Discovery guidebook natural regional park The unsuspected wealth of a remarkable region Welcome to the Off the beaten track in all seasons Verdon natural regional Park Set up in 1997, the Verdon natural regional park covers 46 municipalities, the departments of the Var and the Alpes-de- Haute-Provence as well as the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur SUMMARY Allemand © David region around a territorial project with 5 objectives : - Protection and management of the natural and cultural heritage; 6 The Verdon: 1 Park... 7 landscapes - Territorial planning; - Economic and social development; 10 Another form of tourism starts here - Reception, education and information; 12 Accompanied outings - Experimentation. 18 Hiking sheets 21 Tourism and handicap 22 Nature accommodation A land of courage and sharing 26 Heritage and places to visit The Verdon natural regional park gets its name – and probably 27 Museums and theme houses its energy – from a brave river which has cut a spectacular 30 Other visits, exhibitions and monuments passage through the rocky masses of the Prealps. Following 31 Visits of villages the example of the river, Man has, since Prehistoric times, 32 Theme circuits and trails modelled the landscapes of a difficult soil which has never 34 Regional products and know-how been a land of plenty. This immense, inventive and constantly renewed work carried out by nature and mankind, as well as 35 Park products 36 The markets the marriage of Alpine and Mediterranean influences, extre- 37 Enjoying food mely prolific in wildlife, today make up the remarkable and 38 Fine craftsmen and artists recognized wealth of a territory which is neither a wilderness nor an amusement park. 41 Find out more about the Park 42 Practical info Man at the centre of the project The joint sustainable development project that the Verdon natural regional Park represents demonstrates the trace that men of today want to leave. A natural regional park is a ter- ritory whose inhabitants are invested with a project. Faced with the great stakes of preserving the natural heritage, water This document is not contractual and does not engage the responsibility of the Verdon natural regional Park. management, tourist activity, the maintaining of farming acti- vities and employment, property pressure, the welcoming of Printed on paper from sustainably managed new inhabitants, the organisation of the territory and habitat, forests and by a company anxious to reduce the charter of the Verdon natural regional park serves as its environmental impact. a guideline. It defines how the inhabitants and visitors can live intelligently with a territory whose exceptional wealth has Illustrations et mise en page : Sylvain Rollandin been entrusted to them. Mise à jour : Mimoza Graphic Lab THE 46 COMMUNES MEMBERS OF THE PARK Aiguines Allemagne-en Provence LeONE Park… Verdon A51 7 LANDSCAPES Gap Allons Grenoble Digne les Bains D 4085 Le Fugeret Angles D 955 Mézel Beynes Aups La Mure Norante Allons Bargème Annot Puimichel Saint André La Bastide les Alpes N 202 Bauduen Saint Jeannet Moriez Barrême Angles Blieux Le Castellet Entrevennes D 33 Bras d’Asse N 202 La Brillane Estoublon Le Bourguet Saint Julien Saint Julien Brenon d’Asse du Verdon Oraison Saint Jurs Majastres Castellane Senez Vergons Villeneuve D 108 Ubraye D 955 Châteauvieux D 8 D 402 Brunet Comps-sur-Artuby D 21 Demandolx Volx Puimoisson D 4085 Demandolx D 15 Blieux D 102 Soleilhas Moustiers Esparron-de-Verdon Castellane D 56 Sainte Marie D 4 D 953 La Garde MANOSQUE Valensole D 952 D 6 La Garde D 17 D 952 Ginasservis D 102 D 4085 Riez D 452 Pierrevert D 8 Peyroules D 911 Gréoux-les-Bains D 6 Roumoules D 123 Rougon Majastres D 952 Allemagne D 11 Sainte Tulle La Palud La Martre en Provence Montagnac Les Salles Le Bourguet 1 D 82 sur Verdon Châteauvieux Moissac-Bellevue Saint Martin D 111 sur Verdon D 221 Route Napoléon D 4 de Brômes D 71 Corbières Sainte Croix D 952 D 52 Montagnac-Montpezat Trigance La Martre D 4085 Gréoux Montpezat du Verdon Aiguines Moustiers-Sainte-Marie D 955 Brenon les Bains Esparron D 23 Beaumont D 111 D 71 D 90 Grasse de Verdon D 11 La Palud-sur-Verdon de Pertuis A51 Vinon D 82 Saint Laurent Bauduen D 619 Bargème Nice sur Verdon D 9 Peyroules D 15 du Verdon La Bastide D 8 D 71 D 21 Puimoisson 1 D 149 D 69 D 31 La Roque D 957 Comps Quinson Quinson Baudinard Camp militaire de Canjuers Esclapon D 952 D 554 sur Verdon sur Artuby D 37 Artignosc Régusse Saint Paul Saint Julien sur Verdon Riez lès Durance D 36 le Montagnier D 111 D 69 D 13 Rougon D 554 Moissac Ginasservis Vérignon Aix-en-Provence Bellevue Roumoules Marseille La Verdière Régusse Les Salles-sur-Verdon Montpellier Montmeyan