Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Self-catering Alpes-de-Haute-Provence holiday rental homes, France 

The department Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is situated in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The department, just north of the Cote d’Azur in the south of France, is enclosed by the Alpes-Maritimes, the Var, the Vaucluse, the Drôme et the Hautes-Alpes.

Stay in Alpes de Haute-Provence holiday rental houses or villas and explore this fantastic mountainous department famous for its outdoor sports and architecturally beautiful villages. In the north of the department, you will find the high mountains, which form the valley of Ubaye, near the Italian border. Here you can wander through what has been described as Europe’s greatest natural reserve comprising of 210,000 protected hectares.

In the south, below the area dubbed ‘the French Colorado’, you will find the Gorges de Verdon. This area serves as a border to the Var - many of the villages have a distinctive Provencal look to them.

Digne-Les-Bains is the capital of the department. The town is a great base when you holiday in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Two kilometres east you will find baths built on natural springs - a pilgrimage for people with rheumatism and respiratory problems.

The town of Sisteron is often known as the Gateway to Provence thanks to its location in the gap between two mountain ranges. It is also is famous for its medieval citadel high on the rocks overlooking the town and the 12th century cathedral.

The small town of Forcalquier is built on the slopes of a mountain, topped by an octagonal cathedral. The rest of the town is full of narrow cobbled streets and buildings dating from the 12th to the 16th century.

The Gorges du Verdon is a 25 mile-long canyon, which is up to 700 metres deep. The most impressive stretch is between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. At the end of the canyon, the turquoise-green Verdon River flows into an artificial lake. Both the river and the lake are popular with kayakers and the limestone walls of the canyon attract rock climbers to the area.

The mountainous terrain in the department is ideal for outdoor sports and activities in both summer and winter. Aerial sports include hang-gliding and paragliding. There are numerous walking and biking trails to enjoy during your stay in the Alpes de Haute-Provence. In winter you can enjoy skiing or snowboarding at one of the eleven resorts. Many of the peaks are over 8,000 feet guaranteeing good snowfall in the winter months, while the summer remains warm and dry.

Travelling to your Alpes-de-Haute-Provence holiday rental accommodation

By air: To reach the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence by air, fly into one of the airports on the south coast of Provence. Nice, Toulon and Marseille all have regular and direct flights from the UK. By rail: An alternative would be to catch the TGV train service, which stops in Aix-en-Provence. By road: The A51 motorway crosses most of the department and is reached via the A7 motorway from Aix-en-Provence.