Taxi Marseille → Gardanne

Gardanne, a town of 21,000 between Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, is a settlement with a rich industrial and mining past nestled at the foot of Sainte-Victoire mountain, beloved of Paul Cézanne. Bauxite mining (the aluminium ore discovered at Les Baux-de-Provence in 1821) shaped the town's identity for over a century. The former Gardanne mine, the last active bauxite mine in France until 2010, has given way to an exemplary conversion hub: the site now hosts the Centre de Microélectronique de Provence (CMP), a school of the Institut Mines-Télécom, and a photovoltaic park. The Gardanne Autrefois museum traces the town's mining and working-class history with objects, photographs and testimonies from former miners. The old town, perched on a hill, preserves the Notre-Dame church (13th century), medieval alleyways and restored Provençal wash houses. Cézanne painted Gardanne several times in 1885-1886, immortalising the cubist-before-its-time village from the Chemin de la Baume — the viewpoint, now marked, is still identifiable today. Sainte-Victoire mountain (1,011 m), 10 km north, offers exceptional hiking: the Prieuré trail and the Croix de Provence are accessible in a 2-hour walk. Gardanne is also known for the Provence thermal power station (converted to biomass) and the Wednesday morning market, lively and authentic.