Tour of Lure Mountain (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)

Starting from the medieval town of Forcalquier, the trail climbs gently towards Limans and Lardiers, winding through plateaus of lavender and truffle oaks where the air is fragrant with wild thyme. The ascent to the Lure mountain, Mont Ventoux's little sister, marks the high point of the journey: a desert of white stones offering a breathtaking view, from the Vercors mountains to the Mediterranean. Descending via Cruis, a charming village at the foot of the mountain, the heritage unfolds through ancient abbeys and dry-stone sheepfolds, testaments to a long pastoral tradition. Nature here is wild, sheltering rare biodiversity, from chamois to endemic high-altitude flora. Between the beech forests of the north-facing slopes and the sun-baked south-facing slopes, the return via Montlaux and Fontienne completes the celebration of the soul of this Provence so dear to Jean Giono.

The wild sister of Mont Ventoux, the Lure mountain rises to over 1,800 meters, its limestone silhouette a striking sight. This giant of Provence boasts exceptional biodiversity, where high-altitude beech forests mingle with meadows of fine lavender and medicinal plants. Historically, this landscape was a refuge for shepherds and herbalists of Lure, who gathered rare essences here for apothecaries throughout Europe. The built heritage is discreet yet captivating, marked by dry-stone huts (or "ories") and isolated chapels like Notre-Dame de Lure, nestled in a valley of ancient cedars. A former playground of the writer Jean Giono, the ridge offers a breathtaking panorama, stretching from the snow-capped peaks of the Écrins massif to the Mediterranean Sea on a clear day. Nature has remained untouched there, far from the hustle and bustle, preserving a night sky of rare purity that now attracts astronomers to the Saint-Michel observatory.

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