Montagne Sainte-Victoire

The ridge runs about eighteen kilometres east of Aix, rising to one thousand and eleven metres at the Pic des Mouches, a wall of pale limestone tilted so that its southern face catches sun and reads white, grey, ochre or blue depending on the hour. Cezanne painted it more than sixty times in oil and watercolour, working towards structure rather than likeness, and the mountain became one of the defining subjects of modern painting. Dinosaur eggs have been found in the red clays at its foot, one of the richest such sites in Europe. Picasso bought the chateau at Vauvenargues below and is buried there.

History

First called the mountain of Victory, it was known in the Middle Ages as Sainte-Venture, and a chapel was built on the summit in the 13th century; its present name dates from the 17th century. Paul Cézanne, who could see it from near his house in Aix, painted it again and again. In 1989 a fire ravaged more than 50 square kilometres of its south face, and despite replanting the vegetation remains much thinner than before, so access is now largely restricted in summer; in the open seasons around 700,000 walkers use its paths each year (Wikipedia, Montagne Sainte-Victoire).

What you'll find

• The tilted limestone face - a pale wall changing colour through the day.
• The Croix de Provence - a large cross on the ridge, a common walk target.
• The Cezanne viewpoints - the angles he painted from around Le Tholonet.
• The dinosaur egg beds - fossil-rich red clays at the foot of the mountain.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer heat is severe on bare limestone. Access is legally restricted or closed on high fire-risk days from June to September, checked daily.

What to expect

Fire closures are strict and enforced, so summer plans can be cancelled at short notice. There is no water and almost no shade on the ridge. The ascent to the cross is steep and rocky.

Nearby

Aix-en-Provence lies west; Vauvenargues sits below the north face.

Key facts