A two-day itinerary around Cassis: the culture of Marseille, the landscapes of the Camargue and shopping in Aix-en-Provence

👉 Morning in Marseille, between the old port and the Cour Julien market

Leaving Cassis, you'll have to make your way up the town's emblematic terraces to reach the D559 departmental road. It takes just 45 minutes to reach France's second-largest city. The route is simply sumptuous, winding along the sea.

Once you arrive in Marseille, we recommend that you park in one of the car parks near the historic centre, so that you can continue on foot. We recommend the Vinci car park on Place de la Préfecture.

Marseille's old port is wonderful, nestling between the MUCEM and La Major cathedral. Fishermen's boats bob gently in the midday sun. It's a great place to live, with cafés and restaurants lining the quays. It's a great place for a stroll and a coffee.

👉 Cour Julien market, trendy and bohemian

If you're in Marseille on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday morning, the Cour Julien market is one of the trendiest in town. It's a meeting place for local producers and designers. A real treat if you like discovering new talent.

⏰ Opening times: 7am to 1.30pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

🍴 Ciel Rooftop

This Italian restaurant has a somewhat magical terrace overlooking St-Charles station and the Marseille canopy. Enjoy authentic recipes on the rooftop.

Our recommendation: Amore Del Tartufo, for truffle lovers.

📍 Address: 17 Rue Haxo, 13001 Marseille

⏰ Opening times: noon to midnight, Monday to Saturday

Sunday: noon to 5pm

👉 The MUCEM in Marseille, culture, art and history

The Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) is located at the tip of Marseille's old port. Inaugurated in 2013 when Marseille was the European Capital of Culture, the museum poetically blends anthropology, archaeology, history, art history and contemporary art.

The MUCEM is made up of several rooms, terraces and structures that interweave and merge harmoniously. In this atypical and intriguing architecture, permanent and ephemeral exhibitions, guided tours, concept stores and the Fort St-Jean, where the museum extends.

👉 Find the MUCEM programme on the website.

📍 Address: 1 Esp. J4, 13002 Marseille

⏰ Opening times: 10am to 7pm, every day except Tuesday

If you're interested in the history of the Mediterranean, you'll love the museum of arts and traditions in Cassis.

🚗 Off to the Camargue

From Marseille, just 1 hour and 15 minutes separate you from the Camargue regional nature park. To get there, take the A55 motorway from Marseille to Arles.

👉 Where to sleep in the Camargue?

📍 Arles

You can spend the night in Arles, which is a charming town but far from the iconic rice fields and marshes of Carmargue.

📍 Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

We recommend that you continue on your way for around forty minutes to reach Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. After crossing marshy landscapes, you arrive in the capital of the Camargue, a seaside resort on the Mediterranean Sea.

Two star hotel in Camargue :

Three-star hotel in the Camargue :

👉 Visit the Camargue, horses, rice fields and the Mediterranean

You wake up watching the sun rise over the rice fields of the Camargue and the Mediterranean in the background. If you want to visit this magnificent region, you have several options.

🚗 By car

You can simply take your car and wander along the winding back roads. Here and there you'll come across horses, pink flamingos and small villages.

Our favourite places are :

• Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
• Aigues-Mortes
• Beauduc beach
• Arles
• Salin-de-Giraud salt marshes
• Etang du Fangassier
• The Vigueirat marshes

🍴 La Gueule du Loup

La gueule du loup offers carefully crafted dishes on a small menu where everything is absolutely delicious. The restaurant has a warm atmosphere and traditional, generous decor.

📍 Address: 39 Rue des Arènes, 13200 Arles

⏰ Opening times: 12.15pm to 1.45pm and 7.15pm to 9.15pm, every day except Wednesday and Thursday.

👉 Discover Aix-en-Provence, a city of magnificent architecture

Aix is a glamorous and modern city, cosmopolitan and very pleasant to live in. Its cobbled streets take you from plazas to plazas, where restaurants and shops coexist peacefully.

It is the historic capital of Provence. Since 1409, the city has been a renowned cultural and university centre. It's a secret city, full of secret passages, notably the Passage Aguard.

Be warned, if you're into shopping, you'll love :

👜 Shopping at Allées Provençales

An open-air shopping centre that brings together style and modernity. Some shops are even open on Sundays.

👗 Shops in the historic centre of Aix

The city centre is bursting with boutiques, each one more beautiful than the last, designers, craftsmen, major brands, etc.

🍴 Restaurant Le Quatre

Farmhouse wines, cocktails, tapas and platters are on the menu at Restaurant Le Quatre. In an atmosphere made of vaulted ceilings and exposed stonework, a moment of relaxation awaits you.

📍 Address: 4 Rue des Cordeliers, 13100 Aix-en-Provence

⏰ Opening times: noon to 2pm and 7pm to 10pm, every day except Sunday.