D 9 Aups Saint-André-les-Alpes D 23 D 30 D 77 Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon Rians D 60 Bargemon Saint-Julien-du-Verdon D 65 D 554 D 22 Tavernes D 13 Montferrat D 470 Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier Sillans Saint-Jurs la Cascade Nord Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon Barjols Valensole Plateau Artuby Salernes Saint-Martin-de-Brômes Draguignan Sillans-la-Cascade Hills of the Haut Var Gorges du Verdon Cotignac Soleilhas Trigance Lower Gorges Lake of Sainte-Croix Valensole La Verdière Lakes and mountains 05 km 10 km Vinon-sur-Verdon 7 The Valensole plateau A sea of wheat and lavender A vast SEA OF stones ACCUMUlated to A distance. This landscape, which is one of the most depth of several hundred metres, the Valensole pla- spectacular in Provence, owes its beauty to the work teau is the realm of durum wheat and lavandin (a of man. hybrid of two types of lavender). Its colours follow the Gallo-Roman civilisation has left traces everywhere: 7 Landscapes seasons: lavender-blue and gold at the beginning of temples, basilicas, a baptistery in Riez, thermal summer, russet and grey in the heart of winter. The baths in Gréoux les-Bains. Farming, crafts, and par- geometrical alignment of the plantations, the limit of ticularly fine crafts which have been present here the fields lined by almond trees, small square woods, since ancient times, still represent the plateau’s main villages sheltered from the mistral in the dales, all activities. paint a sort of formal garden stretching into the - One park Lakes and mountains of the Verdon Alps in Provence POWERFUL PEAKS MARK THE ALPS’ presence On the road to the Alps, the Verdon has carved a valley in the region of the Verdon natural regional park: Mont- where farming and craft activities and the villages as denier (1750 m), Chiran (1905 m), and Mourre de Cha- well as two artificial lakes, Castillon and Chaudanne, nier (1930 m). Long rocky bars close off small hilltop are concentrated. The town of Castellane, built at the regions. The valleys, crowned by vast pastoral moun- foot of its famous rock is laden with centuries of his- tains, are scattered with little villages which ingeniously tory. It once housed a number of tanneries but nowa- hold on to life and where the heat of the sun serves days shelters another treasure, the fossils of the geo- to remind us that the Mediterranean is only a stone’s logy reserve of Haute-Provence. Further to the north, Harvesting lavander in July on throw away. This is the realm of the stars, one of the last Saint-André les Alpes, a once important place for clo- the Plateau de Valensole places, far from light pollution, where the sky is clear th-making, is one of the stops on the train des Pignes enough for you to see them. railway line which links Nice to Digne. The lower gorges Gardens of life dating back to prehistoric times LESS IMPRESSIVE AND HOSTILE THAN THOSE were for a long time the raw materials of a quality of the Grand Canyon, the lower gorges were a charcoal industry. Overlooking or lining the river dwelling place from very early times. Prehistoric which shelters almost all the species of freshwa- man set up home there in a multitude of caves ter fish of the South of France, the villages and secret gardens. Water which has been offer their castles, gushing fountains and shady tamed and calmed cuts a narrow luminous trench alleyways. The Museum of prehistory of Quin- through the plateau dotted with a rosary of little son, the biggest in Europe demonstrates the link lakes and their peaceful, welcoming coves. between prehistoric man and man of the future. One park... 7 Landscapes Holm and scrub oaks occupy the maquis and In the privacy of the lower gorges, below the Sainte-Croix dam, the dwelling place of prehistoric man An open book on geology, wildlife and the history of Mankind, the Park’s territory offers a wide variety of landscapes and environments. With a third of French flora, its plant wealth is unique. The little bustard, the vulture, the ocellated lizard (the biggest in Europe) and 22 species of bat out of the 32 listed in France are all examples of its varied wildlife. 165 kilometres long and with a storage capacity of 434 million m3, the Verdon River is the water reservoir of Provence and, along with the Durance River, supplies quality drinking water to major towns in the region. 9 The gorges du Verdon From Plein Voir, far from the road From the light to the dark depths and the crowds, a majestic view of THE UPSIDE-DOWN MOUntain OF THE GRAND CANYON the light, under the sweeping flight of the vultures which the gorges, the lake of of the Verdon frightened people for a long time.