39 33
s
www.aixenprovencetourism.com
• Anti poison centre: 04 91 75 25 25
[email protected]
iota
Tél. : 04 42 16 11 61
Fax : 04 42 16 11 79
• Ambulance service: 15
Istre
Office de Tourisme
d’Aix-en-Provence
2, place du Général de Gaulle
BP 160 - 13605 Aix-en-Provence
• SOS Cardiology: 04 91 31 27 27
• Fire service: 18
sis
Accomodation, hotels,
self catering and camp sites
• SOS Veterinary surgeon:
04 91 63 09 00
La C
[email protected]
marina-plage.com
Information and booking
• SOS traveller: 04 91 62 12 80
• Police emergency: 17
e
• Fédération Nationale
de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air
Camping Marina Plage RN 113
Le Pont de Parry
13127 Vitrolles
Tél. : 04 42 89 31 46
Fax : 04 42 79 59 90
[email protected]
• Union Départementale des
Offices de Tourisme et
Syndicats d’Initiative
Maison du Tourisme
Rond-point de l'Hôtel de ville 13500 Martigues
Tél. : 04 42 49 24 73
Fax : 04 42 80 10 97
• SOS doctor: 04 91 52 91 52
• C.R.I.R. Centre Régional
d’information routière : 08 26 02 20 22
Cas
[email protected]
gitesdefrance13.visitprovence.com
Camp Sites :
Service Loisirs-Accueil
Bouches-du-Rhône
Domaine du Vergon
13370 Mallemort
Tél. : 04 90 59 49 36
Fax : 04 90 59 16 75
[email protected]
snav.org
on
Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering :
• Relais Départemental des Gîtes
de France
Domaine du Vergon - BP 26
13370 Mallemort
Tél accueil : 04 90 59 49 39
Fax : 04 90 59 16 75
[email protected] visitprovence.com
Accomodations and packages
• Scuba diving emergencies Centre hyperbare: 04 91 74 49 96
• Consumer Complaints:
04 91 17 95 00
Avig
n
[email protected]
visitprovence.com
• Clévacances
Bouches du Rhône
c/o Comité Départemental du
Tourisme 13
13, Rue Roux de Brignoles
13006 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 13 84 13
Booking Center
• Shipping forecast: 32 01
s
• Association Départementale
des Logis de France
Domaine du Vergon - BP 26
13370 Mallemort
Tél : 04 90 59 49 39
Fax : 04 90 59 16 75
• Coordination Départementale
des Meublés de Tourisme
Rond-Point de l’Hôtel de Ville
Maison du Tourisme
13500 Martigues
Tél. : 04 42 42 19 05
Fax : 04 42 42 31 11 • Weather forecast:
08 92 68 02 13
agn
Tél. : 04 91 54 79 00 Fax : 04 91 54 92 71
[email protected]
Holiday Rentals
• S.N.A.V. (Syndicat National de Agences de
Voyages)
c/o Thomas Cook Voyages
276, Avenue du Prado
Tél. : 04 91 29 00 60
Fax : 04 91 22 25 54
Arle
Hotels
• U.C.H.R. (Union des Cafetiers
Hôteliers et Restaurateurs) des
Bouches-du-Rhône
8, Rue Euthyménes
13001 Marseille
Useful Telephone Numbers
Aub
Accommodation
Tourist Organisations
Aix
76 36 81 48 51 57 30 45 35 71 111 91 30
Arles
76
Aubagne
36 139
Avignon
81 34 114
Cassis
48 121 12 126
9
91 29 68 81 117 156 137 53
La Ciotat
51 122 14 128 9
92 31 70 83 120 158 139 55
Istres
57 44 79 72 91 92
Marseille
30 92 17 97 29 31 60
Martigues
45 52 56 102 68 70 16 39
Salon
35 43 69 46 81 83 20 51 57
St-Rémy
71 25 104 19 117 120 38 89 51 38
Stes-Maries
111 38 145 79 156 158 80 127 87 79 67
Tarascon
91 15 125 25 137 139 60 108 67 59 14 56
Aéroport
30 74 42 79 53 55 40 22 16 36 71 112 92
109 34 121 122 44 92 52 43 25 38 15 74
114 12 14 79 17 56 69 104 145 125 42
126 128 72 97 102 46 19 79 25 79
60 16 20 38 80 60 40
39 51 89 127 108 22
57 51 87 67 16
38 79 59 36
67 14 71
56 112
92
89
Buses :
•140 regular routes in the
Bouches-du-Rhône. Bus services to all villages and towns.
