La Palud-sur-Verdon
La Palud-sur-Verdon is a real paradise for sporting enthusiasts and fans of historic sites and geology !
La Palud-sur-Verdon at the centre of the largest canyon in Europe
La Palud-sur-Verdon, which now includes the former commune of Châteauneuf-les-Moustiers, is a real paradise for sporting enthusiasts and fans of historic sites and geology ! The village lies in the centre of a unique landscape, at the heart of the Gorges du Verdon, the largest canyon in Europe, in the Verdon Regional Natural Park and the Geological Reserve of Haute-Provence, and boasts some of the best-known sites for rock-climbing and outdoor activities. Two 1980s cult films featuring Patrick Edlinger, ‘La vie au bout des doigts’ and ‘Opéra vertical’, which were shot in the Gorges, propelled rock-climbing and Verdon climbing routes into the spotlight.
Verdon has become an iconic site : non-existent approach walks, ready-equipped climbing routes where climbers can satisfy their appetite for sheer drops, thrilling sensations, fantastic scenery and mythical routes, without additional constraints.
Canyoning and, more recently, highlining and base-jumping have helped to make Verdon a global spot for extreme sports. However, there are also less dangerous pastimes ! For walking, the iconic Sentier Blanc Martel springs immediately to mind. This 15km trail follows the footsteps of two explorers along the bottom of the gorge where a micro-climate enables outstanding endemic plants such as Doradille du Verdon (a type of fern), Raiponce de Vilars (bellflower family) and Sabline de Provence (carnation family), to settle and survive. As for animals, in addition to chamois, deer and horseshoe bats, several species of vulture can now be seen in the neighbouring Rougon area where they have been reintroduced : griffon vultures, monk vultures and Egyptian vultures.
Paths and Trails to explore around La Palud-sur-Verdon
Other, equally interesting trails include the Sentier du Bastidon along the valley above Verdon, the shorter and easier Sentier des Pêcheurs dans les Gorges, the Mourre de Chanier and its alpine pastures and the GR4 hiking path from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to Castellane.
La Palud-sur-Verdon also marks the starting point of the Route des Crêtes tourist route which runs for 23km through the Alpes de Haute-Provence. The panoramic route has 14 viewpoints offering spectacular views of the mythical Verdon cliffs and the Grand Canyon : the viewpoints at Carelle, Escalés and Dent d'Aire have drops of up to 700m !
In the village itself, the Maison des Gorges in the old château houses an ecomuseum which aims to inform and raise awareness of the defining features of the region, in order to know and preserve it better. Children and grown-ups can follow the River Verdon from its summits to the Grand Canyon via alpine meadows and plateaux, learning about the hydrogeological formation of the Grandes Gorges and how men have adapted to it from prehistory to the present day (gathering, agriculture, cottage industry and tourism). Human occupation has been traced back 400,000 years according to excavations led by scientists from the Musée de la Préhistoire at Quinson.
There are also plenty of places of interest not far from La Palud-sur-Verdon : the ‘village perché’ (hilltop village) of Rougon, a veritable eagle’s nest overlooking the Point Sublime and the Couloir Samson ; upstream lies Castellane, a village with a very rich heritage and classified ’Village et Cité de Caractère’ like Moustiers-Sainte-Marie further downstream ; Lac de Sainte-Croix, the second largest man-made reservoir in Europe, a great place for swimming and water sports.
"" Being on the Sentier Martel, my back to the cliff face, at the edge of the river, watching the Verdon twisting along the valley as climbers cling to the cliff face and vultures fly overhead – life at its very best ! "" A walker and regular guest at the Chalet de la Maline, at the start of the Sentier Blanc Martel.
How to get to La Palud-sur-Verdon
By road : autoroute A51 exit Manosque then RD6.
By rail : to Manosque, then bus.
By bus : regular service LER 27 from Marseille or Aix-en-Provence.
Our selection of accommodations
Lodging
La Maison des Artaud
in CASTELLANE - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Lodging
Le Serre
in LA PALUD SUR VERDON - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Our new accommodations
Lodging
Le Mazet des Chênes
in PIERREVERT - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Lodging
Campagne de Pré Grand
in SAINT ETIENNE LES ORGUES - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence