|
|
Home > Discover the Alpes de Haute-Provence > Towns, small towns and typical villages > La Motte du Caire
La Motte du Caire
In the heart of the Provencal Highlands | TOURIST INFORMATION |
|
 UNSPOILED LANDThe Hautes Terres de Provence groups together twenty villages on the two cantons of la Motte-du-Caire and Turriers. From the smallest to the largest, they bear witness to several centuries of Provencal and mountain history and rural tradition.
Unspoiled and authentic, the surroundings are sumptuous from the Durance plain to the Massif des Monges, peaks reaching 2.100 metres and bare ridges slashed by narrow gorges, orchards and huge forests. Discover it on the many varied trails, in the sky - the Pays has an aerial sports speciality - cycling along the trails and over little cols, with the flavours elaborated by the Monges producers, by the Route des Rochers qui Parlent (road of the talking rocks) or on the via ferrata of Le Caire, one of the most beautiful in Europe.
Come and try this delicate balance that only the willpower and courage of bas-alpin peasants made it possible to create, in communion with often hostile but always forgiving surroundings. |
HISTORY | La Motte comes from the location of the former village on a hill whose slopes were covered in moss.Until the middle of 19th century, this country with its black earth lived practically in complete autarky as almost everything was produced on the spot: from the red plaster for building work, to wool, honey, walnut oil and wine. The industrial revolution put an end to this fragile balance and a rural exodus followed which might have been fatal if it had not been for the brave farmers for whom irrigation brought the key to renewal.
|
THE ROAD OF THE TALKING ROCKS | Twenty villages huddled in a bend in the Durance, between the lake of Serre-Ponçon and the citadel of Sisteron, are waiting for you to discover a different sort of treasure hunt. All you need is a vehicle, one day, a magic booklet which makes the rocks talk, and a bit of common sense!
Thanks to the magic booklet available in salespoints for 20 € or for rent, enter into one of the nine adventures of the medieval world of the Hautes-Terres de Provence: the heroes in each booklet have followed a specific adventure, you can share the adventure, and follow the same route they followed. They take you from village to village, from panorama to waterfall, from medieval bridge to legend. At each stop, whenyou touch your magic booklet, a talking rock tells you an episode of their adventure followed by a riddle.
Solve it to look for and find, after a short walk, the next talking rocks: they will tell you the country's medieval history. 9 car and walking routes are available.
|
LEISURE ACTIVITIES |
- Swimming pool : in la Motte-du-Caire in July and August. Tel. 04.92.68.33.30.
- Fishing : in the le Sasse and its tributaries (1st category), cards for sale in the restaurant la Cascade in Forest-Lacour. Tel. 04.92.68.30.07.
- Riding centres :
- Clamensane : Les Trois Fontaines. Tel. 04.92.68.36.16.
- Melve : Equi-Libre. Tel. 04.92.68.41.63.
- La Motte-du-Caire : Chevauchée des Monges. Tel. 04.92.68.36.51.
- Vaumeilh : La foulée des chênes. Tel. 04.92.62.19.56. http://fouleechenes.free.fr
- Aerial sports :
- Gliding : plateforme de la Motte-du-Caire, winch-launching of gliders. Tel. 04.92.68.35.11.
- Aerodrome : Vaumeilh. Maiden flights, gliding, initiation, courses. Tel. 04.92.62.17.45.
- Altisurface de Clamensane : "Les trois fontaines" Tel. 04.92.68.36.16.
- Paragliding and hang-gliding : several sites, information at the TO.
- Karting : « Les Trois Lacs » in Piégut. FFSA ratified course, 740 m long and 7 m wide, icekarting in winter. Tel. 04.92.54.48.57.
- Parc aventure : 3 lacs aventure in Rochebrune (next to the karting circuit. Acrobatic course in the forest with giant 120m tyrolean traverse ropes above the lake, 3 courses all levels. Tel. 06.75.54.16.61.
- Archery : club des archers du Sasse in Clamensane. 2 courses of 21 targets each, equipment rental, initiation on target, course rental with or without guide, archery school. Tel. 04.92.68.36.02.
- Tennis : in la Motte-du-Caire, Turriers and Venterol.
- Foyer de ski de fond de Venterol : many trails, equipment rental. Tel. 04.92.54.02.40. Guided snowshoe hikes: Marc Linares, middle-mountain guide. Tel. 04.92.68.42.72.
|
THE GRANDE FISTOIRE VIA FERRATA | A few kilometres to the North-west of Sisteron a little valley gives access to the lake of Serre-Ponçon via the col de Sarraut. Covered in vast orchards, it is dominated by rocky cliffs: the most beautiful gives its name to the village of Le Caire, lou Caïre, the rock in Provencal.
In the superb limestone wall of la Grande Fistoire, 250 m high, a good 93m via ferrata has been installed. Airy, with athletic and spectacular parts such as the S qui gêne, the Bombu or la Grande Muraille, it takes 4 to 5 hours.
It also has a 60m swinging bridge, the longest in Europe on a via ferrata, a 32 m Nepalese bridge and a beam. Just beside it, the waterfall of les Cheminées offers routes classified from 3 to 6c. The exceptional climate makes it possible to do these sports all year round. Equipment rental on the spot. Tel. 04.92.68.40.39.
|
MAIN EVENTS |
- Programme Vivre et Culture : summer, concerts, plays, programme at the TO. Tel. 04.92.68.40.39.
- Fête de la Musique : in la Motte du Caire, mid-June.
- Fête de la Saint-Jean : in Venterol and Le Caire.
- Festival de blues : in Curbans, end of June.
- Fête Patronale : in Curbans, end of June.
- Fête Patronale : in Claret, end of June.
- Concours de chant : in la Motte-du-Caire, mid-June.