Routes and timetables
on internet : www.lepilote.com
Routes and timetables
on internet : www.lepilote.com
• Miramas Bus Station
Bureau Trigone-Espace Belley
Rue Louis Pasquet
Tél. : 04 90 50 17 70
• Vitrolles Bus Station
Centre urbain
Rond point de la pierre plantée
Tél. : 04 42 89 85 85
Main Bus Stations
Car rental
• Aix-en-Provence Bus Station
Avenue de l'Europe
Tél. : 08 91 02 40 25
Aix en Provence TGV Station
http://www.lepilote.com
• Arles Bus Station
Avenue Paulin Talabot
13200 Arles
Tél. : 04 90 49 38 01
• Aubagne Bus Station
Pôle d'echange et de transports
Point Accueil
square Marcel Soulat
Tél. : 04 42 03 24 25
www.bus-aubagnais.fr
• Gardanne Bus Station
Gare routière de Gardanne
Esplanade Gare SNCF
Tél. : 04 42 51 79 00
• Istres Bus Station
Espace Pasteur
Bd E. Guizonnier
Tél. : 04 42 55 13 94
• La Ciotat Bus Station
CIOTABUS
Boulevard Anatole France
Tél. : 04 42 08 90 90
• Aéroport Bus Station
Marseille-Provence
TRPA - BP 35
13727 Marignane
Tél. : 04 42 14 31 27
• Marseille Bus Station
3, Place Victor Hugo
13003 Marseille
Tél. : 08 91 02 40 25
lepilote.com
• Ada
Tél. : 04 42 22 23 24
• Avis SA
Tél. : 04 42 69 34 80
• Budget
Tél. : 04 42 69 28 90
• Europcar
Tél. : 08 25 08 34 91
• Hertz
Tél. : 04 42 69 31 10
• National Citer
Tél. : 04 42 69 06 63
Marseille-Provence Airport
• Ada
Tél. : 04 42 14 30 44
Fax : 04 42 14 30 47
[email protected]
ada-location.com
• Avis SA
Tél. : 04 42 14 21 67
Fax : 04 42 10 44 80
Internet : www.avis.com
• Budget
Tél. : 04 42 14 24 55
Fax : 04 42 14 21 50
• Europcar Marignane
Tél. : 04 42 14 24 75
Fax : 04 42 14 25 90
Internet : www.europcar.com
• Hertz
Tél. : 04 42 14 32 70
Fax : 04 42 14 32 71
• National Citer
Tél. : 04 42 14 24 90
Fax : 04 42 14 24 59
Marseille Gare SNCF St-Charles
• ADL - Thrifty
8, Place des Marseillaises 13001 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 95 00 00
Fax : 04 91 95 00 01
[email protected]
www.thrifty13.com
• Avis
Service Gare St-Charles
13001 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 64 71 00
Fax : 04 91 64 49 69
www.avis.fr
• Europcar
Hôtel Ibis Saint-Charles
Square Narvik
Tél. : 08 25 82 56 80
www.europcar.fr
• Hertz
Square Narvik
13001 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 05 51 20
www.hertz.com
• National Citer
Square Narvik
Tél. : 04 91 05 90 86
Fax : 04 91 50 65 49
Direct links with the Marseille-Provence Airport
• Links with Paris every
1/2 hour. Length of flight :
1h10 mins
• Within France :
Ajaccio, Bastia, Bordeaux,
Brest, Calvi, Clermont-Ferrand,
Figari, Lille, Lyon Metz, Nancy,
Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Reims
Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse.
