Attractions of Provencal trails
Provence is known for its beautiful landscapes, interesting monuments and a warm climate. It is in Provence that we find medieval castles, vineyards, and wonderful lavender fields. Provence is also home to charming towns such as Saint-Vincent-les-Forts on Lake Serre-Ponçon.
Provence, along with the southern part of the French Alps, covers the south-eastern part of France. Departments such as the Alps of Haute-Provence and the High Alps (Hautes-Alpes) have a lot of tourist attractions. This area is known not only for its four-thousand-meter peaks, but also for beautiful landscapes, especially in the National Parks - Ecrins and Queyras.
From the High Alps to the Alps of Haute Provence
The capital of the Hautes-Alpes department is the town of Gap situated in the mountains, at an altitude of 745 m. It is worth visiting the famous Notre Dame de L'Assomption cathedral, the La Pépinière park and the house where Napoleon lived.
About 80 km from the Gap lies the highest city in Europe - Briançon. It is a former defensive city, located at an altitude of 1,328 m above sea level. In this beautiful place, it is worth seeing the historic cathedral and fortifications , which have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Near Briançon is Névache, a small mountain village where we can admire stone houses . Interestingly, almost each of them has a balcony filled with colorful flowers. In Névache, a historic church is worth seeing. The area is also known for its lush vegetation and many beautiful species of flowers, including the Santa Claus, known here as the Queen of the Alps (La Reine Des Alpes).
In the High Alps we find the highest pass Col d'Isoard, which connects the town of Briançon with Château-Ville-Vieille. This place is located at an altitude of 2,361 m above sea level and is famous primarily for one of the stages of the Tour de France cycling race organized here.
About 30 km from Gap, on the azure Serre-Ponçon lake, lies Saint-Vincent-les-Forts (Alpes de Haute Provence). Its symbol is the chapel of St. Michael , erected on a small island. There are marinas and beaches around the lake. When relaxing in this place, it is worth choosing, among others, a cruise on the tourist ship "La Carline".
Campeole Le Lac campsite
When we are in Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, it is worth staying longer at the nearby Campeole Le Lac campground. The resort is located 10 minutes from the town on the already mentioned Serre-Ponçon lake, at an altitude of 657 m above sea level
This multi-storey campsite covers an area of 14 hectares and offers an amazing panorama of the surrounding mountain peaks. It is worth renting a comfortable holiday home with air conditioning or using the plot equipped with sanitary and electricity connections.
The resort has a swimming pool and a paddling pool for children . Children can use the playground or spend time with animators who organize attractive games and activities especially for them. There is a basketball court, soccer field, table tennis, and a boules court for children and adults.
The vicinity of the lake makes Campeole Le Lac a perfect place for both anglers and water sports enthusiasts . You can go canoeing, windsurfing, rafting and water skiing here. The nearby cliffs are also an ideal spot for paragliders.
The campsite has a restaurant, snack bar, pizzeria and grocery store (including fresh bread). The center is adapted to the needs of the disabled (eg toilets, showers). Campeole Le Lac is the perfect place to admire the beauty of Alpine nature and rest after visiting the Provencal attractions.
Italy, Croatia, Spain ... are the countries I would like to come back to every summer. I like to discover new places, whether it is a bustling capital city or a quiet town on a mountain slope.
