Aigues Mortes
From 7 km of Le Grau du Roi, 11 km of Marsillargues, 12 km of la Grande Motte, 30 km of Montpellier
GPS : Longitude : 4.193611 E - Latitude : 43.566944 N
Altitude : 1 m
Population : 6084
Aigues-Mortes lies at the eastern edge of the Petite Camargue, a stone's throw from the sea. The town’s name derives from the surrounding marshes and étangs which were known locally as ‘lei Aigas Mortas’, meaning ‘dead waters’, so called because of their rich salt content. Due to its location, with easy access to the Mediterranean, and the ease with which salt could be produced in the area, Saint Louis decided to start building the town of Aigues-Mortes from 1241. This provided him with la gabelle, a tax on salt which was a substantial source of revenue. The style of this original quadrangular precinct, with its perimeter of almost 1800 yards, is a classic example of soberness. The views from the top of the town’s ancient ramparts, stretching over the surrounding region, are truly extraordinary.
Sight-seeing and tourist hotspots: the ramparts and their twenty towers, the Tour Constance, the Tour Carbonnière, the chapels of the Pénitents Blancs and of the Pénitents gris, the Eglise Notre-Dame des Sablons and the nearby salt fields (easily accessible on the miniature railway), Arles, Provence, Saint-Rémy de Provence, the Luberon and Nîmes.
Activities on offer: swimming, fishing, bird-watching, horse riding, visiting manades.
