GUIDE / CASSIS / OLD WORLD CHARM
Cassis is to many synonymous with the strange natural phenomenon “calanques”, French for a narrow, steep-walled inlet developed in limestone, dolomite (or other carbonate strata). They are found all along the Mediterranean coast, but the ones around Cassis, part of the Massif des Calanques, are amongst the most magnificent. The highest point is located at Mont Puget (565 m), creating a dramatic contrast between the steep cliffs and the turquoise water below, while Cap Canaille is one of the tallest cliffs in Europe (at 400 m).
The calanques attract many visitors to Cassis. They come to walk, climb or trek in the mountain areas around the small fishing village, or to rent a boat and view the cliffs from the sea. Soil is almost non-existent in the calanques, and so they have developed a particular ecosystem, where roots of plants find places to grow in cracks in the limestone. More than 900 plant species have found a way to survive like this. The limestone has been an important natural resource, and for many years it was a major export, used in massive building projects like the Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, the base of the Statue of Liberty outside of New York and Place du Trocadéro in Paris.
In many guidebooks, Cassis is recommended as a daytrip, a place to visit for a few hours so that there is time to take a boat tour to see the Calanques, perhaps have a stroll around the small harbour, before heading back. While this is perfectly doable, the visitor would miss out on one of the most pleasant and unspoiled places in the south of France. Many other similar towns have been transformed from sleepy fishing villages into commercial tourist destinations, but in Cassis, the old world-charm is still present, and so a good idea is to stay at least a few days or even longer; a week or two, maybe even three or four.
Around town, there are signs posted stating that when you leave the beach, make sure that you are suitably covered, or else you will risk being fined. This is just a small indication of a general attitude, where negative influences of mass-tourism are consciously delimited, in order to maintain a sense of normalcy for those who live and work in Cassis. This is also what makes Cassis a unique experience in the south of France – it is not primarily a place designed for tourists, but rather a place that has made accommodations for visitors, while still remaining more than anything a home for those who live there.
The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, which is not difficult to understand. The mistral wind bringing cool temperatures from the sea, the rock formations are beautiful and the sea is crystal clear. Even the name Cassis has an ancient history. In The Antoine Itinerary (in Latin: Itinerarium Antoni Augusti, a collection of documents from the time of Emperor Augustus describing the roads of the Roman Empire), it was spelled Carsicis. “Kar” referred to rock or stone, while “sit” (or “set”) alluded to a place by the sea.
¨The narrow roads and stone houses look the same as when they were first built, and will probably look the same for coming few hundred years as well. ¨
The town centre has remained more or less unchanged for decades, in some parts of Cassis even for centuries, which creates an atmosphere of tranquillity and calm. The narrow roads and stone houses look the same as when they were first built, and will probably look the same for coming few hundred years as well. Probably, the town today is similar to what Virginia Woolf saw when she would come to visit her sister Vanessa Bell, who lived here with artist Duncan Grant in a small ochre-coloured villa, called La Bergère (“The Shepardess” in English), in the middle of a local vineyard. In particular, Woolf enjoyed the mild climate, and the lazy days that come as a natural effect of hours spent in sunshine and warmth: “Absolut heaven. The sun and the hills put my dear London rather in the shade – and then one does exactly what one likes here.”
Cassis is known for its viticulture, and there are many excellent wine shops that sell wine from local producers. As the Cassis wine area is quite small, it is not always easy to find wine from these producers in other places, and so it is a good idea to buy a few bottles to bring back home.
To stay
Charming B&B just outside the town centre. With outdoor pool.
9 Av. du Dr Yves Bourdes
13260 Cassis
France
+33 6 66 04 78 81
Comfortable and classic in a secluded château milieu.
Chem. des Lombards
13260 Cassis
France
+33 4 42 01 63 20
Art Deco hotel a few steps from the centre of the town, with outside pool and its own spa. Winston Churchill used to paint from the terrace of his favourite room here.
9 Av. des Calanques
13260 Cassis
+33 4 42 01 09 30
To eat
Chez Albert
Charming restaurant in the centre of the town. Great service and food.
19 Rue Michel Arnaud
13260 Cassis
France
+33 4 42 01 38 31
Fine (but unpretentious) dining with two Michelin-stars.
Avenue de Revestel
Anse de Corton
13260 Cassis
France
+33 4 96 18 00 00
Classic seafood restaurant with panoramic views.
19 Quai des Baux
13260 Cassis
France
+33 4 42 01 71 36
Restaurant le Patio
Informal restaurant with friendly atmosphere.
11 Rue Brémond
Cassis
+33 4 42 83 35 04
France
Great bar and excellent wine shop
3 Rue Alexandre Rossat
13260 Cassis
+33 4 42 98 83 68
