Sensory discovery of art in the mountains

Welcome by your mountain leader at the Digne les Bains tourist office (or at the villa Gaïa if everyone is there...), then departure in individual vehicles (picnic in the bag on this first day, not included in the price of the stay) to the Digne thermal baths for a first easy hike towards the Refuge d'art des bains thermaux, gateway to the monumental work Refuge d'Art by international land art artist Andy Goldsworthy. We then continue at the pace of a conscious walk towards the chapel of St. Pancrace and its panorama from the Alps to the Valensole plateau. On the way down, we'll discover the famous "Robines", the clay-limestone marls so widespread in Haute Provence. Then back to Digne-les-Bains, settling into the Villa Gaïa (if you haven't already?!) and a relaxing evening in the company of our hosts, Anne-Françoise and Georges-Eric, who founded their family-run hotel 30 years ago.

Departure from Villa Gaïa in private vehicles (carpooling) for the Bès valley, nerve center of the UNESCO Geopark of Haute-Provence. Our day begins at the Bès footbridge for a medium-difficulty hike with a triple richness: artistic, with the roche rousse sanctuary where herman de vries deposited his most imposing work; geological, with the "Vélodrome" and the "lame de Facibelle"; and spiritual, with an Orthodox chapel occupied by Sister Catherine of Catholic obedience....

Depart Villa Gaïa in individual vehicles (carpooling) for the Bès valley to the "Vélodrome" parking lot. We'll then follow the rhythms of mindful walking in the footsteps of artist Andy Goldsworthy. We'll discover a path loaded with the work we'll admire a little higher up: the Refuge d'art du vieil Esclangon. Indeed, it was on a rainy day that the artist discovered that the earth he was treading on his first ascent to the ruined village was the ideal material for the sculpture that was to become one of the emblems of the Dignois region... After this first ascent, we continue to the belvedere, which offers a panoramic view much appreciated by geologists, opening onto the "Vélodrome" and the "lame de Facibelle". On the way back, we visit the ruined village and the traces that herman de vries has discreetly scattered among the stones. After a picnic lunch, we'll head back down to the hamlet of Esclangon (le neuf) and turn off towards the Col de l'Escuichière to admire Andy Goldsworthy's Refuge d'art d'Escuichière. Evening and dinner at Villa Gaia.

Carpooling, we'll head for the Vallée des Duyes, Valensole's geological pudding formation, to reach Thoard, a pretty perched village in the Vallée des Duyes. From here, we quickly reach the Chapelle Sainte Madeleine art refuge, the first art refuge created by Andy Goldsworthy, perched on a rock with a 360-degree view over the valley and the hills of St. Joseph. After this short loop, we'll take the vehicles back to the Col de Mounis. We then descend through an old beech forest, before a final ascent to the Refuge d'art de la Forest, surely the most mysterious of the refuges d'Art built in the heart of an abandoned village overlooking the magnificent Vanson river. Return by road. Evening and dinner at Villa Gaia.

After carpooling to Draix, a tiny village in the Bléone valley, and a short walk, we'll discover the Refuge d'art de la ferme Belon, the largest of Andy Goldsworthy's art refuges. Here's a short text from the artist when he imagined this work: "The first floor has few windows and a low ceiling. The darkness will be pierced by intense rays of light. This is the ideal atmosphere in which to build arches of white stone: they will appear like architectural ghosts, and there should be enough of them to give the room a sense of movement and circulation....". Picnic on site before heading to the Musée Gassendi and its permanent exhibitions dedicated to the two artists we met, whose visit will bring our stay to a close.

In the event of poor weather forecasts, group fatigue, poor trails or other reasons beyond our control, we may have to modify this program on an exceptional basis. During the trip, your tour leader is the sole judge of the program, which may be modified at any time for reasons that could affect the safety of the group and the smooth running of the trip.

All meals and accommodations are the responsibility of the group, in addition to the rate indicated above.

Since all tours depart from downtown Digne-les-Bains, it is recommended that you make arrangements for lodging in Digne.

All transportation to the hiking trailheads will be by private vehicle, with a preference for carpooling.