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Barcelonnette - Spanish in name only – image 1
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Barcelonnette - Spanish in name only

In the Provencal Alps, at the confluence of two beautiful valleys, there is a French town with a Spanish-sounding name and architecture with distinct Mexican accents. This is Barcelonnette, which has numerous ski resorts as its neighbors, and itself tempts with something completely different - a specific atmosphere, the possibility of blissful relaxation or active time spent among pristine Alpine nature. "Barcelonnette", naturally, is associated with Barcelona and is translated as a diminutive of its name. In terms of architecture, however, it does not resemble much the center famous for the Sagrada Familia temple or residential buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi (including Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens). The city owes its name to the fact that Ramon Berenguer IV, who founded it in the 13th century, was also the ruler of the seat of Catalonia. Barcelonnette is surrounded by Alpine peaks, the largest of which, Grand Berard, rises above the horizon north of the city. On the other side, the sky is decorated with Le Chapeau de Gendarme, considered the most picturesque of all the peaks that cast a shadow over the valleys of the Ubaye River and its tributary, the Bachelard. The town is beautifully situated on the flat bottom of the valley, and a little higher, in the background, there are pastures and meadows. Between them, small hamlets nestled in the landscape, looking as if time had stopped there for at least half a century. Even higher, the areas are covered with pine forests, and above them you can see the mountain peaks, jagged like the edges of a cordon handkerchief. What could be a more relaxing sight, what better place to holiday in the Alps than a campsite in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region ?.











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