• Within Europe :
Amsterdam, Bâle, Barcelone,
Bruxelles, Cologne, Francfort,
Genève, Lisbonne, Londres,
Madrid, Malte, Milan, Münich,
Prague, Rome, Glasgow, Dublin.
• Overseas French counties :
Saint-Denis de la Réunion.
•D
irect flights to Africa and the
Middle East
www.rentacar.fr
• Aéroport Marseille-Provence
A Marignane (22 km de
Marseille)
Tél. : 04 42 14 14 14
Horaires sur minitel 36‑15 Envol
www.marseille.aeroport.fr
• Aéroport Nîmes-Arles-Camargue
A Nîmes-Garons (28 km d’Arles)
Tél. : 04 66 70 49 49
• Aéroport Avignon-Caumont
Tél. : 04 90 84 17 23
avignon.aeroport.fr
Local links :
Main stations in the Bouches-duRhône :
• Marseille
the line Saint-Charles-Briançon
serves:
Gardanne, Aix-en-Provence et
Meyrargues.
• The line Marseille SaintCharles - Miramas (via Rognac)
serves:
Vitrolles, Rognac, Berre,
Saint-Chamas, Miramas.
• The line Marseille Saint-Charles - Avignon - Lyon serves :
Miramas, Arles, Tarascon
www.citer.fr
• Rent a Car
10, Place des Marseillaises
Tél. : 04 91 50 12 00
Airports
Besançon
- Bordeaux-Toulouse
- Clermont-Ferrand-Nîmes
- Paris-Lyon
- Saint Gervais-Chambéry
- Briançon
- Grenoble par Valence ou
Veynes
- Nice
- Quimper-Nantes-Bordeaux
- Brest-Paris
Rail Routes
Information 08.36.35.35.35
or 36 15 SNCF or www.sncf.fr
Mediterranean TGV
Marseille : 3hrs from Paris.
TGV stations in : Avignon, Aix-enProvence and Marseille.
• National links with Marseille:
- Reims-Châlons sur Marne-Lyon
- Metz-Nancy-Lyon
- Strasbourg-Mulhouse-
• The line Marseille SaintCharles - Miramas (via Port-deBouc) serves:
La Redonne-Ensuès, Carryle-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins,
Martigues, Port-de-Bouc,
Fos S/Mer, Istres, Miramas.
Sea and river routes
Sea Port
• Port Autonome de Marseille
23, Place Joliette
13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 39 40 00
[email protected]
marseille-port.fr
Lignes régulières passagers avec
la Corse, la Sardaigne, l’Algérie,
le Maroc et la Tunisie.
• Service navigation
Rhône Saône
1, Quai de la Gare maritime
Tél. : 04 90 96 00 85
[email protected]
River Port
• Chemin des Ségonnaux Zone portuaire 13200 Arles
Tél. : 04 90 96 76 33
Fax : 04 90 93 88 00
[email protected]
arles.cci.fr
• Halte fluviale
Quai de Trinquetaille
13200 Arles
Tél. : 04 90 49 36 63
• Halte fluviale
Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville
13500 Martigues
Tél. : 04 42 42 31 10
• The line Marseille SaintCharles - Toulon - Nice Vintimille serves:
La Penne-sur-Huveaune,
Aubagne, Cassis, La Ciotat.
• The line Marseille SaintCharles - Miramas - Avignon
(via Cavaillon) serves:
Miramas, Salon, Lamanon,
Sénas, Orgon.
