Mountains and Walking in Provence   From the seclusion of the Cévennes mountains to the splendour of Mont Ventoux, from the rolling hills of the Luberon to the rocky outcrops of Les Alpilles, from the beauty of the Ardèche river valley to the drama of the Gorge du Verdon, Provence is widely regarded as the most beautiful area of all France.  Bettered by the Alps in terms of height, but for quantity and quality of scenery Provence has no equal.

The Gorge du Verdon
Location: Running from Moustiers-Ste-Marie east to Castellane.
Description: The world’s 2nd largest gorge, ~20km long and plunging more than 300m in places, this is one of the best places we’ve ever been in France.  It was quiet when we were there (at Easter) but it could get very busy, especially on the roads that follow the top of the gorge which are quite narrow, winding and steep in places.  Not for the faint hearted!
Our recommendations: It’s a long way from the main Côte D’Azur resorts, so plan for a day out……2 hours there, 2 hours back, 2 hours pedalo, 2 hours lunch and 2 hours driving along the top of the gorge on the D71 which follows the southern bank for most of its length.  The gorge is more accessible if you are staying in the Luberon.  Moustiers is worth a detour (renowned for ceramics).
For the children: Start the day by hiring a pedalo from the north bank of  Lac de Ste Croix. Allow several hours so you can get well into the gorge….you can see so much more and take your time over it.  It can be tough going on the return leg, so leave plenty of time.  Afterwards there’s a nice picnic area on the south side of the lake just below Aiguines.

Further Provence attractions:

          - Provence Caves
          - Canoeing in Provence
          - Roman Attractions
          - The Camargue
          - Provence Attractions

More information on Moustiers-Ste-Marie:
Moustiers-Ste-Marie is a charming village and one of Les Beaux Villages de France with a car free centre and plenty of pleasant shops for browsing with a good selection of restaurants.  However it does get very busy in the summer when parking close to the village centre can get difficult.  Moustiers is famous as a pottery centre - there are still several pottery factories offering guided tours.

An alternative to Moustiers is La Palud-sur-Verdon which is the start/finish of the Route des Cretes around the north side of the Verdon gorge.  Here there is also a wide choice of restaurants and a large children's playground for anyone who is bored of admiring the gorge!