Art in the heart of lost hamlets

We will meet in front of the tourist office of Digne-les-Bains, at 10am. After a short journey by collective vehicle to the thermal baths, we will start our first (short) hike towards the Thermal Baths Art Refuge, the work of the international land art artist, Andy Goldsworthy. We will then continue through the oak grove, towards the Saint-Pancrace chapel of the seventeenth century and its breathtaking panorama of the surrounding mountains. We will take a well-deserved break with our picnic from the bag. On the way down, we can walk through the astonishing "robines" or "black earth", 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 on his return from the island of Elba. Then we will go 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 hotel 30 years ago.

Transfer by vehicle: 15 minutes. outward journey, 15 minutes return

Difference in altitude: + 250 m / – 250 m

Distance: 6 km

Personal picnic brought by everyone

Dinner and evening at Villa Gaia.

Transfer by collective vehicle to Prads-Haute Bléone, towards the abandoned hamlets of the former commune of Mariaud. This day of moderate-paced hiking will be an opportunity to talk about the history of these valleys, discover exceptional landscapes and take an interest in the local flora and fauna. In the morning, we will start by heading to Vière and Edge-stones by Richard Nonas, a work full of emotion in memory of the place and its inhabitants who have now disappeared. Then we will continue to Pié Fourcha where we will enjoy the picnic near the water, taken from the bag provided by Villa Gaia. We will then go up the Galèbre torrent to the ruins of the Imméré, before completing the loop via Saume Longe, near our parking place. Return by car to Digne, where we will find the comfort of Villa Gaia.

Transfer by vehicle: 45 minutes. outward journey, 45 minutes return.

Difference in altitude: + 480 m / – 480 m;

Distance: 11.5 km

Picnic lunch provided

Dinner and evening at Villa Gaia.

After returning our rooms to Villa Gaia, we will leave this time for the Bes Valley. Our walk will then become a fascinating time machine: we will 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! It is then that we will arrive at Andy Goldsworthy's Refuge d'art du Vieil Esclangon , a work echoing our ascent. Then, a short climb will take us to a viewpoint on the Velodrome, a monumental fossil seabed, before our Mediterranean. Picnic next to the Art Refuge. On the way back, we will look in the ruins of the old village of Esclangon for the golden leaf traces of Herman de Vries, before returning to our vehicle.

We'll finish our stay with a visit to the Musée Promenade, in Digne-les-Bains, headquarters of the UNESCO Geopark of Haute-Provence, whose wooded park houses, in addition to Andy Glodsworthy's Cairns, sensitive works, often linked to water, by numerous artists (Agathe Larpent, Dominique Bailly, Joan Fontcuberta, etc.).

Transfer by vehicle: 25 min outward / 25 min return

Difference in altitude: +200 m / – 200 m.

Distance: 5 km.

End of stay: 5 p.m. at Villa Gaia.

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.