I offer you a day in the Alpes de Hautes Provence, with walks in fields of flowering tulips and in the village of Forcalquier, known for its aromatic herbs and its limestone monoliths. The GPS route can be accessed here .
Morning among the tulips
Every year, during the first week of April, a colorful natural spectacle takes place between the Lure mountain and the Luberon national park. Thousands of multicolored tulips dot the landscapes, red, orange, white, pink, yellow, purple, etc. They are grown for their bulbs and not their flowers.
A little piece of Holland in Provence
These are Dutch producers who entrust their bulbs to farmers in the Alpes de Haute Provence, in order to take advantage of the sunny climate. from Provence, ideal for the growth of these flowers. The bulbs are then sent back to Dutch producers. There are several tulip fields located between La Brillanne and Lurs, GPS coordinates can be accessed here , here and here . There are parking lots near the fields to park.
Don't hesitate to walk in the olive fields around the tulips, the landscapes are magnificent.
There are a multitude of varieties of tulips, each more beautiful than the last.
Afternoon in Forcalquier
I suggest you go for lunch in Forcalquier at Aigo Blanco , a Provençal cuisine restaurant in the heart of the old quarter. I was very pleasantly surprised by the town of Forcalquier, perched on its hillock , mixing scents and colors, steeped in history. Over the centuries, the city was not only a political power, but also a renowned cultural and economic center in Europe.
For market lovers, don't miss the largest market in the region every Monday morning. The latter transforms the city into a real center of activities full of colors and flavors with all the local seasonal products.
Don't hesitate to stroll through the alleys, between craft stores and the central square, lined with bars and restaurants.
Go up towards the citadel, via the cobbled streets littered with beautiful exposed stone houses.
Formerly the castle of the Counts of Forcalquier, the Citadel is today distinguished by its impressive fortifications, crowned by the Notre-Dame-de-Provence chapel. Near the chapel, you will find one of the rare manual carillons in Provence which is played "with hands" on Sunday mornings and public holidays.
From the top of the hill, don't miss the panoramic view of the Lure mountains and the Luberon.
There is a second path back down into the town, passing behind the Citadel through the rusty gate pictured below then the path of the cross. Once at the bottom, if you are curious about the heritage of the Luberon, Notre-Dame du Bourguet is undoubtedly one of the major historical sites of the town of Forcalquier.
Forcalquier is also well known for its aromatic herbs. I strongly encourage you to go to the Artemisia Museum for a unique olfactory and sensory journey around the history of the gathering and cultivation of aromatic perfume and medicinal plants from the Lure mountain. Suitable for children and adults thanks to interactive courses rich in lessons, you will have the opportunity to stimulate all your senses: educational panels to read, plants to touch, extraordinary perfumes to smell.
If you are a liqueur and pastis lover, I also invite you to go to the Distilleries and Domaine de Provence boutique-museum . Forcalquier is known for its production of vermouth, Henri Bardouin pastis, Grande Absente, thyme liqueur more commonly called Farigoule, pear and cognac liqueur called La Douce and peach aperitif wine called Rinquiquin.
The shop invites you to taste, don't hesitate, it's delicious! Fun panels show you the distillation processes of aromatic herbs, their smells and their use.
After this little aperitif, I suggest you finish the day with a visit to Les Mourres to the north of the city, a limestone geological formation in the countryside, sculpted by erosion. You can get there on foot, there is a 2-hour hike from Forcalquier, or by car by parking in the car park accessible here . The markings are yellow and the path is very simple.
Some rocks reach twenty meters in height, and take the shape of human and animal heads.
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