Escape along the Durance by bike

Jump on your bike in Briançon, Ville et Pays d’Art et d’Histoire, and cover the first kilometres of the itinerary in the Guisane Valley. With the peaks all around you, the crashing torrents and the Vauban forts which are listed in the UNESCO world heritage, this high Alpine valley rewards your efforts with some amazing views. As you advance, you’ll see some black blocks in the distance on the other side of the valley which bear witness to the former coal mine near the great forests. This will be the first time you cross the River Durance before you reach the Ecrins National Park.

Once you’ve passed l’Argentière, the Durance is behinfd you and in front there’s a nice steep incline to climb! Keep going because you’ll need to pedal hard to get to Freissinières, but you’ll be rewarded by the amazing view from the viewpoint finder. One of the best moments is just after a lovely descent below Mont-Dauphin. In the summer, stop off for a picnic or a little swim in Eygliers or Réotier and sit on a terrace in Guillestre. Here, as in Embrun, Ville et Pays d’Art et d’Histoire, lovers of beautiful stone appreciate the heritage. And lastly, come back to the Durance at Pont Neuf to follow the last kilometres of the torrent before it flows into the Lake of Serre-Ponçon. An incredible natural show with wild creeks and turquoise water on the road to Les Puys.

Your thighs are burning from the various steep climbs and gentle slopes; luckily, the lake follows the contours of the valley and the view is enthralling. Climb up to Saint-Apollinaire along the narrow valley cut by the Réallon torrent. You’ll get a breathtaking view of the lake formed by the Ubaye and Durance confluence. With the wind in your hair, freewheel down to the village of Chorges. Some of you may prefer to take the train from Embrun before getting on your bikes again, leaving the high mountain landscapes for the farming plains, orchards and lavender.

Wind along the little country roads and discover the Hautes-Alpes in its rural, agricultural form of fields and livestock. After taming agentle climb, you’ll come to Bâtie-Vieille with its calm, peaceful atmosphere. Against a backdrop of the ridge of Les Écrins as a marker, you’re ready to cycle into the Dévoluy and the cliff of Le Pic de Bure. In the Gap backcountry, there are many possible detours among fields, prairies and hedgerows. A good way to discover Gap and the pastel colours of its facades, Le Domaine de Charance and the Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin. Get back on the road for Chateauvieux, a charming village which smells of Provence. And as you pride past the Château de Tallard, the Durance is just a few metres away.

The main theme for this fifth stage on the itinerary is the Serre-Ponçon dam, a mirror of water where the Monges are reflected and where beavers and otters like to take it easy. As you go along beside the canal and the orchards of the Durance, with their productions of sun-drenched apples and pears, the fresh air is really reviving. Watched over by a succession of hilltop villages, you’ll wind through the fields and enjoy for a few moments more the magnificent view of the Alpine peaks and the Durance and get a real breath of fresh air before arriving in Sisteron, where the superb perched citadel looks down on you as you draw near. At the foot of the surprising Rocher de la Baume, the village and its little medieval streets invite you to get off your bike and take some time for a pleasant, reviving visit and on top of it all, a wide open view over the surrounding area from the citadel.

This shorter sixth stage is an invitation to slow down and make the most of the treasures dotted along the itinerary. As you leave Sisteron, you’ll go through the hamlet of Entrepierres at the foot of spectacular stratified cliffs, and then have a break at the Paléogalerie in Salignac, a surprising fossil museum. The itinerary then takes you gently across the farming plains with their sun-kissed apricot orchards and groves of olive trees with their silvery leaves. At the end of this stage, you’ll come to Volonne, a charming village nestled at the foot of a rocky spur, looked over by two towers which are home to some beautiful old houses with medieval doors. And, last of all, when you get to Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, you’ll be riding along past the Lac de l’Escale in the Haute-Provence Ornithological reserve, a real sanctuary where many species of birds accompany you in a preserved natural setting.

For this seventh stage, the itinerary continues along the orchard-lined Canal de Provence. First, you’ll come to Malijai and its elegant château on the banks of the Bléone, and then you’ll be drawn to a striking geological curiosity: the Pénitents des Mées. These impressive rock formations sculpted by erosion stand tall like a stationary procession and mark the entrance to the Haute-Provence UNESCO Geopark. If you have a bit of time, you can appreciate this singularity from on high on the path which goes across the top of them, offering a remarkable viewpoint of the village and the valley. After having crossed the Durance between Oraison and La Brillanne, you’ll be entering the Luberon Natural Regional Park, where a short break in Volx can take you on a visit to the Écomusée de l’Olivier. And last of all, the road will take you to Manosque, the town so dear to Jean Giono, where you can discover the museum devoted to the author.