Europe’s largest protected geological reserve offers unique places to discover.
The largest protected geological reserve in Europe, the Réserve nationale Géologique de Haute-Provence stretches between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var departments. It covers 230,000 hectares, including part of the Verdon. A veritable open-air museum with signposted discovery trails, this vast protected area is home to an impressive fossil heritage.
The shape of ammonites has fascinated people on every continent for centuries. From Germany to Great Britain, via Nepal, they have inspired numerous myths and legends. They take their name from Ammon, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. In Barrême, they’re everywhere, and that’s no legend. The village gave its name to the geological period in which these molluscs lived, over 110 million years ago: The Barrêmien. Come through the doors of the town hall to discover them.
The outcrop used to define the Barrêmien geological stage is located on the route d’Angles.
Located in Tartonne,Andy Goldworthy ‘s sentinel is part of an original artistic journey that is unique in Europe. In collaboration with the Musée Gassendi and the Réserve géologique de Haute-Provence, the internationally-renowned British artist has scattered his Refuges d’art around the reserve.
Head for Castellane, and what was meant to be a simple hike becomes a journey between science and mythology. First you’ll follow the Sirenian Trail to discover the deposit of bones of these ancestors of dugongs and manatees. Afterwards, visit the Maison Nature et Patrimoines to find out all about the Sirenians who grazed here 40 million years ago. And how, despite their far-from-beautiful looks, they are the origin of the siren myth.
Within the protected perimeter of the Geological Reserve, the destruction, removal or degradation of fossils or minerals is prohibited. Manual sampling in limited quantities is tolerated only outside sites classified as National Nature Reserves.
A fantastic journey through space and time, discovering the most spectacular geological sites in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Bring the whole family aboard Federico Sacco and Edouard-Alfred Martel’s time machine.
