Ventabren Attractions

Ventabren is a picturesque "village perché", or hillside village, dominated by a ruined castle high above the Valley of the Arc, some 15km/9mi west of Aix. Few other places can so clearly portray what is meant by the term "perché": "like a bird perched high up in a tree" is one description of it. The 11th-12th C. Parish Church of St-Denis is worth visiting; there is a magnificent 180 degree view from the castle ruins over the idyllic landscape to the north of the Etang de Berre and Martigues on the southern bank of the river.