The Rough Guide to Provence & the Cote d'Azur (Travel Guide with Free eBook) by Rough Guides

Author:Rough Guides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, France
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

North and east of Draguignan

Of the two principal routes onwards and upwards from Draguignan, the D955 heads north towards the mighty Grand Canyon du Verdon (see page 182), with the dramatic Gorges de Châteaudouble as a foretaste of the scenic splendours ahead, while the D562 sets off northeast towards Grasse, with several medieval villages as potential detours along the way.

Between January and June, in the wonderful, almost uninhabited expanse of forest south of the D562, you may see untended cattle with bells round their necks and sheep chewing away at the undergrowth. That these animals are once more roaming the former pasturing grounds of the transhumance routes has great ecological benefits in maintaining the diversity of the forest.

Châteaudouble

Beyond the exquisitely peaceful village of Rebouillon, beside the River Nartuby 5km northwest of Draguignan along the D955, the scenery changes dramatically with the start of the Gorges de Châteaudouble. A mere scratch it may be, compared to the great Verdon gorge, but it holds some impressive sites, not least the village of CHTEAUDOUBLE hanging high above the cliffs. Nostradamus predicted that the river would grind away at the base until the village fell, but has yet to be proved right. All but deserted out of season, Châteaudouble consists of little more than a couple of churches, a handful of houses, a potter’s workshop, a beekeeper and his hives, and a ruined tower and ramparts.

Callas

The village of CALLAS, 15km northeast of Draguignan, can be reached by turning left onto the D525 12km along the road to Grasse. It’s an agreeable place to stop for lunch or spend the night, with a lovely square by the church at its highest point.

Bargemon

The steep, narrow D25 climbs through luscious valleys for 6km north of Callas before reaching the charming village of BARGEMON. Two immovable obstacles, an old stone fountain and a large plane tree, stand a few metres apart on the main road through; with no apparent rule as to whether either or both constitutes any kind of traffic roundabout, this little stretch does, however, form a de facto village centre, with considerable fun to be had watching from the pavement cafés as the vehicles attempt to duck and dive their way through. The ancient core of the village is immediately south, a small tangle of pedestrianized streets tucked away behind fortified gateways, while the bars and restaurants along the commercial street are kept busy in summer by throngs of well-heeled expats. Bargemon is an exclusive residential district, chosen by no less than David and Victoria Beckham as the site of their Provençal retreat. It’s especially picturesque in spring, when the streets are filled with orange petals and mimosa blossom.

Musée-galerie Honoré Camos

Chapelle St-Étienne • June–Sept Wed–Sun 3.30–7pm • Free • 04 94 76 72 88

The eleventh-century Chapelle St-Étienne, outside the walled core alongside the village’s small market square, houses the Musée-galerie Honoré Camos. As well as displays on local history, it hosts exhibitions of local painters, with a permanent collection of works by Honoré Camos himself (1906–91).

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.