ART IN THE HEART OF LOST HAMLETS

We'll meet in front of the Digne-les-Bains tourist office at 10am. After a short ride in a shared vehicle to the thermal baths, we'll start our first (short) hike towards the Refuge d'art des bains thermaux, the work of international land art artist Andy Goldsworthy. We then continue through the oak forest to the 17th-century chapelle Saint-Pancrace and its breathtaking panorama of the surrounding mountains. Here we'll take a well-deserved break with our picnic lunch. On the way down, we'll explore the astonishing "robines" or "terres noires", the clay-limestone marls so widespread in Haute-Provence, and visit the ruins of Queen Jeanne's castle overlooking the path that also saw Napoleon pass by on his return from Elba. We then return to our hotel in Digne-les-Bains. A gentle evening in the company of our hosts, Anne-Françoise and Georges-Eric, who founded their family-run hotel 30 years ago.

We'll meet in front of the Digne-les-Bains tourist office at 10am. After a short journey by public transport to the thermal baths, we'll begin our first (short) hike to the Refuge d'art des bains thermaux, the work of the artist Transfer by public transport to Prads-Haute Bléone, towards the abandoned hamlets of the former commune of Mariaud. This moderately-paced day's hike will give us the opportunity to talk about the history of these valleys, discover the still-exceptional landscapes and learn about the local flora and fauna. In the morning, we'll head for Vière and Richard Nonas's Edge-stones, an emotional work in memory of the place and its now-defunct inhabitants. We'll continue on to Pié Fourcha, where we'll enjoy a picnic lunch provided by Villa Gaia. We then head up the Galèbre torrent to the Imméré ruins, before completing the loop via Saume Longe, close to our parking area. Return by car to Digne, where we return to the comfort of Villa Gaia.

After returning our rooms to Villa Gaia, this time we're off to the Bès valley. Our walk becomes a fascinating time machine: we tread the reddish bed of an ancient tropical lagoon, 20 million years old, and the bottom of a river fossilized 30 million years ago. In the distance, a 250-million-year-old formation has climbed the mountain! Then we arrive at Andy Goldsworthy's Refuge d'art du Vieil Esclangon, a work that echoes our ascent. Then a short climb takes us to a viewpoint overlooking the Vélodrome, a monumental fossil seabed before our Mediterranean. Picnic next to the Refuge d'art. On the way back, we'll search the ruins of the ancient village of Esclangon for traces of herman de vries, gilded with gold leaf, before returning to our vehicle.

By train to Aix-TGV station (3h from Paris). Then by direct bus to the Digne-les-Bains bus station (Bus Zou! Express n°66, to be taken directly from the station - 2h15 journey time); with your own vehicle: 2h from Marseille; 2h45 from Grenoble.

You must provide your own picnic on the first day. Picnics on days 2 and 3 are included in the price.

Every evening we'll be staying at La villa Gaia, a *** hotel with a large garden planted with trees, in double rooms (two beds per room). Bright, comfortable and voluntarily non-televised rooms, each with private bath or shower and toilet. Single room option: to be booked when registering. Full-board accommodation (picnic lunch). Wifi and free parking.

The hikes are easy (level 2 out of 5). You'll need good walking shoes and hiking poles. During the hike, you'll just need to carry a small bag with water bottle, picnic and your gear for the day. Days in the Alpes de Haute Provence are generally warm and sunny in spring. However, in the event of rain or bad weather, temperatures can drop rapidly. Bring rainwear and a pullover, as well as a hat, sunglasses and sun cream.