The GR 2013, a metropolitan trail around Marseille

Are you a hiker? Then the GR 2013 is for you. Come and discover this 365 km hiking trail that crosses the Marseille metropolitan area.

Genesis of the GR 2013

Hiking, a long-established tradition in Marseille

Marseille is home to the country’s oldest local hiking club: the Excursionnistes marseillais, founded in 1897. There are at least 107 hiking associations in the département, a unique situation in France. There’s no doubt about it: walking is culture!

The year 2013

In 2013, Marseilles, along with other towns in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, was designated European Capital of Culture.

To mark the occasion, a number of organisations (le cercle des marcheurs, les excursionnistes marseillais, le comité départemental de la randonnée pédestre) joined forces with 11 artist-walkers to propose a 365-kilometre long long walking route. This year, 2023, marks the 10th anniversary of the trail.

Find out more about the GR2013 project

Birth of the GR 2013 Marseille-Provence

A variety of areas

The GR 2013 will take you through the Marseille metropolitan area. It is the first GR to explore a metropolis on this scale, linking areas that are very different from one another: urban, suburban, industrial, agricultural and natural.

The GR 2013 Marseille-Provence is both a route that follows a precise itinerary and an artistic object. A number of artists, rich in their differences, have sought to develop a common culture across the metropolis.

The route of the GR 2013

Who has actually walked between Aix and Marseille?

Walkers on the GR 2013 are invited to take side paths and (re)discover areas they seem to know. All along the route, they will realise that while they are in the city, they are still in nature: the route itself reveals a new way of looking at the environment and the land.

If you look closely at the map of all the itineraries, you’ll see that the GR 2013 seeks to outline the shape of Greater Marseille. Two loops start, pass through and then return to this point, giving the route the shape of a recumbent figure eight, like a symbol of infinity.

Starting point of the GR 2013

Two very different loops

The starting point is located at Aix-TGV station, which is the real focal point of the Metropole. It is also the junction of the two loops, which go around two very different undeveloped areas:

The Etang de Berre, Europe’s second largest salt lake
The Etoile and Garlaban Massifs

Seven sections

The GR 2013 Marseille-Provence route is divided into 7 sections, each around 50 km long. It will take 2 to 3 days’ walking to cover each of them. Here are the details:

Around the Etang de Berre

Section 1: From Aix-TGV station to Port-de-Bouc 48km
Section 2: From Port-de-Bouc to Salon 48 km
Section 3: Salon to Aix-TGV station 56 km

The Etoile and Garlaban Massifs

Section 4: From Aix-TGV station to Marseille (la Valentine) 60 km
Section 5: From Valentine to Plan d’Aups 44 km
Section 6: From Plan d’Aups to Gardanne 46 km
Section 7: From Gardanne to Aix-TGV station 49 km

Whether you decide to walk all 7 sections or just one, with each stage accessible by public transport (train, coach and bus), the GR 2013 offers a great adventure.

The reference work

For detailed descriptions and to discover the work of the artist-walkers, we recommend reading the ‘TopoGuides Gr 2013 Marseille Provence, sentier métropolitain autour de la mer de Berre et du massif de l’Etoile’. Editions Wildproject.

Editions Wildproject is based at 12 boulevard National in Marseille and welcomes the public from Tuesday to Friday, 2pm to 7pm. Their project also has an educational component, and they welcome anyone wishing to learn about or obtain information on ecology and its issues.