walking & adventure holidays
hidden provence
Provence plus plus... oh yes, explore an unspoilt area of Provence, away from Peter Mayleshire... and love the experience of top drawer accommodation
With just enough exercise to create an appetite for your excellent dinners, we're offering a mix of walks and activities to enable our guests to gain the maximum from a break here.
A must in the Luberon is the Mountagne de Lure - Mount Ventoux's little sister, a mighty limestone escarpment rising to 1826m, lying between the banks of the River Durance to the East and the Albion Mountains to the West. It is beloved of keen cyclists as the ascent offers a climb of almost 1400m from the valley floor. It provides a perfect introduction day to the week, from the rather wild and rugged peak you can enjoy the vast expanse of the countryside around you.
We must also allow our guests to take advantage of one of the best markets in the area. Forcalquier, built around the slopes of a steep conical hill, dominated by an octagonal chapel in the trees where the 10th century citadel once stood.
It is a medieval delight as befits the former capital of Haute-Provence. The market fills the main Place du Bourguet and surrounding streets with a cornucopia of food and goodies which are difficult to resist.
A must see in the region is the spectacular Verdon Gorges - truly France's Grand Canyon which flows into the eerily turquoise Lac Sainte Croix on its western extremes. Not even the intrepid Mr Clarkson could beat a pro climber either up or down its cliffs.
So, join your hosts Liz and Mel, for a week's wonderful walking, and a warm house party atmosphere each evening........
Season
Departures to date
2010 : Aug 7; Sep 4, 25
Pricing
Standard weekly package : £935 -
Full board
For non-standard periods and programmes, contact us to discuss the options. Read about our flexible way of working.
How to book...
Walking Grades
grade
| attributes | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| physical fitness | x | x | x |
| confidence with heights | x | x | x |
| technical ability | x | x | x |
| mountain experience | x | x | x |
Our grades are explained in "essential info"
What's included
In response to the demands of our guests, we have chosen a most beautiful venue for your accommodation – the Moulin du Debran. It really is a former mill carefully renovated by a talented interior designer. Tasteful but certainly not stuffy, there is a wealth of beautiful spaces for a game of snooker, a quiet swim, a gentle apéro by the stream. Be a little pampered by your surroundings and then get out there during the day to enjoy the beauty of this unspoilt corner of Provence. We absolutely loved it – and are sure that you will too! Just mouse over either of the two photos above to see more.
All your meals are included.
Five evening meals will be cooked for you at Moulin du Debran by Liz and Mel, and
two will be at the quirky little restaurant Bistrot de la Lavande in the nearby village of Lardiers. Wine is included with all meals.
Lunches will be in the form of picnics, except for Monday, when we visit Forcalquier market. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in the town, also included in the price.
Activities :
Six days guided walking. Visit to Forcalquier market. See detailed itinerary opposite.
Transport : All transfers to and from Marseille airport, and all transport during the week. Please note - all our trips are land only, flights are not included.
Itinerary
- Day 1 Arrive Marseilles - pick up and transfer to Moulin du Debran - 45 minutes. Settle in, evening meal in-house.
-
Day 2 Drive up to the old chapel at Notre Dame de Lure, and spend the day ascending Montagne de Lure. Packed lunch, evening meal in restaurant.
-
Day 3 Visit Forcalquier market in the morning, followed by lunch in a local restaurant in town. After lunch we walk back along the GR 6 through typical Provencal oak woodland, the Bois du Roi, to arrive back at the house. Evening meal in-house.
-
Day 4 Today we drive East to the Verdon Gorge. The drive will take about an hour, and so it's an early start to leave by about 08:30. When we arrive at the Gorge, we'll drive around the northern rim and have an opportunity to stop at various view points. Our walk takes down into the Gorge, starting at the Maline refuge. When at the base, we cross the bridge over the Verdon, and walk along the Gorge for a short distance, before re-ascending back up on the Southern side. Packed lunch. Evening meal in restaurant.
-
Day 5 Today we follow a circuit local to the Moulin du Debran, which will give us the opportunity to see the locality at first hand. During the day, we'll visit the villages of Ongles, Lardiers and St Etienne les Orgues, and have the opportunity to stop for a coffee on route. Picnic lunch. Dinner in-house.
-
Day 6 Visit "Colorado Provence". We drive west for about 1/2 an hour to the small medieval hilltop village of Viens, where we can spend an hour or so exploring its charm. Our walk starts just to the West of Viens, and follows a ridge overlooking the Ubac on the one side, and the Luberon hills on the other. We then drop down into the old ochre quarries and spend the rest of the day meandering in and out of the weird and wonderful multi coloured canyons. Picnic lunch. Dinner in-house.
-
Day 7 Mourre Negre, is the highest point on the Luberon hills, and the ridge that we follow commands stunning views of the Bouches du Rhône on one side, and the Luberon valley on the other. We start the day in the tiny villlage of Auribeau, and climb up through oak forests to the crest of the ridge that leads to the summit. After the summit we follow the ridge West to finish in the very impressive gorge below the village of Buoux. Picnic lunch. Last night dinner in-house.
- Day 8 Breakfast, and transfer back to Marseille airport.
Suitable for
Adults and young persons over 16 years.
Your welfare & protection
As a small enterprise, it's very important to us that our guests are professionally looked after during their stay with us.
Your protection : our operational base is in France, and our company in France is registered as a tour operator (habilitation touristique) and holds business failure cover and public liability cover.
Your welfare : all our activities are led by fully qualifed local Mountain Guides and International Mountain Leaders (Accompagnateurs), thus ensuring that you receive not only top professional care, but that you will also benefit from their in-depth local knowledge of the regions that we operate in.
Copyright : Spacebetween Alpine Adventures Ltd registered in England, company No : 5154532.
SARL Spacebetween registered in France, siret No : 47784956600013 Habilitation Touristique No : H.A. 006.06.0007