An integral part of the Haute-Provence Geological Reserve and a veritable open-air museum, the Clues de Barles can be visited by car, motorbike or bicycle!
Rocks, fossils, varied landscapes tell a story dating back 300 million years.
Description
By car along the incredible D900, by bike, on foot and even on horseback, discover extraordinary landscapes and incredible geological sites for a journey... out of time!
The "Clues de Barles" are actually two in number – Saint-Clément and Péroué – to which we add the Clue de Verdaches, a little further away. The latter reveals rocks dating from the Carboniferous period, the oldest in the Haute-Provence Geopark (- 300 Ma).
The Bès, taking advantage of the fragility of the rock, has carved its way through very thick vertical limestone layers dating from the end of the Jurassic or the beginning of the Lower Cretaceous (around 150 Ma).
In 1913, the road achieved the impossible and connected Digne to Verdaches, crossing the Bès from one bank to the other in a fascinating setting. It will take you to some exceptional sites in the Haute-Provence Geological Nature Reserve (ammonite slab, ichthyosaur, bird footprints, Velodrome, etc.). You will also see one of Andy Goldsworthy's three Sentinels and Herman de Vries's The Garden Without a Gardener.
Comfort and amenities
Services
Rates / opening
Prices
Free access.
Opening
All year round, every day.