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IN BRIEF
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An exceptional morning gathered students, teachers, and residents around the living heritage of Petite Camargue. Initiated by the tourist office, a meeting was held on the heights of Vauvert, at the foot of the statue of the pilgrim marking the path from Arles to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle via the Via Tolosana. The program included: a meeting with a passing walker, inspiring exchanges, distribution of a credential to each child, exploring the Clock Tower, and signing up for upcoming guided tours to extend the experience. A true celebration of local tourism and the spirit of a region.
On the heights of Vauvert, the statue of the pilgrim served as a rallying point for a morning centered on transmission and curiosity. The Petite Camargue tourist office conceived this significant event to highlight the history, traditions, and nature that make up the identity of the region, directly connected to the major pilgrimage route of the Via Tolosana.
By inviting schools, the teams aimed to offer a moment of concrete immersion: observing a place, listening to a story, touching the memory of the paths. The choice of this site, at the crossroads of the Arles to Saint-Jacques path, was chosen to symbolize passage, hospitality, and the continuity of knowledge.
A morning at the foot of the pilgrim’s statue
The happy chance of a meeting shaped the spirit of the day: a passing pilgrim took the time to share his journey, his motivations, and the little details that make for a great adventure. The students asked their questions, compared their maps, exchanged on the stages and landscapes, before sharing a friendly breakfast. This moment of listening anchored tourism in the human experience, well beyond the mapped itineraries.
Inspiring meeting on the Via Tolosana
Hearing about the steps, the accommodations, or the stamps of lodges brought life to the Via Tolosana. This route, which connects Arles to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, crosses the Petite Camargue and places Vauvert in an European history of walking travel. The youth discovered that walking, slow and attentive, opens doors to landscapes, culture, and interaction with others.
Youth and transmission: children, ambassadors of tomorrow
At the end of the exchanges, the vice-president in charge of tourist development, Christiane Espuche, reminded the children of their central role: to carry, later, the voice of the local heritage, and contribute to its radiance. This foundational message laid the groundwork for civic engagement: knowing better to share better.
The team from the tourist office then led a lively presentation of the region’s riches: history of places, cultural heritage, and natural heritage, anecdotes, chronological markers. A field pedagogy, made of concrete examples and dialogues, to pass on the taste for observation and the pride of belonging.
The credential, adventure passport
Each participant was given a credential, the notebook that walkers have stamped at each stage. A symbol of a journey that unfolds step by step, it embodies curiosity, perseverance, and the joy of discovery. For the children, it is a true “passport” that transforms a path into a personal narrative and encourages further exploration.
Walking, seeing, understanding: discovery hike and treasures of Vauvert
Fortified by this initial exchange, the students set off on a short but rich hike. Along the trails, the Petite Camargue revealed itself: a mosaic of landscapes, remnants of former uses, silhouettes of familiar monuments in the distance. Each stop allowed linking a detail of the landscape to a chapter of local history.
This step aside, outside the classroom, gave rise to tangible memories: a scent of scrubland, the sound of the wind on stone, the discovery of a crest, the shadow of a bell tower. A wealth of visual images that anchor learning and give meaning to the word heritage.
The Clock Tower, living memory at the heart of Vauvert
On Gambetta square, the Clock Tower stands as a familiar landmark. Its bell, which has marked the life of the town for centuries, has accompanied celebrations, mourning, gatherings, and ordinary moments. Visiting this tower is like entering an open book, where stone holds the marks of time as well as the secrets of yesteryear.
Guided tours: architecture, heritage, and memory
Thanks to the patient work of a team of experienced hostesses, the guided tours reveal architectural details, stories of trades, and those little anecdotes that make history close and alive. Each appointment is an opportunity to rediscover a unique place and to appropriate it differently, between unknown corners and unexpected viewpoints.
A bell that marks lives
The bell of the Clock Tower has long measured the common time. It still resonates as a discreet link between generations. Through it, Vauvert highlights a sensitive heritage, made of echoes and gestures, that tells of a way of life and a shared memory.
Participate in the upcoming guided tours
To sign up for the upcoming guided tours and heritage meetings, go directly to the Vauvert Tourist Office, located at Étienne-Renan square. The reception is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 1 pm and then from 2 pm to 5:30 pm, as well as on Saturday, from 9 am to 1 pm. The teams will assist you in choosing time slots and themes.
For any additional information or local relay, a press contact is also available at 06 20 96 43 47. Do not hesitate to ask the advisors for adapted itineraries for families, school groups, or curious visitors wishing to explore Petite Camargue differently.
To go further: trends and escapes
Want to broaden your perspective on tourism and its developments? Discover complementary viewpoints and inspirations: insights on summer 2025 trends for hotels and campsites, stories of shelters in Lapland, or a journey to unknown Argentinian islands that question the relationship between nature and visiting.
For sensitive reflection on the challenges facing the sector, an analysis on a news page offers a nuanced view of the impacts and resilience of tourism in the face of crises: to read via this article. Finally, to rethink our ways of traveling, consider a new era of “non-tourism”, focused on sobriety, quality of experience, and respect for places: a path that resonates with the actions taken in Vauvert and in Petite Camargue.
