Barcelonnette
Welcome to Barcelonnette, capital of the Ubaye Valley, founded in 1231 by Hubert Béranger V, Comte de Provence, who named the town after his birthplace.
Barcelonnette : Legendary capital of the Ubaye Valley
Welcome to Barcelonnette, capital of the Ubaye Valley, founded in 1231 by Hubert Béranger V, Comte de Provence, who named the town after his birthplace. A short distance from the Hautes-Alpes region and Italy, its border situation has made tiny Barcelonnette the object of numerous conflicts, a fact which explains in part the superb fortifications along the Ubaye Valley. The town developed in a rather unusual way : it has a remarkable gridiron layout inherited from the Middle Ages. It is a showcase for quality town planning, attractive buildings, wonderfully straight streets and Mexican-style villas in vast grounds which were built between 1880 and 1930 by natives of Barcelonnette returning home after making their fortune in Mexico. In fact, Barcelonnette is the French capital of Mexico ! Around 7,000 people from the Ubaye Valley emigrated there between 1850 and 1950. Only four or five hundred families came back to France and the wealthiest among them built superb, charming villas, which you would not expect to find in the Alpine countryside. A museum has been opened in the elegant Villa La Sapinière, built between 1878 and 1883 by Alexandre Reynaud a former merchant in Mexico, which also houses the Maison du Parc National du Mercantour of Alpes de Haute-Provence.
When visiting the town, visit the 42m high Tour Cardinalis, all that remains of the Dominican Convent of 1316.
Barcelonnette, an all-year round destination !
At an altitude of 1,135 metres, Barcelonnette is a small mountain town with two faces. In summer it is surrounded by orchards and meadows offering thousands of walks and activities, notably aerial sports like paragliding and gliding at the nearby aerodrome at Saint-Pons, rock-climbing with the highest summits at over 3,400 metres and white water sports (rafting, kayaking, swimming) for which Ubaye is a world-renowned spot. Cycling is not forgotten with the famous Brevet des 7 Cols along the great mountain passes followed by the Tour de France, Restefond-la-Bonnette (the highest road in Europe), La Cayolle, Allos and Vars. In winter, the area is transformed into a super winter sports venue with three downhill ski resorts at Pra-Loup (the largest skiing area in the Alpes du Sud region, linked to La Foux d'Allos by L’Espace Lumière), Sauze-Super-Sauze and Sainte-Anne-la-Condamine, and two cross-country skiing venues at Larche and Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye.
The area has numerous sites of interest, maintained and promoted by local associations, with a 35km line of fortifications and a system of look-out posts, semaphore stations, strategic routes and elevators from Roche-la-Croix, Dormillouse via Tournoux. There are 120 chapels and five museums ‘Les Musées de la Vallée’ at Jausiers (archaeology and geology), Le Lauzet-Ubaye (the world of hunter-gatherers), Meyronnes (soldiers in Ubaye), Pontis (schooling and education in Ubaye) and Saint-Paul (countryfolk and craftsmen), not forgetting the wash pools and bread ovens which can be seen in every village and hamlet. The ‘Maison des Produits de Pays’ at Jausiers which sells delicious speciality products made by local farmers and producers, and the ‘Maison du Bois’, a showcase for wood from the Alpine forests, are both well worth a visit.
"" What I love about Barcelonnette, is spending warm, summer evenings at the ‘Festival des Enfants du Jazz’ every July and the ‘Fêtes Mexicaines’ in August "" says a visitor who returns every year without fail.
How to get to Barcelonnette :
- by road : A51 to La Saulce then RD900 towards Cuneo.
- by bus : regular services from Gap (railway station) and Digne-les-Bains.
Our selection of accommodations
Lodging
Le Casteou
in BARCELONNETTE - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Lodging
Le Cabaret
in THUILES (LES) - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Our new accommodations
Lodging
Le Chalet des Fontaines
in ALLOS - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence