From the valley, in the Parc forestier du Brusquet, you can observe the Blayeul and understand part of the geological history of the area.
The Blayeul mountain is the protector of the middle Bléone and stands like a mighty ridge separating the Bléone and Bès valleys. Today impassable by carriage road, the massif was once criss-crossed by paths linking the two valleys. Its summit rises to 2189 m.
Geologically, it’s an eastward-sloping monocline of Mesozoic rocks. The whole area belongs to the Digne Nappe, which straddles Cenozoic terrain.
The etymology of the name remains rather uncertain. The root of the name Blayeul is perhaps linked to a very ancient origin (pre-Celtic) which would have given blai, a primitive form of plai, meaning maple, used in F. Mistral’s Le Trésor du Félibrige, as well as in S-J Honnorat’s Dictionary.
