Page 271 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

spangly Mediterranean- which once protected (www.calanques-parcnational.
themed museum, Musée the city’s harbour from fr), these craggy inlets
des Civilisations de attack. Afterwards, head run for around 20km all
l’Europe et de la Méditer- uphill to the city’s oldest the way to the seaside
ranée (MuCEM, Museum of quarter, Le Panier (from village of Cassis. They’ve
European & Mediterranean the French for basket), been protected since
Civilisations; %04 84 35 13 13; criss-crossed by graffiti- 1975, and were designat-
www.mucem.org; 7 Promenade clad alleyways, quirky ed as a national park in
Robert Laffont; adult/family/ shops and neighbour- 2014. They’re a favourite
child incl exhibitions €9.50/14/ hood cafes. Reward your- place for Marseillais to
free, 1st Sun of month free; self with a black vanilla hike and picnic; Mar-
h10am-8pm Wed-Mon Jul ice cream from Vanille seille’s tourist office runs
& Aug, 11am-7pm Wed-Mon Noire (%07 77 33 68 19; 13 regular guided hikes,
Sep, Oct, May & Jun, 11am- rue Caisserie; ice cream €2; although trails are closed
6pm Wed-Mon Nov-Apr; c; h12.30-6.45pm), then head in July and August due to
mVieux Port or Joliette), off for dinner at one of fire risk.
which helped kickstart the city’s excellent bistros Of the many calanques
the city’s revival in around rue Sainte. along the coastline,
2013. It’s attached to the the most accessible are PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 24 VAR DELIGHTS
formidable Fort St-Jean, 54 p274 Calanque de Sormiou and
The Drive »To get to the Calanque de Morgiou,
Calanques, follow av du Prado while remote inlets such
south from the Vieux Port; it Calanque d’En Vau and
winds up into the hills behind Calanque de Port-Miou
the city and becomes the D559, take dedication and time
the main road through the to reach – either on foot
national park. There are loads of
ALPES- places to stop, but you’ll have to or by kayak. The roads
MARITIMES into each calanque are
do some walking if you want to
see any coves. Things get very usually closed to drivers,
hot and sweaty in summer, so but a sneaky workaround
# Grasse set out early. is to make a booking at
\
one of the cove restau-
]
23
Lac de St- F G # TRIP HIGHLIGHT rants: good options are
Cassien Le Château (%04 91 25 08
Cannes # 2 The Calanques
]
Golfe de East of Marseille, a range 69; http://lechateausormiou.
Massif de l'Estérel of bone-white, parched €19-25; hnoon-2.30pm &
Napoule
fr; Calanque de Sormiou; mains
cliffs towers above glit-
7.30-9.30pm Apr-Sep) in
Fréjus # \ # Corniche de l'Estérel tering turquoise coves. Sormiou and Nautic Bar
#
8
St-Raphaël \ # Known as the Calanques (%04 91 40 06 37; Calanque
# Les Issambres
\
St-Maxime LINK
\ # Golfe de Côte d'Azur YOUR
St-Tropez
# # TRIP
\ # 7
St-Tropez
i Foothills of the n Riviera Crossing
Mediterranean Alps
Sea Cut out the gorges
From Haute-Provence on and stick to the coast for
into the wilds of the Vercors. Cannes.
# e 0 0 10 miles
20 km
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