Southeastern France is known for its alluring cities, azure Mediterranean Sea, and delightful hidden hamlets where time stands still. Travel inland through fragrant lavender fields, historic ruins, and forested gorges, and you will experience fairytale settings begging to be explored. Whether it is the abundant emerald wetlands of the Camargue or some of the best European art in the world, Southeast France is for you.
As you arrive in Marseille, the Provencal heart, you will enter into Europe’s fabled land of good food, iconic landmarks, and hidden landscapes. On your pilgrimage, live in a monastery on the edge of a national forest. Your home will be a magnificent green setting typical of this region. In quiet and silent, this community welcomes us for a time of retreat, recollection, and rest between our exploration of cinematic coastlines, rugged forests, and pristine valleys. Finish your trip in the magical city of Marseille and partake of some of history’s greatest icons.
Overview
- Live in a Benedictine monastery for a week, experiencing a sacred rhythm.
- Kayaking the Meditteranean in the smallest of the Calanques.
- Explore in the walled town Les Stes Maries del a Mer, where Christianity may have first come to Europe.
- Lace-up those boots as we take a day to hike in the Sainte-Baume National Park.
- Spend some time in one of Marseilles’ magnificent museums.
Itinerary
Every Wonder Voyage itinerary (mission trip and/or pilgrimage) is personalized to the desires, direction and personality of each group. This itinerary is only a description of the kind of journey we can create for your unique team.
- Day 1- Bienvenue en France
You have arrived in France via Marseille. Our French Pilgrimage has started. We head to our first residence just outside of Marseille. This is a Benedictine sisterhood that lives to share the love of Christ. We partake in the community’s daily life and launch out on other adventures. Tonight we prepare our hearts for days ahead as we come to God with our whole hearts, minds, and spirits. May God baptize us in love. - Day 2- Ordered Rhythms
Today we take full advantage of the abbey, where we spend time in quiet contemplation, prayer practices, moments of silence, scriptural reflection, and peaceful wandering. How many times in your life will you get to seek the heart of God in such an incredible location? We take a short hike beyond the grounds for those with a little more energy. May the Lord be with us as we journey inward. - Day 3- Coastal Wonders
We dip our feet in the Camargue, a coastal area on the Mediterranean Sea, teeming with a vibrant ecosystem and an interesting past. We start our exploration in the walled town Les Stes Maries del a Mer, the small seaside town where Christianity may have first come to Europe. The seaside pilgrimage church of Eglise des Stes Maries is a stopping point for us to pray. Since we are at the seaside, let’s jump on a boat and see the area from a different point of view. On our way back to the abbey, we stop at Arles, a town filled with France’s Roman past. - Day 4- La Promenade
Historically, pilgrimages were acts of movement, walking from one place to another, to prepare hearts for a touch from God. Lace-up those boots as we take a day to hike in the Sainte-Baume National Park. The Sainte-Baume mountain range is a place of pilgrimage and the cradle of a Christian sanctuary erected in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene. Beneath the surface of this natural paradise, running water has carved out a remarkable geological legacy: a maze of caves, sinkholes, grottos, and subterranean rivers. This little-known area promises to astonish. - Day 5- A Sure Stronghold
With a view over Provence to the Mediterranean, the Château des Baux is one of the most beautiful sites in France. It is also a unique place marked by a turbulent past of more than ten centuries, until the Château’s destruction in the wars of religion. This medieval stronghold contains both a castle and a village. This is our last night in our beloved abbey. - Day 6- Marseille
We depart our lovely monastery to France’s second city, Marseille. Grit and grandeur coexist seamlessly in Marseille, an exuberantly multicultural port city with a pedigree stretching back to classical Greece. We partake of the Eucharist with a local church, then spend some time in one of the city’s magnificent museums. Tonight we start our three-day Stone Soup competition. - Day 7- Clanques
It is time to take a day at the beach. Cassis undoubtedly contains one of the best beaches in Marseille. We hike to Port Pin, about an hour’s walk away from the town’s center. It is the smallest of the three Calanques – but it is worth the trip as we enjoy a day on a largely unspoiled beach without having to worry about large crowds. Then we have a kayaking adventure. - Day 8- Wonder Wandering
On our final full day in France, we give you free time to explore Marseille. Marseille’s heart is the vibrant Vieux Port (old port), mast-to-mast with boats. Just uphill is the ancient Le Panier neighborhood, the city’s oldest section. Also worth exploring is the République Quarter, or the Cathédrale Marseille Notre Dame de la Major. We end our evening with a Celebration Meal and a time of Pass the Candle. - Day 9- Au Revoir, France
You have spent the last few days in one of the most amazing places with some of the most wonderful people on the planet. As you head home, our prayer is that you hide in your heart the encounters with the Holy you have experienced on this journey. May it ground you deeper in your faith and your community. Au revoir, France.
Legacy Location
Legacy in Southeast, France
- *This is the base cost of the trip. Your cost may differ depending on housing, activities, etc.
