TWO POPPIESTours

Provence

Roman Trade Routes

Explore how Gallic routes became Roman thoroughfares, connecting the cities of antiquity and bringing the materials needed to build the vast empire of Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Duration
3 days
Price
Price on request
Group size
3 to 5 guests
Season
September 1 – November 20 and March 1 – May 31 — dates on request
The fountain square of Place d'Albertas in Aix-en-Provence
Photo: TwoPoppies

Aix-en-Provence — Aquae Sextiae — lay on the imperial Roman route, the via Aurelia. This three-day tour explores the ancient era’s trade network, starting in the Greek port of Massilia, now Marseille, and passing through Aix to the north and west, by way of the Gallic settlement of Glanum.

Along the way, the story of commerce becomes a story of people: the tribes who watched the roads from Entremont, the quarriers who cut stone in what became Saint-Victor’s crypt, the merchants whose doorways still beckon visitors. Lectures draw on the insight of our network of archaeological and heritage professionals.

The tour details published on this website are designed to give a general idea of our offer. Please inquire with us for specifics.

Highlights

  • Visit Marseille's "port antique" to understand the region's history and geography
  • Step into the shoes of an early Roman quarrier in Abbaye Saint-Victor's fifth-century undercroft
  • Bathe in the charm of Aix-en-Provence, then and now, on a walking tour of the city's Roman vestiges
  • Take a guided tour of the Celto-Ligurian Oppidum d'Entremont, the settlement that preceded Aquae Sextiae
  • Wander among the Gallo-Roman city of Glanum, with its sacred spring and thermal baths, for a ground-level experience of conquest and evolution

Day by day

  1. Day 1 — Entremont & Aix-en-Provence

    We meet outside your hotel at 9 a.m. for pick-up. The morning is spent at the Oppidum d'Entremont, the Celto-Ligurian settlement that preceded Roman Aix; after a pre-booked restaurant lunch, we take a walking tour of Aix-en-Provence's ancient vestiges. The day closes with a stroll on the cours Mirabeau. Back by 5 p.m.

  2. Day 2 — Marseille, ancient Massilia

    Pick-up outside your hotel at 9 a.m. In the morning we visit the Abbaye Saint-Victor and its fifth-century foundations, then Marseille's Vieux Port. After a restaurant lunch, a walking tour of the ancient Greek port (port antique) before the drive back to your hotel by 5 p.m.

  3. Day 3 — Glanum & Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

    Pick-up at 9 a.m. A walking tour of this Gallo-Roman settlement with its Gallic, Greek and Roman vestiges. After a restaurant lunch, a stroll through Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and a stop at the crossroads of the via Domitia and via Aurelia, before returning to Aix for a farewell aperitif hour. The tour ends at 6 p.m.

A variation of this tour is available in early fall and late spring to include one of our favorite discoveries — the hilltop fort of Buoux, where we take in the view over the Luberon natural reserve. Inquire for more details.

What's included

  • Private transport throughout
  • Three restaurant lunches
  • Farewell aperitif hour
  • All tickets and entrance fees
  • All tips — nothing left to think about

Comfort & pace

Expect moderate walking, some stairs (including down into a crypt) and stretches of cobblestone — we recommend bringing a telescopic walking stick. Standing is kept to a minimum; lectures happen while seated, in the vehicle, at a café, or on a bench. If booking a Buoux tour, the day includes a moderately challenging climb of about one hour (3.6 km / 2.2 mi each way).

Inquire about this tour

Or call Heather directly: +33 6 45 95 46 54