An unusual trip through the countryside of Upper Provence. The sun reigns over these remote lands, shining close to 300 days a year in a resolutely mediterranean sky. It accompanies the flowering lavenderfrom may to mid july, filling the air with the scents of Provence. It warms the high grounds of the Montagne de Lure, and suffuses the tuneful accent of the people of Manosque and Forcalquier. And should the heat ever become just a little overbearing, the tranquillity of a mediaeval chapel or the cool lanes of a shady village are there to shelter you while you take a well deserved rest.
Arrival late afternoon in the old mediaeval town of Manosque.
Dinner and night in a 3 star hotel or a charming bed and breakfast.
D2
Around Manosque
16km with total uphill 420metres (level 3/5). Duration about 4hrs.
On the high ground above Manosque, a walk through the rich natural heritage of Upper Provence that lends the region a very special charm. First you’ll enjoy visiting the Maison de la Biodiversité, with its unusual, original and informative collection of cultivated plants and fruit trees. Then you make your way to Saint Martin les Eaux, a charming drystone village set against the hills of the Luberon.
Dinner and night in a 3 star hotel or a charming bed and breakfast.
D3
From Manosque to Forcalquier
18,5 km with total uphill 410 metres (level 4/5). Duration about 5hrs30.
Today you go up from Manosque towards the Col* de la Mort d'Imbert (*pass). Then you descend through the forest to Dauphin and Saint Maime, two really pretty medieval villages full of charm. The concluding section of the walk is along narrow country roads surrounded by lavender fields.
Dinner and night in a 3 star hotel with pool.
D4
Around Forcalquier
12,5km with total uphill 305 metres (level 2/5). Duration around 3hrs30.
Before you set off today, have a pleasant stroll round the narrow streets of Forcalquier1. Then you’re off to explore the venerable Rochers des Mourres2, a wild semi-arid site where you can wander among the great rocks that look like stone mushrooms sprung from the earth – a last reminder that there was once a vast salt-water sea here. Take your time, lose yourself in contemplation of this geological throw-back that always surprises, seeming more like an art gallery than a country ramble.
Dinner and night in a 3 star hotel with pool.
D5
From Forcalquier to Cruis
14km with total uphill 430 metres (level 3/5). Duration about 4hrs.
Leaving Forcalquier and its lofty Citadel behind, you move on to Cruis, a small village nestling at the foot of the Mountain of Lure (a.k.a. the ‘petit Ventoux’). The walk takes you through contrasting scenery. First you go through a handful of tiny hamlets, then across lavender fields with views over the valley, and finally down through the marl to the village of Cruis.
Dinner and night in a charming hotel in the heart of the village.
D6
Around Cruis
10km with total uphill 480 metres (level 2/5). Duration around 3hrs.
This last walk of your stay leads you up the flanks of the Montagne-de-Lure2. Today, you head for the foothills of a mountain also known as the Petit Ventoux thanks to the characteristic white limestone summit that recalls its illustrious fellow, the Giant of Provence. Have a good look round the Jas, drystone shelters erected far from farms and villages centuries ago to provide shelter for sheep and goats in inclement weather.
Dinner and night in a charming hotel in the heart of the village.
Travel file via the ‘Safrantours’ guidance application
Logistical and technical support
Baggage transfers
What's not included?
Beverage and extra
Possible visits
Round trip transfer from Home to the first accomodation
Facultative cancellation and rapatriation insurance
Characteristics of circuits
Walking holiday, going from place to place, without guide.
Organisation
These outings are much more about relaxed exploration than athletic performance.
Your baggage is transported between lodgings. Your roadbook will guide you from beginning to end. We provide the logistical and technical support necessary.
On longer holidays you change accommodation every other day, which gives you the chance to better explore your surroundings or simply take your time and relax...
Accommodation is in 3 épis/star guest houses or hotels chosen for their atmosphere, warm welcome and environmental and architectural setting.
You'll be in half-board accommodation.
N.B : the accommodation described above is given as an indication and may vary according to availability at the moment your reservation is finalized.
An unusual trip through the countryside of Upper Provence. The sun reigns over these remote lands, shining close to 300 days a year in a resolutely mediterranean sky. It accompanies the flowering lavender, filling the air with the scents of Provence.…
These walks have been carefully chosen to bring you into intimate contact with the tastes and scents of Drôme Provençale. Wander along little-known paths which weave through vineyards, peach, apricot and cherry orchards, truffle oaks and…
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