I'm often asked the question: what can you do when you go on vacation to La Roucoulade?
Whether you're looking for a gastronomic, cultural, sporting or relaxing break, Ventabren has plenty to offer in all these areas.
So here's a short (but not exhaustive) list of activities that make us particularly happy.
On your marks, get set, we're off for a vacation in Ventabren:
Live a gastronomic experience, out of time, at Dan B.
Just a 5-minute walk from La Roucoulade, we're incredibly lucky to have a gastronomic institution, the Dan B restaurant, which has been honored with a Michelin star for 14 years. The restaurant enjoys an international reputation, and is an address I recommend to Roucouleurs who wish to escape to another galaxy for the duration of a meal. For the ultimate experience, you can even book a baby sitter to look after your children at the gîte (one of our concierge services to make your life easier).
Dan works with local, seasonal cuisine, exploring products in highly original ways with surprising combinations of taste and texture. Each dish is a work of art:
The intimate setting, with a breathtaking view over theEtang de Berre , is magical, a veritable bubble that plays on a captivating interior-outterior effect (reservations strongly recommended).
Bathing in front of the windmill of Ventabren
La Roucoulade, is one of a kind, with its stone swimming pool overlooking the most beautiful view of an institution in Ventabren :
its windmill. With its Daudet-style architecture, typically Provençal, highly photogenic or Instagram-able, it delights tourists and village brides and grooms on Saturdays 😉
Originally, it was a windmill built to supply water to the village of Ventabren. It was electrified in 1924, then transformed into a windmill in 1967. Today, the mill houses the village's water supply.
Tasting a burrata with truffles
The aperitif in Provence is almost a religion, so we needed a signature aperitif to match. So what better way than to blend the black diamond with the creamy sweetness of burrata: it's extra, and only at La Roucoulade.
If you don't like truffles, don't panic, I can always offer you a classic "Charcuterie-Fromage" board, which I prepare with care, thanks to the good local grocers. There's even an aperitif corner under the Roucoulade fig tree, where you can admire the pretty lights of the golden hour.
Visit Aix-en-Provence 20 minutes from the house
Ventabren is part of the chic suburbs of Aix-en-Provence. The town of a thousand fountains is just 20 minutes from La Roucoulade. It's a must-see when staying here. You can lose yourself in the town's beautiful Provencal lanes, wandering between the spa town's 3 main squares: La Rotonde, Place du Palais de Justice and Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. You can also discover Aix-en-Provence with the help of Frédéric Paul, an expert visible-invisible guide. He'll tell you the story of the Hôtel du Caumont and show you the Place Albertas, where many films have been shot. He'll also take you to the hot-water fountain on the Cours Mirabeau. We'll make it easy for you: book this tour through the Roucoulade concierge service.
Jogging along the canal of Marseille
I'm often asked: where can I go jogging in the village?
Ventabren is a village perched at an altitude of 400 meters, and it climbs fast and hard, so I recommend heading down towards the Marseille canal, which has the advantage of being a relatively flat course. Be careful on the way back home, though, as it can be steep for the end of the race. And if you're lucky, you may even see a thousand-year-old oak tree.
Want to work up a sweat without leaving the gîte? Laurent, our sports coach, will be delighted to help you work up a sweat, at your own pace, in front of the mill or by the pool (one of the concierge services you'll find on the Experience page).
Discover the world's largest aqueduct: Roquefavour
And yes, it's not the Pont du Gard, although its architect, Jean de Monricher, was largely inspired by it when he built it in 1847.
TheRoquefavour aqueduct is 393 meters long and 82.65 meters high. It is a bridge-aqueduct used to carry the Durance river to Marseille, and is therefore part of the Marseille canal.
To access it, there are 2 possibilities:
- From La Roucoulade, walk through the old village, up to the plateau via the staircase behind the church, then follow the Chemin Saint Honorat from the skate park.
- By car, from the parking des chasseurs in Ventabren, take the small path leading directly to the Roquefavour aqueduct.
Losing a game of pétanque and kissing Fanny's buttocks
Petanque in Provence is a sporting tradition, which we love here for its convivial side.
La Roucoulade is lucky enough to have a field for playing boules, as we say here...
Next to the terrace, by the pool, so you can accompany a game with an aperitif with pastis or not 😉
And if you lose, 13 to 0 as is customary in the Provencal tradition, you can even kiss
Fanny's buttocks in the garden, a sculpture left over from the previous owners.
Enjoy the view from the Ventabren sports field
When you come to Ventabren, you have the chance to take advantage of its "Plateau". But what is this famous plateau?
The Ventabren sports plateau is a 15-minute walk from the village, or a 5-minute drive via the plateau road.
The Ventabren plateau is the starting point for many hikes, but it's also the village's sports complex, to the delight of young and old alike:
- The tennis club, you can reserve your court via the Ten Up app
- A soccer and athletics field
- A basketball court
- The famous skate park
- A playground for the little ones
But the best part is the view over the Etang de Berre, Europe's 2nd largest lake. It's the ideal spot for a family picnic. You can even order pre-prepared baskets from La Roucoulade's concierge service.
Sunbathing on Sainte Croix beach
Ventabren is not far from the Mediterranean Sea. The Roucouleurs often ask me for a nice beach close to the house. Whatever the season, I recommend the Sainte Croix beach in Martigues, 45 minutes from the gîte, a beautiful beach at the foot of a pine forest. Sainte Croix beach, with its shallow, crystal-blue waters, is ideal for a family playa day.
Explore Château La Coste
Visiting Château La Coste is the Roucouleurs' number 1 activity. Why should we? Because this winegrowing estate, 45 minutes from the B&B in Le Puy-Sainte- Réparade, is one of a kind. It blends vineyards and contemporary art in an unprecedented, even futuristic way. With 5 restaurants to choose from, you're sure to find a formula to suit your group.
For a family visit, I recommend exploring the art and architecture trail at your own pace, according to the age of your children, and enjoying a colorful lunch at the bistro La terrasse.
For a romantic visit, I recommend discovering the estate's tasting workshops . Continue this exceptional moment at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Villa, a marvellous opportunity to delight the palate with dishes by celebrated chef Hélène Darroze.
You've reached the end of this article: well done!
I hope I've inspired you to spend your vacations in Ventabren...
If so, book your stay at La Roucoulade.
Clémence, the chief cooer.
