Easy hike (1h20) in the footsteps of pastoralism in Provence: sheep breeding in the Crau, the transhumance of the herds.
With the discovery of the Mediterranean flora and the vestiges of the pastoral and agricultural life of the past, you will be able to discover the farm of the pastoral, the bancaus, the bories and the pavilion of the bailli de Suffren among others.
Pastoralism and Provence have always gone hand in hand. In the dry Crau, the stony plains have been devoted to sheep farming since the Romans. On these thousands of arid hectares between Salon-de Provence and Arles, wool production flourished until the 19th century, before the arrival of synthetic fibres. Then came breeding for meat, which is still going strong.
In both cases, this pastoralism has unchanging characteristics: extensive breeding, large herds of Arles merinos and summer transhumance to the mountain pastures, before returning in the autumn. Salon-de-Provence is home to the only French school for transhumant shepherds at the Domaine du Merle.
It is also the headquarters of the Maison de la Transhumance, which is responsible for the "GR La Routo" project.
Pastoralism and Provence have always gone hand in hand. In the dry Crau, the stony plains have been devoted to sheep farming since the Romans. On these thousands of arid hectares between Salon-de Provence and Arles, wool production flourished until the 19th century, before the arrival of synthetic fibres. Then came breeding for meat, which is still going strong.
In both cases, this pastoralism has unchanging characteristics: extensive breeding, large herds of Arles merinos and summer transhumance to the mountain pastures, before returning in the autumn. Salon-de-Provence is home to the only French school for transhumant shepherds at the Domaine du Merle.
It is also the headquarters of the Maison de la Transhumance, which is responsible for the "GR La Routo" project.
Plain text period
All year round.Accepted customers
Accepted customers
- Level green – easy