Marseille, Cassis

Private full day tour from Avignon

Marseille

Marseille is the largest and most populous commune in France after Paris and is the centre of the third largest metropolitan area in France. To the east, starting in the small fishing village of Callelongue on the outskirts of Marseille and stretching as far as Cassis, are the Calanques, a rugged coastal area interspersed with small fjords.

To the south west are the hills of the 7th arrondissement, dominated by the basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde.

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Neo-Byzantine church sits atop the signal hill of La Garde, the highest natural point in Marseille, being a 162 m (532 ft) limestone outcrop on the south side of the Vieux Port.

Cassis

Cassis was a very ancient fishing port and is an interesting village to visit.
The village was rebuilt on the old ruins in the 18th century, resulting in a more regular layout than most other medieval villages.

Other sites in the village are old fountains and an open-air artists market where we bought a few small paintings

Cassis is still a small fishing port, but the little fishing boats now share the harbor with boats for visiting the calanques (creeks), a trip you shouldn’t miss.

Tour of 3 creeks last 45 minutes.

Port Miou, wich means in provencal:”well sheltered from the wind”, you will notice the first of the white Cassis stone quarries in the Calanques opened in 1753.
Port Pin, named after the alep pines trees that grow between rocks and requirie very little soil to survive
En Vau, which means “in the valley” in old French. It is the pearl ot the creeks according to many, and a meeting place for climbers that come from all over the world to pursue their passion.

Winetasting in Cassis

Wine was being made around Cassis even before the Greeks arrived around 600 BC, and it’s only gotten better.
The appellation Cassis wine, received the Appellation d’Origine Controlée in 1936 — the first in the region. It’s produced in red, rosé and white, with the white being the most famous.