| THE GORGES DU VERDON |
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| The Gorges du Verdon are grandiose, overwhelming and unique. |
Terreprovence |
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THE GORGES DU VERDON - Canoe
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THE GORGES DU VERDON - Faïence
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| Approximately 21 kms long they are the deepest in Europe with a variation in level of up to 700 m. |
The river cruises down the limestone mountains and chisels the deep canyons. The emerald green water winds its way between the rocks, sometimes at a rapid pace, and flows into the four lakes that punctuate its course. These artificially created water reservoirs have been converted into beaches, picnic spots and water sport infrastructures.
The Saint-Croix lake is the most popular where one can indulge in every imaginable water sport. The smaller Esparron lake resembles a seaside |
resort.
Castellan is situated at an altitude of 723 meters at the entrance of the Verdon Gorge. The village is nestled at the base of a monumental rock crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary.
TO SEE:
The Chapelle Notre-Dame du Roc dating from 1703 sits on the summit of a rock like a benevolent guardian. . Adjacent are the ruins of a 14th century village, the machicoulis ramparts of the Tour Pentagonale and the Saint-Victor Church, constructed by the monks of the Saint-Victor abbey in Marseille at the end of the 12th century. In the Musee Sirenes Fossiles, one of three museographic centers of the Haute Provence geological reserve, you will discover the mysterious world of sirens.
AUX ALENTOURS
8km above Castellane, in the direction of Dignes, you will find the Valley of fossilized sirens. It consists of a paleontological site containing fossilized skeletons of the actual ancestor of sirens. Moustiers Saint-Marie with its Provencal Moustiers creche is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is thanks to the production of pottery, created in the 17th century, that this village acquired an international reputation.
TO SEE:
The Musee de la Faience houses the oeuvres of the pottery designers who contributed to the reputation of the village. The 12th century Chapelle Notre-Dame De Beauvoir is accessible by a steep path and offers a magnificent panoramic view over the town and the Valensole plateau. Greoux-les-Bains is a well-known thermal health resort. Of interest is the old town circling the chateau. Certainly worth seeing is the Chateau des Templiers, an imposing rectangular silhouette dating from the 11th century that once belonged to the Knights of the Templar, the Creche of Haute Provence and the 19th century reconstruction of a Haute Provence village. |
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