Typically Provençal to the south and already Alpine to the north, the meeting of the Mediterranean climate with the Alpine mountain climate in the UNESCO Geopark area has fostered the blossoming of an astonishing biodiversity. Flora and fauna have gradually tamed this land, which has been preserved from urban and industrial pollution.
Nature, omnipresent and generous, creates a play of shapes and colors that is both soothing and rejuvenating for those who linger there. Here, we never tire of landscapes that change with the seasons. Fill your lungs with this pure, intoxicating air. A moment of simple tranquillity, free from all constraints.
RARE AND PROTECTED SPECIES
In Digne-les-Bains, for example, in the heart of the Geopark, over 130 species of butterfly have been recorded. You may be lucky enough to come across the Proserpine orIsabelle de France, rare species found in the Promenade Museum’s Butterfly Garden. Some high-altitude grasslands are home to Orsini’s Viper, an endangered species that is the subject of a national conservation plan. It is one of ten species of snake discreetly present in the Geopark, compared with twelve in the whole of mainland France!
A SURPRISINGLY FRAGRANT FLORA
On the limestone cliffs, spot a survivor of the last ice age, the Thurifer Juniper. And then there’s the thyme, rosemary, savory, sage and lavender along the trails. Along the way, refreshing waterways are home to a particularly well-developed aquatic fauna. And let’s not forget the tufa cascade at the Promenade Museum, nurturing the emergence of a plant world in its own right…
AND IN THE SKY...
Higher up in the sky, Griffon Vultures watch us, flying carefully over mountainous areas, cleaning up carrion. And when night falls, a limitless space opens up to you: the celestial vault. Several of the UNESCO Geopark’s villages, including Sigoyer, Mirabeau and Estoublon, have been awarded the “Star Villages” label. Observing the starry skies is a real treat for young and old alike. There may be a good reason why Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655), the famous mathematician, philosopher and theologian, also became an astronomer. Indeed, legend has it that Pierre Gassendi, tending his parents’ flocks at night on the heights of the village of Champtercier, became fascinated by the extraordinary spectacle that the starry skies of Provence offer us every night.