Boasting an exceptional geological heritage, and bearing the traces of over 300 million years of Earth’s history, the Haute-Provence UNESCO Global Geopark was the first Geopark in the world to be created in 2000. Located in the heart of the Southern Region and the Alpes de Haute-Provence département, it brings together 67 communes around Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, Seyne and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie…
A film made on our Geopark territory
Video teasers for the film “De Passage” by Nicolas d’Ortoli and Yann Sinic.
Synopsis: Two friends and their donkeys cross the territory of the Haute-Provence Geopark. This adventure, punctuated by encounters, is also an existential quest.
Exceptional heritage
Ranging in altitude from 355 meters on the Durance plain to 2,961 meters at the head of the Estrop, its territory of over 2,000 km² offers a wide variety of landscapes marked by Alpine and Provencal influences, where edelweiss can be found alongside lavender.
From the crystal-clear waters of the Verdon to the snow-capped peaks of the Blanche mountain range and the Massif des Monges, it offers residents and visitors alike a majestic setting, with its grandiose landscapes, remarkable biodiversity, heritage, culture and contemporary art making it a veritable open-air museum.
It is home to world-famous geological sites such as the ammonite slab at Digne-les-Bains, the Robine ichthyosaur, the Pénitents at Les Mées, the Terres Noires at Archail and Draix and the famous geological formation of the Esclangon velodrome.
Our missions
Coordinating its work with the Haute-Provence National Geological Nature Reserve to protect geological heritage, the Haute-Provence World Geopark is active in a number of areas:
- Development, management and promotion of natural and cultural sites dedicated to discovering the region’s heritage and raising public awareness,
- Environmental education, scientific and cultural mediation,
- Manage and lead various projects contributing to the sustainable development of the region, tourism development and support for the local economy,
- Management of the Musée Promenade in Digne-les-Bains, an interpretation center for the Haute-Provence Geopark, currently undergoing a major restructuring project,
- Participation in international cooperation actions and projects within the Global Geoparks network.
The Haute-Provence Geopark territory
A book to discover the riches of this exceptional region
Géoparc de Haute-Provence, regards sur le temps, published by Le Naturographe.
Geology, history, architecture, culture, biodiversity, art of living… A book to discover the incredible richness of a territory, to travel through space and time, to reveal the history of men and women and to read the landscapes and movements of the Earth. Managing editor Maryline Féraud, editorial director Michel Bouton.
Available from all bookshops and the Promenade Museum store.
