A sweeping view from the Alps to the Mediterranean, taking you through age-old towns such as Forcalquier, Digne-les-Bains, Manosque or Sisteron with their sun-baked stones, nestled in the waves of fields of wheat or lavender, and garrigues fashioned by the colours and fragrance of a thousand sweet-smelling plants.
Further North, spectacular cliffs wage war with sublime natural settings. A land of contrast and variety, revealed by an exceptional light where « those who », athletic, contemplative, alone or with the family, « wish to enter these happy lands will find the doors wide open » (Jean Giono).
Cultural discovery
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In the Pays de Forcalquier, every stone is a witness to the age-old presence of man. The antique Domitian Way, medieval hilltop villages, Romanesque chapels and churches, country castles and wealthy farms.
From the Priory of Salagon, which houses the department’s ethnological Museum, to Ganagobie, from the Rotunda in Simiane to the Château de Sauvan, discover an exceptional heritage!
The old medieval towns of the Durance and Bleone valleys have their character: Sisteron with its famous citadel, built on a gorge, remains the entrance to Provence in the North; Manosque lies like a pebble in the Durance valley; Digne-les-Bains, a spa town, boasts a Campanile against a backdrop of mountains.
This is the land of writers: Jean Giono, Paul Arène, Maria Borrely, Pierre Magnan, René Frégni…
Outdoor leisure activities and sport
Going off on a walk of a few hours or a hike of several days is an experience not easily forgotten.
Among the smells of a Provencal sun-kissed land, on foot, on horseback, on a bike or a mountain-bike, you can discover a rich built heritage whatever the season: Romanesque churches, stone farms, shepherd’s huts, etc.
The Alpes de Haute-Provence welcomed the World championship in 1997.
The natural and artificial lakes are equipped for bathing and water sports.
In winter, just one hour from Marseille, the resort of Lure offers an Alpine skiing area of around ten kilometres. Ideal to learn gently.
In Valbelle, on the Northern slope of the Montagne de Lure or in Fontbelle, at the entrance to the Massif des Monges, you can do great Nordic skiing and snowshoeing outings.
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