PROVENCE ALPS: A UNIQUE VARIETY OF LANDSCAPES IN THE SAME REGION.

The Mountains areas:

L'Orenaye lake
Vars pass

Located in the North and East parts of Provence Alps, they are the places to discover wildlife as they include protected areas:

  • 2 National Parks, “Parc des Ecrins” and “Parc du Mercantour”
  • 4 Regional Parks “Parc du Queyras” , "Parc du Luberon", "Parc du Verdon" and "Parc de la Camargue".

Glaciers, geological features of high interest, abundant fauna and flora are part of great sceneries. It is the ideal playground to practice outdoor activities: walking, rock climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, paragliding, and so much more! Mountain rivers and lakes (Serre Ponçon is the largest artificial european lake) allow people to enjoy white water sports like rafting, sailing, wind-surfing, kite-surfing, and swimming.

From a cultural perspective, these  mountainous areas are rich in heritage villages and towns that contain religious monuments, fortifications, and buildings with specific architectural interest (baroque/roman style in the Roya Valley along the Italian border). The town of Briancon with its Vauban fortifications has been inscribed as an UNESCO world heritage since July 2008.

The Durance valley grows all sorts of fruits such as pears, apples, apricots, plums, cherries, grapes and delicious vegetables that are all available in the very attractive markets of Gap, Briancon and Embrun. During summer time, cattle (mainly sheep but also cows) is brought on the high pastures where the quality of grass and diversity of flowers gave to their meat and milk a special quality that you will test in local lamb dishes or cheeses.

The Lavender Fields areas:

Sénanque Abbey
Roussillon village


Located in the Luberon and around the Verdon gorges, the lavender fields are one of the symbols of Provence.
These hilly parts hide beautiful villages with some of them coloured in ochres and all with a rich history. It is the  best area for moderate walking, cycling and discovering Provençale cuisine and culture.
You will also find there other symbols of Provence: olive trees cultivation, vineyards with the "Côtes de Provence" or "Côtes du Luberon", "faïence"  and the sing of cicadas.

The Mediterranean Coast areas:

En Vau calanque
Monaco


From Marseilles to Nice, the Mediterranean coast offers as well as famous and busy towns some of the most preserved wild spaces. For instance, les Calanques are cliffs hanging over the sea with some of them only accessible by walking or from the sea. Les Calanques spread from Marseilles to Cassis.
You will discover there a lot of small fishermen villages offering still there weekly fish market like in l'Estaque; local vineyards like in Cassis, and delightful seafood.
A lot of artists like Cézanne, Picasso, Van Gogh... painted there ,attracted by  the lights and the colours. You can follow their steps and see by yourself what could have inspired them.