A DAY TRIP FROM AIX-EN-PROVENCE

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If you don’t have a car, it’s easy to reach the starting point of the hike by bus from the centre of Aix-en-Provence. Bus number 140 leaves the stop ‘Gare Routière/Mouret‘ (it’s around the corner from the actual platforms of the main bus station) every hour from Monday-Saturday, and every other hour on Sundays, starting at 8:15am (see the bus schedule here). After around 30 minutes you will get off at the stop ‘J2/Barrage de Bimont’. At the junction, follow the road to the right for about 20 minutes until you arrive at the parking lot of the Bimont dam. Unfortunately, there’s not really a proper walkway so you’ll have to walk on the side of the road, but there’s not a lot of cars driving on this road anyway.

We’ve hiked up the Sainte-Victoire twice so far and have always chosen the blue route up. It takes between 2,5 and 3 hours to make it to the top, depending on how many breaks you take to enjoy the breathtaking view. If you want to get out at the car park where you started, you can simply take this same route back. Another option would be to take the red-&-white route down to the village of Vauvenargues and then take a bus back to the bus stop ‘J2/Barrage de Bimont’ where you first got off the bus. Be aware of the bus schedule though, if you opt for this route, since buses on Sundays only run every two hours. We personally enjoyed the blue route more than the trip ending at Vauvenargues. Although walking down and climbing over some of the really rocky parts of the trail can get a little hard on your knees at times, the path leading to Vauvenargues simply turns into a steep roadway at some point, which makes the walking even harder for your knees (and the landscape/view is not nearly as nice as that of the blue route).

Hiking up and down Montagne Sainte-Victoire takes about a day and is a perfect opportunity to escape the city for a couple of hours on the weekend or a day off. Make sure to pack minimum 1l of water and some snacks for a picnic once you’ve made it to the Croix de Provence at the top, or the little church courtyard which is located a quick 10 minute climb below the cross on your way up. Sunscreen and a windbreaker jacket are equally important here, since there’s no shade at the very top and it tends to get very windy. Once you have all these things packed in your backpack, you’re good to go for a challenging hike up Cézanne’s mountain that will reward you with the most amazing view. Almost as if you were walking above the clouds.

MY TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS

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• Instead of taking the bus, it is much more convenient to take a car (if you have one available) right to the parking lot at ‘Barrage de Bimont’. Parking is for free and you can start your 2-3 hour ascent right away, if you plan on returning on the same route.
• I would say that the hike is easily doable for anyone with a basic fit physique. Parts of the trail will get you out of breath but it’s nothing too exhausting and little breaks in between to enjoy the view will allow you to recharge your batteries for the next climb.
• Make sure to take at least 1l of water per person, some sunscreen and dress in layers. It tends to get really warm on the way up as some parts of the trail are really steep or require you to climb over rocks. Once you reach the top, it can get really windy though, so a warm jacket/windbreaker can be convenient to have.
• There’s a composting toilet at the level of the church on top of the mountain. Trash needs to be taken back down to the parking lot though.