91
For more information on any site – Tourist Offices and Syndicats d’Initiative
• Office de tourisme
Aix en Provence
2, Place du Général de Gaulle
BP 160
Tél. : 04 42 16 11 61
• Maison du Tourisme de Carry
Bureau Municipal
Espace Fernandel
Avenue Aristide Briand
Tél. : 04 42 13 20 36
• Bureau de tourisme
Ensuès la Redonne
Hôtel de Ville
15, Rue du Général Monsabert
Tél. : 04 42 44 88 88
• Syndicat d'Initiative Gréasque
Ancienne Gare
Tél. : 04 42 69 72 16
[email protected]
aixenprovencetourism.com
[email protected]
carry-lerouet.com
[email protected]
mairie-ensues.fr
• Maison du tourisme d'Allauch
Mairie d'Allauch
BP 27
Tél. : 04 91 10 49 20
• Office municipal du tourisme
de Cassis
Quai des Moulins
Oustau Calendal
Tél. : 08 92 25 98 92
• Office de tourisme Eyguières
Place de l'ancien Hôtel de Ville
Tél. : 04 90 59 82 44
[email protected]
tourisme.allauch.com
• Office de tourisme Arles
Accueil du Public
Boulevard des Lices
Tél. : 04 90 18 41 20
[email protected]
tourisme.ville-arles.fr
• Maison du Tourisme du pays
d'Aubagne
Avenue Antide Boyer
Tél. : 04 42 03 49 98
[email protected]
aubagne.com
• Office de tourisme de
Barbentane
Cours Jean Baptiste Rey
Tél. : 04 90 90 85 86
[email protected]
barbentane.fr
Berre l'Etang
Avenue Roger Salengro
Tél. : 04 42 85 01 70
[email protected]
Cabriès-Calas
Oustaù Per Touti - Trébillane
Avenue René Cassin - Calas
Tél. : 04 42 69 05 48
[email protected]
cabries.fr
Carnoux en Provence
Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
BP 21
Tél. : 04 42 73 77 40
[email protected]
[email protected]
cassis.fr
• Office Municipal du tourisme et
de la Culture de Charleval
2, Place A. Leblanc
Tél. : 04 42 28 45 30
[email protected]
Châteauneuf la Mède
3, Rue Léon Blum
Tél. : 04 42 76 89 37
[email protected]
chateauneuflesmartigues-tourisme.com
Châteaurenard
11, Cours Carnot
Tél. : 04 90 24 25 50
[email protected]
chateaurenard.com
• Bureau de tourisme de
Cornillon Confoux
Place de l'Eglise
Tél. : 04 90 50 43 17
[email protected]
cornillonconfoux.com
Cuges les Pins
25, Route Nationale
Tél. : 04 42 73 84 18
[email protected]
cuges-les-pins.fr
• Office de tourisme Eguilles
Place Gabriel Payeur
Tél. : 04 42 92 49 15
[email protected]
mairie-eguilles.fr
[email protected]
• Office de tourisme Fontvieille
Place de la Mairie
Rue M. Honorat
Tél. : 04 90 54 67 49
[email protected]
fontvieille-provence.com
• Bureau de Tourisme Fos sur Mer
Hôtel de Ville
Avenue René Cassain
Tél. : 04 42 47 71 96
[email protected]
ouestprovence.com
• Syndicat d'initiative de Fuveau
Cours Victor Leydet
Tél. : 04 42 50 49 77
[email protected]
fuveau.fr
• Office de tourisme Gardanne
31, Boulevard Carnot
Tél. : 04 42 51 02 73
[email protected]
ville-gardanne.fr
• Office de tourisme Gémenos
Cours Pasteur
Tél. : 04 42 32 18 44
[email protected]
gemenos.fr.st
• Bureau de tourisme Grans
Boulevard Victor Jauffret
Tél. : 04 90 55 88 92
[email protected]
• Office de tourisme de Graveson
Hôtel de ville
Cours National
Tél. : 04 90 95 88 74
[email protected]
graveson.com
[email protected] ville-greasque.fr
• Office de tourisme d'Istres
