Parc National du Mercantour
Opened in 2015, this new museum in Digne explores Provence's lavender-growing culture through a mix of multimedia displays, explanatory panels, archive materials and vintage equipment. There's some interesting testimony on the way the industry has changed and industrialised since the heyday of the 1920s. It also holds distilling displays in its courtyard during summer.
Don't confuse it with the region's other Musée de la Lavande, near Gordes.
29.5 MILES
This stunning network of scarlet gorges looks for all the world like it's been collected from Arizona and plonked down in Haute-Provence. Carved out over…
24.05 MILES
For an arresting insight into the forces of nature, a hike up to these massive, fractured stone blocks above the town of Annot is well worth the effort…
25.98 MILES
Situated 4km south of Forcalquier near Mane, this peaceful priory dates from the 13th century. It’s well worth a visit to wander around its medieval herb…
Chapelle Notre Dame de Beauvoir
16.84 MILES
High above the village, Moustiers' 14th-century church clings to a cliff ledge like an eagle’s nest. A steep trail climbs beside a waterfall to the chapel…
1.25 MILES
Situated 2km north of Digne-les-Bains in St-Bénoît, en route to Barle, this museum and outdoor park features four trails that explore the region's geology…
Réserve Géologique de Haute-Provence
11.98 MILES
It's hard to believe, but millions of years ago the Alps sat at the bottom of a vast temperate sea, leaving behind millions of fossils pressed into the…
20.5 MILES
With its towers, turrets and ramparts, this medieval village looks like a relic from a Monty Python film set. In the late 14th century, the valleys around…
Monastère Notre Dame de Ganagobie
17.54 MILES
Ganagobie’s otherworldly monastery is an essential stop. Founded in the 10th century, it’s still home to a working Benedictine community, whose products,…
0.24 MILES
A rather oddball mix of exhibits are on show at Digne's main museum – from 19th-century Provençal paintings and natural history exhibits to contemporary…
1.25 MILES
Situated 2km north of Digne-les-Bains in St-Bénoît, en route to Barle, this museum and outdoor park features four trails that explore the region's geology…
5.79 MILES
A beautifully sited lavender factory near Thoard, along the Route du Temps. You can watch the distillation process and buy products in the onsite shop.
4. Réserve Géologique de Haute-Provence
11.98 MILES
It's hard to believe, but millions of years ago the Alps sat at the bottom of a vast temperate sea, leaving behind millions of fossils pressed into the…
15.32 MILES
Travelling north from Forcalquier towards Sisteron, you can’t miss the mysterious Rochers des Mées: rows and rows of rocky pinnacles, some as high as 100m…
16.22 MILES
For the finest views of the valley, make a beeline for Sisteron's hilltop citadel, perched on a flank of rock high above the town. Built in stages between…
16.26 MILES
The Route du Temps is a signed route that winds through some of the area's most dramatic valleys, historical sites and rock formations; it starts just…
8. Chapelle Notre Dame de Beauvoir
16.84 MILES
High above the village, Moustiers' 14th-century church clings to a cliff ledge like an eagle’s nest. A steep trail climbs beside a waterfall to the chapel…