A nature walk en route to Les Baux de Provence
During this scenic hike near St-Rémy de Provence, you keep all along the Alpilles ridge with your guide ; and you can enjoy vistas in all directions. Suddenly, on the horizon, as you emerge from a thicket of pines, appears before you a hilltop citadel : among the jagged peaks, the rock of Les Baux de Provence. The ruined medieval castle towers the small tile roofs and stone walls of the village’s houses. Perched on a bluff facing the Alpilles crest, the stronghold has been abandoned since the 1630s. It had been the symbol of the power and independence of the lords of Les Baux, Princes of Orange, for four centuries : these bellicose noblemen had in their control dozens of towns almost until Provence became French; it was incorporated into the Kingdom of France in 1482. In addition, the sight of the medieval fortress and a stroll in the few village streets are worthwhile. An extra visit to Les Carrières de Lumières, might be of interest for you: this son et lumière is shown on the walls of a former quarry at the foot of the village,.
Walking time : 2.5 hours
Rating : easy (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Citadel remains and Carrières de Lumière visits non included
The Côte Bleue, such a beautiful seaside
The twenty miles of coast west of Marseille is called Côte Bleue (Blue Coast) due to the color of the sea. It is a preserved marine area called the Parc Régional Marin de la Côte Bleue. It is also the area where the Chaine de l’Estaque, a dramatic range of limestone hills, meets the Mediterranean. Even if this massif is not elevated, its numerous arid escarpments give the landscape its rare beauty ; its beautiful inlets are particularly gorgeous. The trail is called Sentier du Douanier, i.e. coast guard footpath): it was built to allow the watching of potential invaders or smugglers, offers numerous panoramic views of the sea. The large city of Marseille is visible in the distant background.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : challenging (stony and craggy terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not on fire risk days)
The lakes walk in Cezanne’s footsteps
This 3-hour nature walk takes place halfway between the city of Aix-en-Provence and Mont agne Sainte Victoire. This mountain is one of Provence’s most iconic natural landmark. During this hike, you visit the pathways that were done by Cezanne more than one hundred years ago. These trails allow you to enjoy gorgeous views of the lakes Zola and Bimont. They also pass through a mixed vegetation of pine grove and “garrigue”, this low scrubland so typical of Provence. On your way back, you walk with the imposing mountain located only 2 miles east.
One detail should not be overlooked: the lack of shade along the back country trails ; it makes the hike a perfect one on cool, sunny spring and autumn mornings or winter afternoons.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain / steep slopes)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Walking in van Gogh’s footsteps near St. Remy
During his time in France, Vincent van Gogh spent one year in St. Remy de Provence, near Avignon. This beautiful hike starts near the Roman monuments called Les Antiques. And it is named after the visited places where the painter set up his easel: he painted here more than 70 works, transfixed by the luminous nature scenery. You walk outside the town through vineyards and olive groves that carpet the landscape. After climbing up through the woods to the Alpilles ridge, you can enjoy outstanding 360° views.
This walk could also be named “Le Rocher des Deux Trous” (the Rock with two holes): two holes can be seen at the base of a crag from far away, but they are invisible for long, later ; and tbey reappear suddenly, when very close. This weathered limestone rock was brilliantly captured by van Gogh in his painting Mountains at Saint-Rémy. Just before the end, you pass near the Greco-Roman site of Glanum: remains of a city that grew up 2,600 years ago can be gazed at, there.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate (steep and rugged sections of terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Visits of Saint-Paul de Mausole and Glanum non included
Van Gogh’s Provence
photographs of sceneries that could have inspired the Dutch painter
Outlooks over Calanque de Sormiou,
the most spectacular swift trip from Marseille
This quite easy hike will allow you to get some beautiful views over one of the largest steep-walled inlets that are called calanques along the Provence coastline: Sormiou, an amphitheater, with white limestone cliffs as terrace seats, the sea as stage and the little port and its cottages as orchestra. After 30 minutes walking from a South Marseille neighborhood, your local guide has led you into the heart of Calanques National Park. And from a vantage point, you can stare down to Calanque de Sormiou‘s turquoise waters, 250 meters below. You can see the hamlet with the red roofs of its ‘cabanons’, the fishermen’s cottages built near the two coves and towered over by rocky headlands.
