Highlights:

• The mighty Verdon Gorge

• Spectacular Southern Alps

• Traditional Provencal villages

• Vibrant lavender fields

Brief:

⏱ Duration: 8 Days
🗺 Distance: 95 km
⛰ Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
🗓 Best Time: Spring/Autumn
🛏 Accomm: Small hotels/Refuge

Walk Overview

Away from the crowded French Riviera, inland Provence is home to wild and dramatic landscapes on a truly grand scale. The Haute Provence trail is an exhilarating trail which follows a section of the well waymarked GR4 (a long distance trail linking the Atlantic with the Cote d’Azur) and passes through some of the finest mountain and forest scenery in Southern France. It commences in the rugged limestone Southern Alpine foothills around the majestic Verdon Gorge and finishes on the Valensole Plateau in Lower Provence.

The Verdon Gorge is often described as France’s Grand Canyon and is definitely the star attraction of this trail. It is Europe’s deepest gorge with 450 metre high limestone walls towering over the turquoise waters of the Verdon River. The walk through the gorge follows the famous Sentier Martel which is spectacularly carved out of the rock face. This section of the trail has some challenges such as negotiating several metal ladders and rocky paths.

At times the path follows an ancient Roman route high up on the side of the deep winding Verdon Valley and across high moorlands with twisted limestone formations and rock towers. Other sections of the trail feature shady forests and ridge walking with grand vistas over Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Plateau de Valensole.

The Haute Provence trail also passes through colourful medieval villages and towns, backed dramatically by striking limestone cliffs. An extraordinary limestone outcrop known as Le Roc and the 18th century chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Roc loom over the historic town of Castellane which is a maze of picturesque narrow lanes, ancient buildings and fortifications - all centred around the beautiful Place Marcel Sauvaire square. The romantic village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie also makes for an astonishing sight as it is clustered at the foot of two towering rock crags and bisected by the waters of the Riou River. Located in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Verdon, Moustiers is set high in a ravine above the Verdon Gorge and is famed for its blue glazed faience pottery.

After Moustiers, the path leaves the Provencal Alps and heads south into the open cultivated landscape of the Valensole Plateau. Underneath the vast skies, there are dazzling fields of lavender, wheat and truffle oak plantations. Summertime is the best time to see the lavender fields and there are several lavender festivals in July and August. There is a host of charming villages on the plateau including the ancient Roman town of Riez.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance with walks in the Haute Provence region, click the button below.

• For more information on walking in Provence, click the button below.