Page 187 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

ALPES-DE-HA UTE-PROVENCE  185

7Les Pénitents des
Mées
Road map D3. k Marseille.
£ St-Auban. @ Les Mées. n La
Mairie, 18 blvd de la République
(04 92 34 36 38).
One of the most spectacular
geological features in the region
is Les Pénitents des Mées, a serried
rank of columnar rocks more
than 100 m (300 ft) high and over
a mile (2 km) long. The strange The curiously-shaped Pénitents des Mées, dominating the area
rock formation is said to be a
cowled procession of banished In the early 20th century design and imagery. Offices are
monks. In local mythology, monks the small town was virtually held several times a day by the
from the mountain of Lure took abandoned, and was only monks – visitors may attend.
a fancy to some Moorish beauties, repopulated after World War II,
captured by a lord during the mainly by printers and graphic R Prieuré de Ganagobie
time of the Saracen invasion in artists, who keep their trade N96, 04310. Tel 04 92 68 00 04.
the 6th century. Saint Donat, a in the forefront of events with Open Tue–Sun pms. Closed 1 week
hermit who inhabited a nearby an annual competition. in mid-Jan. =
cave, punished their effrontery The narrow streets of the old
by turning them into stone. town, entered through the Porte
The small village of Les Mées d’Horloge, are held in by the
is tucked away at the north medieval ramparts. North of the
end. Walk up to the chapel of restored Château of the Bishop-
St-Roch for a view of the rocks’ Princes is the beginning of the
strange formation of millions 300-m (900-ft) Promenade des
of pebbles and stones. Evêques (Bishops’ walk), lined
with 15 oratories leading to the
chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Vie
8Lurs and stupendous views over the
sea of poppy fields and olive
Road map D3. * 390. @ La
Brillanne. n Mairie (04 92 79 95 24). groves of the Durance valley.
Head north out of Lurs on the
The Bishops of Sisteron and N96, to the 12th-century Prieuré
the Princes of Lurs were given de Ganagobie. The church has
ownership of the fortified town beautifully restored red-, black-
of Lurs in the 9th century, under and white-tiled mosaics, inspired Floor mosaic of the church of the
the command of Charlemagne. by oriental and Byzantine 12th-century Prieuré de Ganagobie
Le Train des Pignes
An enjoyable day out is to be found on the Chemin de Moriez and thundering over 16 viaducts,
de Fer de Provence, a short railway line that runs 15 bridges and through 25 tunnels.
from Digne-les-Bains to Nice. It is the remaining The train journey is a great way of seeing the
part of a network that was designed to link the countryside, although the ride can be bumpy at
Côte d’Azur with the Alps, built between 1891 times. The most scenic parts are in uninhabited
and 1911. Today the countryside, such as
Train des Pignes, a diesel between St-André-les-Alps
train, usually with two and Annot, where the
carriages, runs four grès d’Annot can be seen ès d’Annot can be seen ès d’Annot
gr gr
times a day throughout (see p191). The journey
the year. It is an active takes about 3 hours each
and popular service, way and can be broken en
used by locals going route. Entrevaux (see p191)
about their daily is a good place to stop.
business as much as by For tickets, call 04 92 03 80
tourists. It rattles along 80 (from Nice), 04 92 31 01
the single track at a 58 (from Digne-les-Bains)
fair pace, rolling by the or visit http://tourisme.
white waters of the Asse trainprovence.com