Sainte-Baume

The sacred grotto of Sainte-Baume (Grotte Sanctuaire de la Sainte-Baume) is at the foot of a massif a little southeast of the small town of Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume and it's not easy to visit.

The grotto or cave is a 45-minute drive southwest of the town of St. Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume or a bit longer if you're coming from Marseille, but you have to hike the last part, from the Dominican inn, Hostellerie de la Sainte-Baume, through the forest to the site itself and it is uphill.

Inside the cave itself is the main altar (shown below) and the whole place seems very odd. Mary Magdalene's relics (bones) were "discovered" there by monks in 1279, and relocated from there to Saint Maximin.

This is the reliquary containing (they claim) Mary's skull at Saint-Maximin-de-la-Sainte-Baume basilica. This version was made in the 19th century.