The vibrant Mediterranean metropolis of Marseille has developed in recent years from a port city with high unemployment and a mediocre reputation into a real insider tip for culture and city travelers: Mediterranean, southern French lifestyle, new museums and a freshly renovated harbor promenade, coupled with a good dash of wildness and multiculturalism, make Marseille interesting and unique at the same time.

However, France's second-largest city can also boast a very special asset - since 2012, almost a third of the city's area has been a nature reserve: the Parc National des Calanques stretches along the Mediterranean coast south of Marseille. At its heart is a rugged limestone mountain range with many fjord-like bays, known as calanques in French. The Calanque massif, which is about 20 km long, is a beautiful hiking area that we will cross as a scenic highlight on the last two days of our five-day long-distance hike.