City of the 4 Queens, leading cultural town of Haute-Provence

TOURIST INFORMATION

• Forcalquier Tourist Office :  Tel. 04.92.75.10.02.
  
• See also : Banon, Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, Mane, Lurs, Dauphin, Manosque, Simiane-la-Rotonde.

MORE ABOUT THIS VILLAGE AT THE GATEWAY TO THE LUBERON

HERITAGE

• Couvent des Visitandines : 1634 cloister, 1687 chapel. On the top floor, the municipal museum.
  
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Bourguet : from the very first years of XIIIth century, the first attempt to adapt Gothic art to the Pays d’Oc.  XVIth century belfry. Superb great organ first played in 1629.
  
• Chapelle Notre-Dame de Provence : Neo-Byzantine in style, erected in 1875. Its carillon built in the 1920s is traditionally hand-operated by hitting the keys with one's fists.
• Saint-Marie : remains of the former XIIth century cathedral.
  
• Eglise Saint-Jean : replaced an older building at the end of XIIth century.
  
• Les Récollets : installed in 1627 in the church of Saint-Pierre, one can still see the Romanesque oculus.
  
• Saint-Pierre bell-tower : belfry built in 1859.
  
• Temple : end of XVIth century.
  
• Chapelle de la Charité : XVIIth century.
  
• Palais de Justice :  1842 facade.
  
• Fontaine Saint-Michel : the base, famous for its sculpted scenes, dates back to 1512.
• Porte des Cordeliers :  XIVth century, last of the 6 town gates.
  
• Couvent des Cordeliers : XIIIth century Franciscan convent
  
• Viaduc : built in 1883, strange inscriptions in all Roman languages and different Occitan dialects.
  
• Bonne Fontaine : a group of fountains and medieval wash-houses on an ancient site.
• Chapelle de Saint-Pancrace : XVIIth century, dedicated to the patron saint of the town.
  
• Chapelle de Saint-Marc : XVIth century.

WORTH A VISIT

• Musée municipal : paintings, antique furniture, faïence, Roman archeology, ethnology, fossiles. Tel. 04.92.70.00.19.
  
• Graded cemetery : created in 1835, planted with yews which have been pruned into arches, gives a beautiful perspective of plant architecture which is unique in Europe. Open every day from 9am to 5pm.
  
• Université Européenne des Saveurs et des Senteurs : for children from 5 to 12, initiation course, creative workshops, initiation to perfumes, five senses course. Open in the Christmas, Easter school holidays and July. Tel. 04.92.72.50.68.
  
• Les Mourres : landscape of limestone rocks perched on slimmer eroded marly bases which look like hugh white mushrooms on the hillside.
  
• The market : every Monday morning the market, one of the most famous in Provence, spreads it smells and colours throughout the town.

MAIN EVENTS

• Provencal market :  Monday morning.
  
• Carillon de Notre-Dame-de-Provence : Sundays and feast-days ar 11.30am.
  
• Hot-air balloon rides : from march to November. Tel. 04.92.75.10.02.
  
• Festival « Femmes en Scène » : from March.
  
• Rencontres Musicales : April.
  
• Fête de la Randonnée (Hiking festival) : end of April.
  
• Fair : beginning of august.
  
• Fête de la Saint-Pancrace : 4th week in May.
  
• Festival de Haute-Provence : August.
  
• Tennis tournament (2nd category) : circuit La Provence Conseil Général Masters 04. From mid-August to beginning of September.
  
• Journée du Patrimoine : mid-September.
  
• Semaine Senteurs et Saveurs (Smells and Tastes week) : September.
• Montgolfiades (hot-air balloon festival) : end of September.
  
• Fête du Livre (book festival) : October.
  
• Roues libres en Luberon
• Journées fermières européennes de Païsalp (farm fair) : October.

FOR THE FAMILY

• La Louette : educational and leisure collective  centre for 3 to 11 year olds, open Wednesdays and school holidays. Tel. 04.92.75.43.26.

ACTIVITIES -FACILITIES

• Trails : on the GR4, GR6, GR97 and GR653D (Road to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle). 50 PR (Petite Randonnée) trails, botanical trail. In all 700 km of marked paths for walking, riding or cycling.
  
• Open-air swimming pool : open every day except Monday from 11am to 7pm from the end of June to beginning of September. Tel. 04.92.75.13.33.
  
• Skate-park.
  
• Tennis.
  
• Cinéma le Bourguet. Tel. 04.92.75.02.82.

NEARBY

• Musée départemental ethnologique de Salagon in Mane : collections and oral accounts give the key to learning about Haute-Provence and its inhabitants from XIXth century to today.
  
• Musée ethnologique in Reillanne : remarkable collection of craftsmen's tools, local pottery and costumes. Open in summer and from December to March by appointment. Tel. 04.92.76.42.46.
  
• Musée de la mine à Saint-Maime : a geological glimpse of the brown coal mining basin and presntation of mining activity. Open during school holidays or by appointment. Tel. 04.92.79.55.42.
  
• Musée paléontologique et archéologique de Vachères : renovated, enriched and reinstalled, its topic is stone in its geological form or as it has been worked by Man. Tel. 04.92.75.67.21.
  
• Musée archéologique et ethnologique de Villeneuve : result of archeological digs in the medieval ruins of the château de la Roche Amère and remains from the Bronze Age to present day. Open from April to September. Tel. 04.92.78.42.31.

AUTRES INFORMATIONS

• Altitude : 550 m.
  
• Population : 4.375 inhabitants.
  
• To get here :
  
  • by road : from the north A7 motorway Avignon sud exit then RN100, from the south A51motorway n° 19 La Brillanne exit then RN100 (11 km).
    
  • by train : Paris-Avignon TGV, Avignon-Forcalquier link by coach.