The Durance River plays a crucial role in this region, which features high mountain peaks of the Alps and the lower alpine foothills, as well as remote villages. While there are other rivers, most of the watershed from the mountains runs down the Durance towards the Mediterranean.
Goldsworthy’s Refuge d’Art hiking trail includes works by British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, known for creating outdoor installations from natural materials found nearby, forming part of a new 150km “art” hiking route which stretches across the north of our region. Named the Refuge d’Art, in the Unesco Geopark reserve in collaboration with the Gassendi Museum in Digne-les-Bains and the Réserve Géologique de Haute-Provence, it is the most extensive public collection of his work.
Image credit: Refuge d’Art website
Often called the Grand Canyon of France, Gorges du Verdon, which spans both the Var and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. While it is a scenic place, the scale of the Gorges du Verdon is nothing compared to America’s Grand Canyon. However, the turquoise waters, sheer cliffs, and a beautiful lake offer a great setting for all kinds of water activities, making it a great vacation stop.
Daluis Gorges Côte d’Azur Tourism @George Veran
The lavender industry in Provence is a significant economic driver impacting agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and retail. Although the numbers fluctuate, the industry has roughly 2,000 producers and 25,000 employees. The fragrance of blooming lavender fields is magical. Your eyes follow perfect rows of plants shaped like hedgehogs stretching to the Provencal horizon. This aromatic purple beauty attracts thousands of tourists and locals, hoping to time their visit for the peak of the flowering cycle. However, Mother Nature is in charge. The precise timing of flowering changes annually, depending on the weather. Typically, some fields are in full bloom by late June, and the harvest is mostly complete by mid-August.
Regardless of where you are based in the region, a local market is nearby. Almost every city, town, and village has a market day; more prominently, larger locations may have two weekly markets. Temptation at a market is everywhere, in the piles of produce, just-picked fruit, fresh goat cheese, and buckets of olives.
In a country blessed with many picturesque vistas, there is only one place in France with a dedicated star hanging overhead – Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Flanked by towering cliffs, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie resembles a Provençal nativity scene protected by a 150kg gold star suspended between the bluffs. In 1981, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie joined the ranks of the beaux villages, attracting visitors year-round. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is a hamlet with approximately 700 residents, but this number swells during the high season with visitors.
Many visit the town’s exceptional ceramic artisans. Walk around the village centre, visiting the workshops where artists create traditional earthenware – faïence – high-quality porcelain with opaque glaze. Do make a point of walking up the stairs (many of them) to the hillside chapel Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, classified as a historic monument in 1921.
Vallee du Jabron
Explore the Jabron Valley: In October, the Provençal sun rises slowly above the horizon, like an old dog mentally weighing the effort of its next move. In the Jabron Valley, at 600 meters, about 10 kilometres from Sisteron, autumn mornings can be particularly frosty. However, the saffron harvest at le Moulin de Jarjayes cannot wait for warmer weather. The tiny purple-hued crocus blooms only for a few hours.
Discover why you should visit the village of Pierrerue.
Close to Forcalquier, the artistic centre of the Alpes de Haute-Provence is a genuinely remarkable historic site in the village of Mane: the Salagon priory and its gardens with over 1,700 plants. The day we visited was a blinding, hot July day when not even an ant wanted to venture out in the heat. However, walking through a place inhabited since Roman times was irresistible.
