Montagne Sainte-Victoire is where Cézanne received inspiration for many of his landscapes and where Picasso is thought to have reached peak creativity. Though my artistic expression while hiking in Provence didn’t quite reach the level of these impressionist masters, it was an amazing journey across the mountain and an unforgettable view.
Hiking Difficulty
3.5 out of 5
We hiked up the Blue trail, starting from bus stop J04 on the Bus Line L140, up to the Sainte-Victoire Priory and refuge. The trail is rocky and exposed, which made it a bit harder as it was incredibly windy the morning we hiked up. We headed down the other side of Sainte-Victoire mountain to Vauvenargues using the Red and White trail, which is clear and wide, but very steep. Each way took about two hours. We recommend starting from the dam and ending in Vauvenargues due to the steepness of the red and white trail (better down than up), and it’s more fun celebrating the end of your trek with some delicious food and a cold drink in the town with a view of the peak you just climbed.
Getting to Montagne Sainte-Victoire
We stayed in Aix-en-Provence, so to get to Montagne Sainte-Victoire we took Bus Line L140. We hopped on at the Arts et Metiers stop in Aix and bought the €1 bus ticket from the driver, which will get you to any stop on the line. We got off at the J04 stop. From there it was a short hike to the Barage De Bimont dam. Walking across the dam, you get a great view of the beautiful teal-colored lake. After crossing the Barage De Bimont dam, the Blue Trail begins on the left. It’s important to follow the painted markers as parts of the trail can be confusing with trails splitting into smaller trails. A marker with a straight line indicates you are going the right way. And an X, well, in this situation doesn’t quite mark the spot, but that you are heading in the wrong direction.
Barage De Bimont dam and the Blue Trail up to Sainte-Victoire Priory
The view of the lake from the dam is picturesque but gets better as you climb. The trail quickly ascends making the way for fantastic views of the lake and the southern valley. First, you think you see most of the lake, but then as you go up and up, it gets bigger and bigger. The morning we trekked the mountain, it was extremely windy, and there is almost no shelter from the elements on the trail. Below is a map showing the blue trail that leads to the top of the mountain.
Sainte-Victoire Priory
As we continued to hike, we could see the tallest peak far in the distance. Little did we know that we’d actually be reaching that peak before heading back down. When we finally got to the end of the Blue Trail, we went by the Sainte-Victoire Priory. This little refuge was built in the 17th century as a reminder of a 5th-century hermit who found safety in this spot. There’s often a fire where you can warm up on colder days, or take shelter from the wind! The Croix de Provence, or Cross of Provence, is another 15 minutes up the mountain.
The Red and White Trail down to Vauvenargues
After taking in the views at the top of Montagne Sainte-Victoire, we took the red and white trail down to Vauvenargues. For the first 20 minutes or so, it was a rocky, narrow path with switchbacks similar to the Blue Trail. But soon we reached a spot where the path opens up wide enough for a car to drive through. It’s very steep (and hard on the knees!), and a bit slippery with small loose rocks. Below is a map from the top of Montagne Sainte-Victoire to Vauvenargues. We took the longer route that went along the D10 so we were able to watch bicyclists in a triathlon race down the hill.
Reaching Vauvenargues, home to Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso
When we reached Vauvenargues, we looked back to share the same view of Sainte-Victoire as Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso. We marveled at the height of the massif we’d just crossed and appreciated its beauty. We finished our trek in the tiny town by grabbing a bite to eat and admiring Picasso’s Château de Vauvenargues from a distance before hopping back on the L140 bus to Aix-en-Provence.
An Alternative trek on Montagne Sainte-Victoire
Another option for hiking on Montagne Sainte-Victoire would be to hike the southern part of the rim toward the town of Puyloubier. Use bus route L110. For more details about the trails and hiking in Sainte-Victoire mountain, we recommend getting a map from the tourist office in Aix-en-Provence.
Katri
Sunday 7th of April 2024
Thank you for your inspiring post, your information is still almost the most comprehensive and easy to follow information around to hike the area in 2024. I did the Barrage De Bimont, Prieuré Sainte-Victoire, Croix de Provence, Vauvenargues hike in early April 2024. I was so happy I decided to descend to Vauvenargues as I did not have to repeat the track. Most of the people who got off the 140 bus at ca 11.00 in the morning boarded the bus at 16.30ish from the same place. I felt so sorry for them. I diverted the route you suggested down to Vauvenargues at some point, getting bored of the steep and wide paved road. At about 2/3 down, Strava heatmap showed a parallel track and that was fabulous. Going to the village via alternative route meant a barefoot shallow river crossing but that was fine. Thank you once again for your helpful post, I hope the good karma bounces back
13 Of The Best Villages in Provence, France | Frugal Frolicker
Tuesday 27th of July 2021
[…] Montagne Sainte-Victoire – the mountain that inspired many of Cezanne’s works (aka it’s a beaut). The thing to do is hike up and touch the cross at the top. […]
Georgia Rock
Monday 1st of March 2021
Thank you so much for this blog! My friends and I followed your every instruction and had an extremely successful hiking day. We are so grateful for your details!!
nomanbefore
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Hi Georgia - It's always nice to hear when someone finds these posts helpful! Glad you had a great hike!
How To Hike Mont Sainte-Victoire From Aix | Afternoon Tea Reads
Thursday 28th of May 2020
[…] can also choose to hike to the top. Read this guide if you’re interested in getting to the top from here. They followed the blue trail, which […]
Ian
Saturday 29th of September 2018
Hello Folks, I'd like to add my thanks to you for this great, very informative piece. I used it as the basis to plan my own trek up the mountain, and really appreciated an English language guide as my French is still terrible (ongoing problem:) I did want to bring up something reflecting my own experience in June 2018 that readers might want to be aware of, though.
A friendly bus driver discouraged me from getting off at the stop near the dam once he understood that I wanted to climb to the Priory and dropped me further up the road where I picked up the red and white trail. I wound up doing your route in reverse, and when I came down to the dam around 5pm found that the route across the dam was closed/fenced/blocked off with signs saying something about security area concerns. Getting back to the road/bus stop then would have been about another three mile walk via a meandering alt route on the map but I was rescued by a great bilingual couple who gave up their evening trail run to drive me out of the area despite my protests that everything was fine and I'd find my way...
Because of my terrible French, I don't know if the dam simply closes at a certain time every day or if it's actually closed permanently/seasonally these days. I think it's the latter, as I'm pretty sure that the bus driver redirected me because he knew about the issue. Anyway, just thought that this comment might be helpful in other people being aware of the possible problem.
Thanks again for writing this in the first place!
Ian