GR2013
A multi-day hike for the more serious walkers
Explore some of the beautiful trails Provence has to offer with this 365km circuit.
France has a well established network of long distance trails called GR's, Grand Randonnees. Covering the whole country they total a whopping 58,000km of trails, more than enough for one lifetime. GR routes follow many historical trails throughout Europe. Some following pilgrimage routes and others trade routes and have been maintained as official trails since the first one was born in 1842 in the forest of Fontainebleau. A new addition to the GR circuit is the GR2013 which was created in 2013 with the help of local collective of artists who are also keen ramblers.
The idea of the GR2013 is to take walkers to places they would not normally visit and to discover the regions striking urban and commercial landmarks. The GR2013 has been described by its creators as "the first metropolitan and artistic hiking trail... This one [trail] goes to places that you would pass through every day without necessarily looking at them".
The route follows a figure of eight circuit taking in the towns of Salon-de-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, Aubagne, Marseille, Martigues and Istres. The full circuit takes roughly 15 days to complete the staggering 365km round trip.
What to bring
The route is best covered using the 200 page topoguide published by the Federation francaise de la randonnee pedestre. This can be purchased from Amazon or most outdoor/book shops near the region.
