ITINERARY

Day 1 Monday
Transfer from the Marseille airport or Aix-en- Provence train station to the riding center. During lunch, you will meet your guide and fellow riders. Afterwards, you will be transferred to Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, an old Roman fluvial harbor used to transport wood from the Alps to Marseille and the Mediterranean coast. Your horse will carry you on pleasant wooded trails and along abundant vineyards to Jouques. You will ride through this medieval village to historic Peyrolles where you will see a Roman castle reconstructed in the typical 17th century Provencal style.

Day 2 Tuesday
You will ride through the pristine Mediterranean forest of Peyrolles. Fill your lungs with the pungent odor of pine trees, green oaks, rosemary and thyme! The ride will follow the old Verdon canal, built in 1865 to bring the Alps water to the numerous Aix-en-Provence fountains. North of the Sainte-Victoire, you will discover many sheepfolds and Roman ruins. A copious picnic lunch awaits you under the shade of pine trees. Afterwards, you will ride among the golden broom plants to the Bimont Lake where you will be able to enjoy a swim in the turquoise water with your horse! Your evening will be spent near the village of Vauvenargues, famous for the castle where Picasso is buried.

Day 3 Wednesday
Your horse will carry you across the northern side of Mount Sainte-Victoire, to the Sinne pilgrim oratory. The ride will continue through the Gardiol forest and along the bubbling Vacon stream toward the town of Rians, an important crossroads between the Alps and the coast. Legend says that Hannibal took this road to the Alps before his Rome conquest.

Day 4 Thursday
After riding along abundant vineyards, you will reach the sunny side of the Sainte-Victoire. You will trace the footsteps of the famous artist, Cezanne, as he walked along the perfumed trails surrounded by lofty white limestone cliffs and contrasting green forests.

Day 5 Friday
You will be fascinated with the unique Sainte-Victoire mountain as you ride across the Bimont barrage which retains the Verdon River. After the ride passes a Roman aqueduct, your trail will lead you to the Bibemus stone quarry. From early civilization until the 18th century, the monuments in Aix-en-Provence were built with these red stones. Cezanne fell in love with the cross currents of mineral and vegetation. The region was subject of his eleven oil paintings and sixteen aquarelles. Your day will end near Aix-en-Provence at Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde where you will enjoy your final lunch in a lovely auberge, a French restaurant. The afternoon will bring a visit to Cezanne’s workshop, a stroll and shopping in the village. In late afternoon, you will be transferred to the train station or airport.

DETAILS:

Dates: Monday – Friday: April 19-24, May 17 -22, September 13-18, October 4-9, November 8 - 13
Meeting Place: Aix-en- Provence Train Station or Marseille Airport
Riding Days: 4 ½
Riding Ability: Walk, Trot, Canter
Group Size: Minimum of 2 required.
Accommodations: 3*** Inns
*Price: $1,451 per person, double occupancy, $280 single supplement

*Prices are quoted in dollars but are billed in euros. The exchange rate will be fixed on the date of your final payment.

Included: 5 nights accommodations, horse, tack, guide, transfers to and from airport/train station, all meals
Not Included: airfare