Saint-Martin-de-Crau
Saint-Martin-de-Crau is in Bouches-du-Rhône in France.
Understand
Saint-Martin-de-Crau is on a site with several natural areas such as the Crau and the Alpilles. Saint-Martin-de-Crau is first and foremost visited for its nature. Most of the town is in Crau. La Crau, the only arid steppe in Europe, is divided in two with dry Crau and wet Crau, where Crau hay is grown.
Saint-Martin-de-Crau is a relatively young city. It was founded in 1925 by dissociation of Arles. The independence of the city is claimed by the inhabitants of the place as early as 1882.
The city has developed through successive migrations. In the 1950s, melon producers arrived from Cavaillon. In the 1970s, the iron and steel industry in Fos-sur-Mer brought in inhabitants from Lorraine.
Climate
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Saint-Martin-de-Crau has a Mediterranean climate. The city has a micro climate with nearly 95 days of summer drought. Rainfall is most abundant in March/April and October.
Get in
By plane
- 🌍 Marseille-Provence Airport (MRS IATA). Possibility to reach TER Vitrolles-Marseille Provence Airport Station via a free shuttle bus.
- 🌍 Nîmes-Garons Airport (FNI IATA).
By rail
See
Museum
- 🌍 Maison de la Crau (Crau house), 2 place Léon Michaud, ☏ +33 4 90 47 02 01, ecomusee.crau@cen-paca.org. 9:00 to 17:00. €4.50.
- 🌍 Maison de la chasse et de la nature (House of hunting and nature), ☏ +33 4 90 551256. Free entrance.
Nature
- 🌍 Crau. The Crau is the ancient confluence of the Durance and Rhône, and constitutes their vast flat alluvial fan. It's the last dry steppe type habitat of western Europe.
- 🌍 Étang des Aulnes (Pond of the Alders), chemin d'Istres à l'Étang des Aulnes, ☏ +33 4 90 47 09 99. lake
- 🌍 Arboretum "Le Jardin de Gaston" (Gaston's arboretum), avenue de Plaisance, ☏ +33 4 90 479840. Free entrance.
- 🌍 Domaine du lac (Lake area), Rue du lac Constance. Free.
- 🌍 Plan d'eau paysager de la baisse de Raillon (Landscaped water from the baisse de Raillon), Baisse de Raillon, RN 1453. Free.
- 🌍 Jardin public (public garden), Rue du Logisson.
Others
- 🌍 Church Saint-Martin (église Saint-Martin), 2 boulevard de Provence. Free entrance.
- 🌍 Arènes Louis Thiers (Louis-Thiers bullring). Activities between March and November. Traditional course camarguaise which is a bloodless spectacle for the bull, the objective is to snatch a rosette from the head of the bull.
- 🌍 Town hall (Mairie), Place de Docteur Bagnaninchi.
Do
Culture
- 🌍 Centre de développement culturel (Cultural Development Center), Place François-Mitterrand, ☏ +33 4 90 47 06 80. Various cultural activities (concert, exposition).
Markets
- Weekly provencal market, Avenue de la République. Every Friday stands the weekly market on the Avenue de la République
- 🌍 Local farmers market. Mondays 4PM-7PM. Under the covered market, a farmers' market is held on mondays evenings.
Celebrations
- Feria de la Crau. The feria de la Crau is organized every last weekend of April. It takes place at the Louis-Thiers Arena.
- Spring Festival (Fête du printemps), ☏ +33 4 90 47 98 40. The Spring Festival is a parade of traditions celebrating the local terroir and its cultural heritage with pastoralism, hay Crau, folklore and especially transhumance. The highlight is the parade on Sunday morning with the passage of more than 2000 sheep. Entertainment is organized throughout the weekend from Saturday morning until Sunday evening.
- European Heritage Days. The European Heritage Days highlight monuments of the town every 3rd weekend of September. Free.
Sport
- 🌍 Fitness trail (Parcours santé), N1453. Free.
- 🌍 Public pool, avenue Nostradamus, ☏ +33 4 90 470142. From 5 to 14 yo : €1.50 - Over 15 yo : €3.
- 🌍 Skate Park, Rue des Bergers.
- 🌍 Boulodrome du Foirail, Avenue du Foirail. to play pétanque, a boule game. Free.
- 🌍 Boulodrome de la rue des Arènes, Rue des Arènes. to play pétanque, a boule game. Free.
- Foulée de la Crau (The stride of Crau). The Foulée de la Crau is organized every year in October. The competition has several levels of difficulty.
Walk
- Circuit de la Garrigue (Circuit of Garrigue). This walk highlights the flora and the view of the Alpilles.
- Chemin d'Ilon (Ilon road). 16km round trip.
- Chemin de Craulonguette. 12.5km round trip.
- Chemin des Angelets (Angelets road). 6.8km round trip.
Bike
There are 12 circuits designed to ride a bike.
Sleep
- 🌍 Ibis Budget, Avenue Marcellin Berthelot - Zone Ecopole, h7416@accor.com.
- 🌍 Hôtel-Restaurant de la gare, Chemin de la Gare, ☏ +334 90 47 05 18.
- 🌍 Hôtel La Mare, ☏ +334 90 47 15 55.
- 🌍 Hotel Résidence de la Transhumance, 11 Rue de la Transhumance, ☏ +334 90 18 29 70.
- 🌍 Hôtel-Restaurant l’Avenir, 32 Avenue de la République, ☏ +334 90 47 38 13.
Connect
- 🌍 Maison du tourisme (Tourism center), 2 Avenue de la République, ☏ +33 4 90 47 98 40.
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