Montagne Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cezanne (Bouches-du-Rhône, PACA, France) - Paintings Then and Now on Waymarking.com

Hiking trail Sentier Imoucha connecting Croix de Provence (on one of Montagne Sainte-Victoire one of summits) with Barrage de Bimont dam, offers great views on Paul Cézanne' most beloved theme of his paintings. The given coordinates mark one of the best view points of the trail.

This oil on canvas (65 x 81 cm ) of Montagne Sainte-Victoire (Mont Sainte-Victoire), located in Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore, USA) is one of many Cézanne' paintings devoted to this famous mountain.

Montagne Sainte-Victoire, also called Cézanne mountain, is a remarkable limestone mountain ridge in the south of France which extends over 18 km between the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var. The highest point of the Mt. Sainte-Victoire is 1 011 m high Pic des mouches (Peak of Flies), but probably the most visited site in the massif is a nameless peak crowned by one of Provence' symbols - 19 m high monument Croix de Provence. This cross (946 m a.s.l.), although not situated at the highest point of the mountains, stands out from the ridge far more than the Pic des Mouches and also offers beautiful vistas over surrounding Provencal landscape.

The mountain is celebrated for its many appearances in a series of paintings by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), who could see it from near his house in nearby Aix-en-Provence, so often is named. The Saint-Victoire massif is a popular destination for hiking, climbing, paragliding and, to a lesser extent, caving. Around 700,000 walkers use its paths every year.

The Croix de Provence (...and generally midpoint of the summit trail) is accessible by several hiking trails - we recommend starting from the Les Cabassols bus stop (direct ascent to south - Sentier de Grande randoée 9, GR 9) and west descent route (Sentier Imoucha) to the Barrage de Bimont dam.