The Vanson (or Vançon) panorama offers one of the most beautiful and instructive views in the Haute Provence Geopark.
It provides an insight into part of the region’s long geological history. You can observe two distinct geological units.
The first concerns the autochthonous terrain (which has not been moved) dating from the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. They extend as far as the base of Montagne de Mélan and include, to the south, the hill of Saint-Joseph and, to the north, all the land up to the base of Montagne du Trainon.
The ridges, meanwhile, are made up of land that has been moved: Montagne de Mélan, Monges and Montagne du Trainon. At their base are whitish outcrops of gypsum, long mined for plaster and alabaster (finely crystallized gypsum used in sculpture). Gypseries are remarkable Provencal decorations that have been preserved indoors in certain buildings.