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

Saint-Martin-de-Crau
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       59     11 1       47     12 2       44     15 4       63     18 6       52     22 10       31     26 14       16     29 16       37     29 16       64     25 13       98     20 10       58     14 5       54     12 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.3     52 34       1.9     54 36       1.7     60 39       2.5     64 44       2     72 50       1.2     78 57       0.6     85 62       1.5     84 61       2.5     77 56       3.9     68 49       2.3     58 41       2.1     53 36 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

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

• 1 Marseille-Provence Airport (MRS ^IATA). Possibility to reach TER Vitrolles-Marseille Provence Airport Station via a free shuttle bus. (updated Feb 2018)
• 2 Nîmes-Garons Airport (FNI ^IATA). (updated Feb 2018)

By rail

• 3 Gare de Saint-Martin-de-Crau. (updated Feb 2018)

See

Museum

• 1 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. (updated Feb 2018)
• 2 Maison de la chasse et de la nature (House of hunting and nature), ☏ +33 4 90 551256. Free entrance. (updated Feb 2018)

Nature

• 3 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. (updated Feb 2018)
• 4 Étang des Aulnes (Pond of the Alders), chemin d'Istres à l'Étang des Aulnes, ☏ +33 4 90 47 09 99. lake (updated Feb 2018)
• 5 Arboretum "Le Jardin de Gaston" (Gaston's arboretum), avenue de Plaisance, ☏ +33 4 90 479840. Free entrance. (updated Feb 2018)
• 6 Domaine du lac (Lake area), Rue du lac Constance. Free. (updated Apr 2018)
• 7 Plan d'eau paysager de la baisse de Raillon (Landscaped water from the baisse de Raillon), Baisse de Raillon, RN 1453. Free. (updated Apr 2018)
• 8 Jardin public (public garden), Rue du Logisson. (updated Apr 2018)

Others

• 9 Church Saint-Martin (église Saint-Martin), 2 boulevard de Provence. Free entrance. (updated Feb 2018)
• 10 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. (updated Feb 2018)
• 11 Town hall (Mairie), Place de Docteur Bagnaninchi. (updated Apr 2018)

Do

Culture

• 1 Centre de développement culturel (Cultural Development Center), Place François-Mitterrand, ☏ +33 4 90 47 06 80. Various cultural activities (concert, exposition). (updated Apr 2018)

Markets

• Weekly provencal market, Avenue de la République. Every Friday stands the weekly market on the Avenue de la République (updated Apr 2018)
• 2 Local farmers market. M 4PM-7PM. Under the covered market, a farmers' market is held on Mondays evenings. (updated Apr 2018)

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. (updated Apr 2018)
• 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. (updated Apr 2018)
• European Heritage Days. The European Heritage Days highlight monuments of the town every 3rd weekend of September. Free. (updated Nov 2018)

Sport

• 3 Fitness trail (Parcours santé), N1453. Free. (updated Nov 2018)
• 4 Public pool, avenue Nostradamus, ☏ +33 4 90 470142. From 5 to 14 yo : €1.50 - Over 15 yo : €3. (updated Nov 2018)
• 5 Skate Park, Rue des Bergers. (updated Nov 2018)
• 6 Boulodrome du Foirail, Avenue du Foirail. to play pétanque, a boule game. Free. (updated Nov 2018)
• 7 Boulodrome de la rue des Arènes, Rue des Arènes. to play pétanque, a boule game. Free. (updated Nov 2018)
• 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. (updated Nov 2018)

Walk

• Circuit de la Garrigue (Circuit of Garrigue). This walk highlights the flora and the view of the Alpilles. (updated Nov 2018)
• Chemin d'Ilon (Ilon road). 16km round trip. (updated Nov 2018)
• Chemin de Craulonguette. 12.5km round trip. (updated Nov 2018)
• Chemin des Angelets (Angelets road). 6.8km round trip. (updated Nov 2018)

Bike

There are 12 circuits designed to ride a bike.

Sleep

• 1 Ibis Budget, Avenue Marcellin Berthelot - Zone Ecopole, h7416@accor.com. (updated Feb 2018)
• 2 Hôtel-Restaurant de la gare, Chemin de la Gare, ☏ +334 90 47 05 18. (updated Feb 2018)
• 3 Hôtel La Mare, ☏ +334 90 47 15 55. (updated Feb 2018)
• 4 Hotel Résidence de la Transhumance, 11 Rue de la Transhumance, ☏ +334 90 18 29 70. (updated Feb 2018)
• 5 Hôtel-Restaurant l’Avenir, 32 Avenue de la République, ☏ +334 90 47 38 13. (updated Feb 2018)

Connect

• 1 Maison du tourisme (Tourism center), 2 Avenue de la République, ☏ +33 4 90 47 98 40. (updated Feb 2018)

Go next

• Arles
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
• Salon-de-Provence