Hiking in Provence
8 days - from $1090
An energetic but rewarding one-week break to hike the wild mountains of Haute Provence in southern France. This beautiful and fertile region has inspired painters and gourmets alike; it also has some of the finest walking country in Europe. The terrain is varied and rugged - a landscape of maquis, gorse and lavender.
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St André & Castellane
From Nice, we drive to the sleepy, valley town of St-André-les-Alpes. Then begin our six-hour trek through forest to Castellane, a pre-Roman settlement dramatically set beneath a huge limestone outcrop known as 'Le Roc'. There's time to explore, or walk to the summit of Robion for panoramic all-round views.
La Palud & the Gorges du Verdon
We climb through woods and high valleys above the Verdon river, where the spectacular rock pinnacles of 'Cadières de Brandis' tower above us. Then continue to the breezy, high grazing pastures of La Suech and the ruined castle of Rougon. We reach the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon and tackle the Gorges du Verdon: we traverse the most spectacular section before following a path to reach Brèche Imbert and negotiate the craggy walls of the gorge.
Exploring Moustiers
We ascend to a high ridge at the Signal de l'Ourbes (1216m) from where we can look back to the Gorges du Verdon - 'the Grand Canyon of France'. The spectacular setting encourages us to linger and we spend the day hiking old Roman roads. There are great views of Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Valensole Plateau, famous as a lavender growing area. We then descend to the small pottery town of Moustiers-Ste-Marie (1006m).
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Itinerary:
Day 1 Join Nice airport; drive St-André-les-Alpes. 2 Walk through forests to Castellane (6-7hrs). 3 In Castellane; walk to summit of Robion, 1660m (6hrs). 4 Hike to La Palud-sur-Verdon via Point Sublime (6-7hrs). 5 Walk through magnificent Gorges du Verdon (7-8hrs). 6 Walk to Moustiers-Ste-Marie (9-10hrs). 7 Optional explorations on foot; optional walk above Moustiers. 8 End Nice airport.
Accommodation: 6nts hotel, 1nt gite; 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 2 dinners included.
Transport: Bus/On foot/Taxis.
Comment: This short, hotel-based walking trip is graded moderate. Trails are usually rocky and there are some challenging ascents and descents (up to about 900m per day) but the rewards are spectacular. Luggage is transported between hotels, so you can walk unencumbered.
Group: Approx. 12 to 16.
Staff: Explore Tour Leader plus locally organised luggage transfers and driver.
Trip Reference: WP