30, Allée Jean Jaurès
Tél. : 04 42 55 51 15
[email protected]
• Office de tourisme de Jouques
33bis, Bd de la République
Tél. : 04 42 63 75 04
[email protected]
provence-jouques.com
• Syndicat d'initiative
La Bouilladisse
Hôtel de Ville
Place de la Libération
Tél. : 04 42 62 97 08
[email protected]
labouilladisse.org
• Office de tourisme La Ciotat
Boulevard Anatole France
Tél. : 04 42 08 61 32
[email protected]
laciotatourisme.com/
• Point d’information
La Destrousse
Hôtel de Ville
Tél. : 04 42 18 49 30
[email protected]
3, Cours Foch
Tél. : 04 42 50 70 74
[email protected]
ville-la-roque-d-antheron.fr
• Bureau de tourisme Lamanon
Le Cabaret
Tél. : 04 90 59 54 62
[email protected]
• Bureau municipal du tourisme
de Lambesc
Mairie de Lambesc
6, Bd de la République - BP 61
Tél. : 04 42 17 00 62
[email protected]
ville-lambesc.fr
Lançon en Provence
Avenue Saint Cyr
Tél. : 04 90 45 71 32
[email protected] ville-lancon-de-provence.fr
le Puy Sainte Réparade
Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville
BP 19
Tél. : 04 42 50 06 97
[email protected]
• Office municipal
de tourisme Les Baux de
Provence
Maison du Roy
Rue Porte Mage
Tél. : 04 90 54 34 39
[email protected]
lesbauxdeprovence.com
Les Pennes Mirabeau
35bis, Avenue Victor Hugo
Tél. : 04 42 02 55 14
[email protected]
syndicatdintiative.cjb.net
• Bureau de tourisme Maillane
Avenue Lamartine
Tél. : 04 32 61 93 86
Mallemort
7, Avenue des Frères Roqueplan
Tél. : 04 90 57 41 62
[email protected]
Marignane
4, Boulevard Frédéric Mistral
Tél. : 04 42 77 04 90
[email protected]
• Office de tourisme et des congrès de Marseille
4 La Canebière
Tél. : 04 91 13 89 00
Rond-point de l'hôtel de ville
Tél. : 04 42 42 31 10
[email protected]
www.martigues-tourisme.com
Maussane les Alpilles
Place Laugier de Monblan
Tél. : 04 90 54 52 04
[email protected]
maussane.com
du Massif des Costes
Place Roux de Brignoles
Tél. : 04 90 55 15 55
[email protected]
ot-massifdescostes.com
• Office de tourisme Miramas
Avenue Falabrègues
Tél. : 04 90 58 08 24
[email protected]
miramas.org/tourisme/
• Syndicat d'initiative Mouriès
2, Rue du Temple
BP 37
Tél. : 04 90 47 56 58
[email protected]
mouries.com
• Bureau de tourisme Noves
Place Jean Jaurès
Tél. : 04 90 92 90 43
[email protected]
noves.com
• Office de tourisme Orgon
Place de la Mairie
Tél. : 04 90 73 09 54
[email protected]
orgon-tourisme.com
• Point Information Peynier
9, Cours Laurent
Tél. : 04 42 53 16 40
[email protected]
peynier.free.fr
[email protected]
marseille-tourisme.com
• Bureau de tourisme Peyrolles
Hôtel de Ville
Tél. : 04 42 57 89 82
• Office de tourisme Martigues
Maison du tourisme
[email protected]
perso.wanadoo.fr/mairie.peyrolles/
93
• Office de tourisme Port de Bouc
Cours Landrivon
Tél. : 04 42 06 27 28
portdebouc.fr
Port Saint Louis du Rhône
Tour Saint Louis - Quai Bonnardel
Tél. : 04 42 86 01 21
[email protected]
• Syndicat d'initiative Puyloubier
Hôtel de ville - Square Casanova
Tél. : 04 42 66 36 87
[email protected]
puyloubier.com
• Office de tourisme de Rognes
5, Cours Saint Etienne
