Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PAYS DE FORCALQUIER
Beyond mass tourism's radar, Pays de Forcalquier's expansive landscapes comprise
wildflower-tinged countryside and isolated hilltop villages. It's the portal to Haute-
Provence from the Luberon, and the fastest way in from Marseille, too. At its heart lies
namesake Forcalquier, famous for its market and absinthe. Saffron grows here.
Forcalquier & Around
pop 5000
The area's only town, Forcalquier has an upbeat, slightly bohemian vibe - a hold-over from
the 1960s and '70s, when artists and back-to-the-landers arrived and fostered a now-boom-
ing organics (
biologiques
) movement. For a taste, time your visit for Monday morning's
thrilling
market
, which fills the town's streets. Monday afternoons quieten down; off-sea-
son Tuesdays are dead.
Sights & Activities
Old Town
Steep steps lead to Forcalquier's gold-topped
citadel
and octagonal chapel, whose
carillon
chimes on Sundays at 11.30am to 12.30pm. As you ascend, peruse
artists' workshops
for
pottery and furniture. Pre-Revolution, Forcalquier was the seat of the Comte de Provence
and the region's richest town; the legacy remains in ornately carved
wooden doorways
of
bourgeois town houses.
HISTORIC QUARTER
Église de Châteauneuf
For a curative detour, head 800m south of the village of Mane to the Hôtel Mas du Pont
Roman, then turn right and either park and walk, or drive 3km, to the Église de Château-
neuf. At the remote, centuries-old hillside church, a church sister, a hermit, concocts natural
remedies and makes jam - but she doesn't always reveal herself. If not, consider it an ad-
venture and tick off another church. Bring a picnic.
CHURCH