- Fête Patronale : in Bellaffaire, beginning of July.
- Fête Patronale : in Valernes, mid-July.
- Fête Patronale : in la Motte-du-Caire, mid-July.
- Fête Patronale : in Sigoyer, end of July.
- Fête de la Saint-Jacques : in Chateaufort, end of July.
- Fête Patronale : in Turriers, beginning of August.
- Fête Patronale : in Melve, mid-August
- Fête Patronale : in Faucon-du-Caire, mid-August.
- Fête Patronale : in Clamensane, end of August.
- Journées mycologiques : mid-October, in Clamensane.
- Fête de la Saint-Crépin : in Venterol, end of October.
- Fête d’automne : in la Motte-du-Caire, end of October.
|
VILLAGES AROUND |
- Bayons : in the heart of green meadows and amazing wrinkled hills of the Massif des Monges, peaks reaching 2.000 metres and bare ridges slashed with gorges. Worth a visit: church of Notre Dame (XIIth century, listed Historical Monument, oratories, lake of Esparron, Monges peak (2.115 m), Clues de Bayons. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Bellaffaire : little farming village high up in wooded hills and green meadows. Worth a visit: church of Saint-Joseph in la Freyssinie, oratories, remains of a XVIIIth century castle. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Le Caire : in surprising grey hills wrinkled like an elephan's skin, and rocks of which the most famous, la Grande Fistoire, has one of the best via ferrata in Europe. Worth a visit : XVIIth century church of Saint-Michel. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Châteaufort : little perched village in a calm wooded hills. Worth a visit : XVIIth century church of Saint-Michel, community of the brothers of Saint-Jean. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Clamensane : built on the side a rocky bar, high above the plain where the Sasse runs, Clamensane makes one feel a bit lightheaded : you need strong legs to climb its very steep main street, but the view over the valley with the old roofs of canal tiles is well worth it. Visits : archery trail, old la Gypière mill. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Claret : village huddled on the heights around its church. Worth a visit : church of St-Pierre (XVth and XVIth centuries).
- Curbans : perched above the Durance plain, with an incomparable view of the artificial lake set up by the EDF in 1975, Curbans has even more character thanks to superb renovation work . Worth a visit : former XVIIth century castle, church of Saint-Pierre in the XIth century cemetery, bird migration in August on the lake.
- Faucon-du-Caire : birthplace of Saint-Jean-de-Matha. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Gigors : at the limit with the Hautes-Alpes, if the real star is the wild environment, a little visit to the village is a must. Worth a visit : church of Saint-Laurent (1607), Saint-Pierre oratory, 5 part fountain, plaster grindstone. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Melve : on a beautiful high plateau , in the middle of vast fields of wheat or sunflowers still cultivated by local farmers, Melve is a tiny village with a good smell of grass and lavender. Worth a visit : ruine of the Tour Carrée (XIth century), walnut sculpture in the church. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- La Motte du Caire : this big village surrounded by fruit-trees has a rich past, as it belonged to Charles d’Anjou, brother of Saint-Louis, of whom one of the sons was to become a pope under the name of Clément VI. Worth a visit: XVIIth century painting « La déposition de la croix » (listed) in the church of Sainte-Madeleine, convent of the Trinitaires. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Nibles : little village in quiet pastoral surroundings, with cultivated fields as far as the eye can see. Worth a visit : church of Notre-Dame de Bethléem (1717), sculpted altar-piece (graded), ruined watchtower (private). Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Piégut : on a high plateau dotted with little farms, Piégut is built on a hill in the middle of fields, in a natural soothing landscape with wheat, roses, pear trees, cherry trees and hydrangeas, and you can taste a delicious local honey. Worth a visit: traces of a Roman way, renovate church of Saint-Collomban , chapel of Neyrac.
- Sigoyer : the village offers the visitor a view of its medieval castle perched on a promontory. In the square, an interactive terminal tells you its story in 3D, from the dungeon-tower erected in the Middle Ages to its destruction during the Revolution. Worth a visit: church of Notre-Dame (1643). Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Thèze : surrounded by enormous apple-orchards irrigated by the Durance, Thèze is an agricultural village in the shade of plane trees and conifers. Worth a visit: XVIIth century castle (private), church of Saint-Blaise (painting of Saint-Sébastien). Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Turriers : a big village built on a promontory with a panormaic view of the Champsaur basin and the Écrins massif. Sheltered from the wind in a particularly mild micro-climate, Turriers has a large functional reeducation centre. Worth a visit: church of Saint-Antoine, cross of Les Baumelles. Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Valavoire : perched village in an exceptional landscape, at the foot of a rock known as 'the mushroom' ». Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Valernes : Bagnols castle (XVth century), rustic church and chapel, Moulin de Fombeton (private mill), castle of Saint-Didier (private). Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Vaumeilh : aerodrome, gliding, Worth a visit : ruined watchtower, chapel of Saint-Marcellin, priory of Chane (private). Lists of SELF-CATERING GITES in the area.
- Venterol : from this viewpoint, there is a magnificent view of the Durance valley and the mountains of the Hautes-Alpes. Venterol seems to be hesitating between Alps and Provence, country and mountain, has a cross country ski area in winter. Worth a visit : castle (ruins), church of Haut-Venterol (XVIth century, listed).
|
OTHER INFORMATION |
- Altitude : 707 m (La Motte-du-Caire), 1040 m (Turriers)
- Population : 438 inhabitants (La Motte-du-Caire), 276 inhabitants (Turriers)
- To get here :
- by road : A 51 motorway, Sisteron or la Saulce exits.
- by train : GAP SNCF station.
|
 |
| La Motte du Caire |
 |
| La Motte du Caire |
|
|
|
Gites de France accommodation options
The Self-Catering Gites
Annot