Tél. : 04 42 50 13 36
[email protected]
• Bureau municipal de tourisme
Roquefort la Bédoule
Hôtel de Ville
Place de la Libération
Tél. : 04 42 73 21 12
[email protected]
roquefort-labedoule.com
• Syndicat d'Initiative Roquevaire
Quai du Souvenir Français - BP 23
Tél. : 04 42 04 01 99
• Bureau de tourisme de
Saint Andiol
Lot. Lou Mistrau
Avenue Alphonse Daudet
Tél. : 04 90 95 48 95
[email protected]
saint-andiol.fr
• Syndicat d'Inititative
Saint Cannat
Espace Suffren
3, Avenue Pasteur
Tél. : 04 42 57 34 65
[email protected]
Saint Chamas
Montée des Pénitents
Tél. : 04 90 50 90 54
[email protected]
saintchamas.fr.st
• Maison du tourisme
Saint Martin de Crau
Place Georges Brassens
Tél. : 04 90 47 95 55
[email protected]
ville-saint-martin-de-crau.fr
• Point d'information de
Saint Mitre les Remparts
Hôtel de ville
9, Avenue Charles de Gaulle
Tél. : 04 42 49 18 93
[email protected]
saintmitrelesremparts.fr
• Office de tourisme Saint Rémy
de Provence
Place Jean Jaures
Tél. : 04 90 92 05 22
saintremy-de-provence.com
Saintes Maries de la Mer
5, Av. Van Gogh - BP 73
Tél. : 04 90 97 82 55
[email protected]
saintesmaries.com
Salon de Provence
56, Cours Gimon
Tél. : 04 90 56 27 60
[email protected]
visitsalondeprovence.com
Sausset les Pins
16, Avenue du Port
Tél. : 04 42 45 60 65
[email protected]
ville-sausset-les-pins.fr
• Office de tourisme Sénas
28, Cours Jean Jaurès
Tél. : 04 90 59 20 25
[email protected]
officetourisme-senas.org
de Simiane Collongue
Château des maronniers
chemin des aires
Tél. : 04 42 22 69 98
• Office de tourisme de Tarascon
59, Rue des Halles
Tél. : 04 90 91 03 52
[email protected]
tarascon.org
• Bureau municipal de tourisme Trets
Château des Remparts
Boulevard Etienne Boyer
Tél. : 04 42 61 23 75
[email protected]
ville-de-trets.fr
• Bureau municipal du tourisme
de Ventabren
4, Boulevard de Provence
Tél. : 04 42 28 76 47
[email protected]
• Office de tourisme Vitrolles
Place de Provence
Tél. : 04 42 77 90 27
[email protected]
vitrolles.com/office-tourisme
In spite of the care taken in the preparation of this guide,
some errors or omissions may have been overlooked.
We ask you to excuse us and let us know.
Nota Bene :
The practical information and contacts in this document
were supplied by local Tourist Offices and Syndicats d’Initiative.
The editor cannot therefore take responsibility for any errors or omissions.
Graphic design, layout, illustrations
and realisation
ALYEN
Design-editing: Patrick Vial
Photographs:
F. Lebain
G. Simon / J.C. Fauchon / N. Pasquel / J.P. Bonhommet
D. Gorgeon / T. Kreiser / CRT PACA : E.Spiegelhalter / D. Basse / M. Schulte
Mairie d’Arles / Museon Arlaten / CCI Arles / Office de Tourisme - Ville d’Aix-en-Provence
Musée Granet / SIM Aubagne : P. Massaïa / Université Image et son
Office de Tourisme des Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer / CCIMP / J. Bouthillier
F. Ferreira / M. Debatty / A. Ruoppolo / J.M. Legros / Calissons du Roy René / C. Sibran.
Printing: PUBLICEP
2006

The traveller`s guide

Transcription

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