Nice — Verdon Gorge — Moutiers-Sainte-Marie — Lake Sainte-Croix du Verdon — Silans waterfall
Distance: 222 km from Nice (or 120 km when starting from Castellane),
Travel time non-stop – 4 hours one way from Nice or 3 hours from Castellane. With full stops – 7 and 5 hours respectively.
On the route there will be a toll highway A8 – 5.8 euros for the Nice-Fergis road. You can take the free roads along the coast through Cannes, and then along the DN7 road (+1 hour journey).
When you can go.In any season. The cool mountains of Haute-Provence always contrast perfectly with the warm Cote d’Azur. It’s very colorful in the summer, but there can be a lot of tourists escaping the coastal heat. In winter it is quiet and prices for housing and food are much lower, but the natural views and cozy villages and towns are no less beautiful. Temperatures in December-February are from 0 to +10. In summer the temperature is +15-25 degrees. In any case, at any time of the year, traveling along this route will require warm, windproof clothing: the region is famous for its cold winds – mistrals.
Book a car
If you are starting from Nice, take the A8 highway towards Marseille. After about an hour’s drive (75 km), you will take exit 36 (to Draguignan/Le Muy/Les Arcs). Then follow the route and after 1.5 hours the winding serpentine will lead you to the first point of our route – Verdon Gorge. This is a giant gorge in limestone rocks, 700 meters deep (one of the deepest in Europe).
An excellent panorama opens from the observation deck near the bridge Artyubi (Pont de l’Artuby). This is an arched bridge with a height of 182 meters, which is beautiful in itself. You can bungee jump from the bridge for about 100 euros (the cost depends on the number of people in the group). If you decide to take on this adventure, be sure to reserve your place in advance here. Jumps take place from April to November on weekends, in July and August – also on Fridays. After the jump you will be given a certificate stating that you completed it.
Literally two kilometers from the bridge, on the highest edge of the gorge are Meskla Balconies (Balcons de la Mescla, GPS coordinates: 43.739760, 6.381795). This place is considered the best vantage point with breathtaking views of the Verdon River flowing into the gorge.
On the way from The Balconies of Meskla to the west along the D71 road, another cool observation deck awaits you, its GPS coordinates: 43.767565, 6.274359.
Following our route, in half an hour you will find yourself in Aegina. Egina (Aiguines) is a typical Provençal village, small but very authentic. Perhaps the most interesting attraction here is the early 17th century castle (although it is private and closed to the public). In the immediate vicinity of the castle is the Church of St. John and Our Lady (Église de Saint-Jean et Notre-Dame),
which has a courtyard with a beautiful view of the lake and mountains.
The next obligatory stop is a very elegant and cozy village Moutiers-Sainte-Marie, known mainly for the production of earthenware products. Here’s what you need to do here:
1. Climb to the chapel of Notre Dame de Beauvoir, located on the rock.
2. Consider a star suspended above the village on a cable between two rocks (from below it may seem small, but its weight is 400 kg).
3. Try lavender ice cream.
4. Buy a product made from local earthenware in one of the many shops. Here you can also visit the earthenware museum, which displays ancient samples dating back to the 17th century.
From Moutiers-Sainte-Marie, head to Lake Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon. This lake is one of the largest in France. It is of artificial origin and represents the Verdon River blocked by a dam in the gorge of the same name. The water here is azure in color, and along the perimeter there are limestone cliffs covered with coniferous vegetation.
On the western shore of the lake, in the town of the same name Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon by car you can drive almost to the water and the sandy beach (coordinates GPS: 43.757822, 6.152775). There you can rent a catamaran for 15 euros to ride around the lake. You will have the opportunity to swim into the gorge itself, explore numerous grottoes, admire small waterfalls, and also land on one of the small “wild” beaches.
In Saint-Croix-du-Verdonthere are several good restaurants – a good place for lunch with a beautiful view and getting to know the cuisine of Provence (parking coordinates: 43.758890, 6.149977).
The last point of the route will be Sillans Falls (Les Cascades de Sillans). The waterfall is located on the Bresk River, its height is 44 meters. We advise you not only to look at the waterfall from the road, but also to go down to the river (GPS coordinates: 43.568015, 6.179136),
to see the steep rapids. This is worth doing if the weather and your shoes permit: the descent is quite steep and slippery.
You can finish the route in Marseille or Nice (road to both cities from Sillans Falls will take no more than 2 hours along the A8). You can also get to the ancient city Roussillon (2 hours) and stay there for the night, and the next day go further west to continue exploring Haute-Provence.
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