Apathy, fatigue and bad mood will quickly disappear as soon as we are in the mountains. It seems that their grandeur and beauty allow you to instantly recharge the internal batteries. What is their secret?
For the most part, people are unconsciously drawn to everything beautiful, because it is beauty, as you know, that can save the world – or at least make it a little better. And if you want to experience catharsis, build a trip through Provence. It is beautiful at any time of the year. Even in winter, trees bloom here, the weather is mostly sunny, and the sea tunes in to a meditative wave.
Since the lavender fields bloom only in June, it is better to go to the mountains of Haute-Provence for impressions. For example, in the Verdon Gorge. Everything is different here, not like on the Cote d’Azur. And especially in spring, when the tourist season is not yet at its peak.
steep route
The Verdon Gorge is one of the largest canyons in Europe, and also the most picturesque. Having approached it from the direction of Moustiers (Moustiers-Sainte-Marie), you can start the journey from here and then move towards the city of Castellane. But first, we still advise you to take a walk through Moustiers, one of the most beautiful villages in Provence.
Museum of ceramics, a parish church with a Lombard-style bell tower, a star hanging on a chain between two rocks – it is still not known how it appeared there. And the view from the Chapel of Notre Dame de Beauvoir! True, to enjoy it, you have to overcome 262 steps, but it’s worth it. According to one version, the chapel, like many alpine chapels, was created for inspiration. It looks like it’s true.
The panorama of the Valensole plateau and Lake Saint-Croix that opens from a height suggests that time has stood still and there is no one in this world but you and the bright azure sky.
Not for the weak
Well, then the path along the gorge. Be prepared for the fact that you want to stop every hundred meters – to photograph the changing views. But for such pauses, it is better to choose observation platforms, there are many of them along the way. Otherwise, it’s very risky.
The road is narrow and serpentine. Driving along it is another quest: in some places you will have to let oncoming cars pass. And if the adrenaline is not enough, near the town of La Palus-sur-Verdon, you can turn onto the most extreme route – Route des Crêtes. Only 10 km. But what! What is revealed to the eye, not a single photograph will convey.
Here, when you are one on one with the mountains, tears well up in your eyes and your breath is lost from the grandeur and beauty of nature, which at this moment reveals its most intimate secrets.
And now you are standing on the edge of a cliff and you feel how the rocks whisper that nothing is impossible. This is partly why I want to continue moving along a narrow one-lane balcony with a steep slope in the direction of Chalet de la Maline. Scary – goosebumps! But such a cascade of emotions can be experienced infrequently. The reward will be a cup of coffee in the town of Castellane, a tour of which is another pleasure.
Need to know
You can spend the night in the Verdon Gorge in Moustier or the villages of the Castellane district, having booked a hotel room in advance.
When planning a day trip, take something to eat with you. Spring is not yet the tourist season, and many cafes are closed.
For lovers of hiking, this is a real paradise. Don’t forget to bring a warm sweater and sneakers, because the grottoes through which the hiking route will pass are cold at any time of the year.