Walking time : 2 hours
Rating : leisurely (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
The easiest climb on Mont Sainte Victoire
If you are not an athlete or if you only have one morning to climb Mont Saint Victoire, this hike is for you. The road from Aix en Provence to the trailhead is a little bit longer (15 miles) than to the other major ones. Conversely, you only need to walk one hour to reach the ridge of the mountain ; and 45 minutes later, you can reach its summit : the Pic des Mouches (1,011m). This climb up the northern mountainside to the top mainly takes place through an oak grove; but as you walk along and approach the crest, nature all around changes and the landscape becomes barren. You then enjoy a panoramic view of all the surroundings, among which distant mountains.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : leisurely (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Calanque de Sugiton:
a gem of a spot in Marseille
If this hike is just 4.5 hours long, you surely need the entire day to get the full benefit of it: when sitting on its little pebble beach by its turquoise-blue waters, it is so hard to leave Calanque de Sugiton. It is located in the heart of Calanques National Park. You can first see it from high distant rocks where the panorama opens up to the bay. And what a breathtaking view over Calanque de Morgiou, on the other side ! After this first vista, you then can walk down to the sea and take a closer look at the two-cove calanque. One of Provence’s nature treasures.
Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
A day hiking trip
from St. Remy de Provence to Les Baux
Here is one of our many hikes that reach places of historical interest as well as natural beauty. Leaving the medieval streets in St. Remy, you head to an even older district: Les Antiques. These are two Roman monuments among the best preserved: the Mausoleum and the Triumphal Arch that used to mark the entrance to the city of Glanum. Walking through pines, on back roads and forest trails, you gently climb to the Alpilles ridge path. Up there, you enjoy a great scenery all around. Following the main ridge, you gradually approach Les Baux de Provence. Built on a rocky hilltop, the ruined medieval castle suddenly appears. Once the fief of lords among the most powerful in South of France, this site is something unique. The castle entrance and the few streets in the village are worthwile. An additional visit to Les Carrieres de Lumieres might be of interest for you : a son et lumière is shown on the walls of a former quarry, at the foot of the village.
Walking time : 4 hours
Rating : moderate (rugged sections of terrain)
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Château des Baux (fortress remains) and Carrières de Lumière visits non included.
Hike to the Croix de Provence
Symbolic peak of Montagne Sainte-Victoire, though not the highest, the Croix de Provence, overlooks Aix-en-Provence and its vicinity. Rising to 946 meters, it was named after the giant metal and stone cross that stands on it. Starting 6 miles from the city, the hike is not long; but it is challenging because of the elevation gain and some rocky stretches with demanding gradients on the way. It is pure delight though, especially when you take time: a natural Provence walking dream. And if you reach the top around sunrise, emotion too is at its peak! The breakfast snacks that you eat up there remain definitely engraved in your memory for a long time.
Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
En-Vau : the pearl of Calanques National Park
Calanque d’En-Vau, with its brilliant-turquoise waters surrounded by sheer white cliffs, is a paradise for hikers and rock climbers. On this walking day, you have the opportunity to admire this Provence natural wonder from three different viewpoints: two from the heights, the first one located behind En-Vau, as shown on the picture, allowing a view of the whole; the second, right above, offers a view from the side, quite different but at least as scenic; the third is from the bottom, as you lie on the beach, where the scenery of natural beauty is different again. On your way to the small, bustling fishing port of Cassis, you discover two other beautiful calanques: Port-Pin and Port-Miou. The last one is a natural marina, home to sailboats on half of its length.
Walking time : 4.5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
The vista from La Caume on the Alpilles ridge
To start this day hike, your expert guide can meet you in the old town of St. Remy de Provence. After one hour of gentle climbing, you are allowed to spend the following two hours walking on the Alpilles ridge. You first reach the top of Plateau de La Caume. On the way, in addition to the vast panorama, you can discover the Mediterranean biodiversity, especially flora: the famous rosemary, thyme and lavender, of course, but also dozens of other species that blossom early in the year. The last hour on the crest, at the bottom of impressive cliffs, is surely the most challenging. Back to the plain, it is worth stopping for a visit of the Château Romanin. Your local guide can arrange a guided tour of the cellar and a tasting of the wines if you are interested.
Walking time : 5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)
Guided tour of Château Romanin non included.
Climbing Montagne de Régagnas
Along this scenic trail you walk up Montagne de Régagnas, a small mountain that offers a great panorama. It overlooks underlying farming and nature landscapes, 15 miles southeast of Aix-en-Provence: all around, incised valleys covered with fruit orchards and vineyards are enclosed by steep rocky hills. These heights are themselves towered by the two major escarpments of the area: Mont Sainte Victoire and the Sainte Baume mountains. The Ermitage de Saint-Jean du Puy will be one of the spots of the day: occupied by monks between the 5th and 15th centuries, this hermitage overlooks the Arc valley.
Walking time : 5 hours
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only, not allowed on fire risk days)