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Colline Notre-Dame

Avenue Jean-Louis Calderon, 13700 Marignane

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Notre-Dame Hill, with a maximum height of 104 metres and covering an area of 65 hectares, is a veritable green lung for Marignane. Composed of a limestone layer resting on a clay bed dating from the Late Cretaceous period (70 million years ago), the hill may contain fragments of dinosaur eggs, as suggested by a fossil unearthed in the lime kilns district and now housed at the Albert Reynaud Museum. It is currently covered by low scrub growing beneath a pine forest created through reforestation efforts. The vegetation on the western slope, on a bed of damp clay, consists of riverside species. In the Middle Ages, the hill was in fact part of the seigneurial estate, known as Deffens or Devens, renowned for its wooded and mineral resources and its abundance of game. From 1447 onwards, Gabriel Valori and his successor Charles du Maine, lords of Marignane, gradually granted rights and land to the inhabitants and the community. Pastoral activities, wood gathering and lime production then developed there. Ruins of sheepfolds can be found along the ridge path, as well as several scattered remains of kilns. Today, the site offers a combination of natural and historical features: - a 4th-century BC oppidum (excavations now covered, though partially visible to this day), - the Notre-Dame de Pitié chapel, a 15-minute walk from the car park (open to the public on the first Sunday of every month and during events organised by the ‘Amis de Marignane et de la Provence’ association), - a calvary erected in 1533 at the tip of the rocky outcrop, - a panoramic viewing platform, - the remains of a small quarry from the late 15th or early 16th century further down the slope, and a large quarry operated in the 1950s and 1960s which now serves as a venue for cultural events. In terms of sports facilities, the hill is criss-crossed by a fitness trail comprising 16 stations over a distance of 1,650 metres, featuring exercise equipment near the car park (stretching, weight training, etc.), a track and a 700-metre grass running circuit. These are situated alongside the ‘Children of Marignane’ botanical trail, created in 1997 along a 1,700-metre path, play areas and picnic spots, Square le Duff, a pleasant landscaped area with play areas and picnic spots, all crossed by the Marignane section of the GR2013, linking Pas-des-Lanciers station to Le Jaï by following the cuesta and then winding its way through the hillside. Please note: access to woodland areas is restricted from 1 June to 30 September in the Bouches-du-Rhône to prevent forest fires. Information is available: - by calling 0811 201 313 (chargeable call) - via the MyProvence Envie de Balade app - online: https://www.myprovence.fr/enviedebalade Source: Patrick Varrot, art historian – February 2021

Automatically translated

Listing provided by Office de Tourisme de Marignane (updated by the source on 02/03/2022).

Tourist office data: DATAtourisme, Licence Ouverte (French open licence), updated 24 October 2026.