La Couronne – Quarries, Chapels and Coast

La Couronne is a coastal town whose landscape around Baou Tailla is still shaped by stoneworking. This history is especially visible along the seafront: some coastal sections of the quarries there have collapsed into the sea. Quarries, historic buildings and coastal areas offer different perspectives on the town. When planning a trip around your own interests, you can distinguish between its craft heritage, archaeological traces and coastal landscape.

Churches and traces of stoneworking

The Eglise Saint-Jean Baptiste de La Couronne was built in 1669 in the centre of a village of quarry workers. The bell tower was added later and blessed on May 10, 1859. Craftspeople engraved their signatures on it; its marked stones bear witness to the contribution of local quarry workers. Tools used by quarry workers are displayed inside the church. The two dates refer to different phases of construction: 1669 for the building of the church, and 1859 for the blessing of the later tower.

The Chapelle de Sainte-Croix offers a different historical perspective: it was built in the 17th century, while the ruins of an older chapel dating from the 12th century stand opposite it. The chapel honours local quarry workers; the quarry workers’ cross can be seen above its door. The buildings thus offer two different ways of reading historical time: at Saint-Jean Baptiste, the church and later tower mark two phases of construction; at Sainte-Croix, two chapels from different centuries stand opposite each other.

Routes to quarries and archaeological sites

For visitors who want to get a sense of the quarry landscape as a route, the Boucle des carrières de pierre de La Couronne provides a concrete measure of its scale: the circular tourist route is 11 kilometres long and includes eight quarries in La Couronne. The distance helps you gauge the extent of this circular route; check access conditions before setting out. Another route option has a different focus. The Grande boucle du Cap Couronne leads to the remains of a Gallic village dating from the 6th century BC at Pointe de l'Arquet. The Boucle thus combines a known distance with the subject of quarries; for the Grande boucle, the destination at Pointe de l'Arquet defines its archaeological focus.

Coastal trail and beach

At Plage de Sainte-Croix, the beach is crossed by the coastal trail from Martigues and sheltered by the surrounding cliffs. This makes this coastal spot distinct from the two routes mentioned above: here, the beach and the trail’s course shape the view, while the focus of the other routes is on quarries or archaeological remains.

Tickets at the railway station

At Gare de La Couronne station, there is a ticket machine, but no ticket counter. Bear this specific ticketing option in mind when planning your journey. As station facilities can change, it is advisable to check for up-to-date information before departure.

For the broader travel overview: Martigues.