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Esparron-de-Verdon

May 18, 2017 by Ashley 2 Comments

Esparron-de-Verdon
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The tiny, lakeside village of Esparron-de-Verdon in Provence, France is my new go-to destination during the month of May. This is not a village you go to for glamor, shopping or a plethora of upscale restaurants. No way. This is a village for the lover of all things sportive and outdoorsy. Everything from camping, to fun at the lake, to horseback riding, to hiking can be found here and May is the time to go because the weather is wonderful and the town has not yet been inundated by tourists. In other words, you pretty much get the place to yourself. The turquoise colored water, the rocky cliffs with their grottoes and the more than 1600 hectares of forests all contribute to the beauty of this place.

View of Esparron-de-Verdon just below the anceint chateau
View of Esparron-de-Verdon just below the ancient chateau
Boat ride into the gorge on the Lac d'Esparron
Boat ride into the gorge on the Lac d’Esparron

The history of Esparron-de-Verdon

The village of Esparron-de-Verdon is located in the department called Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and just to prove how tiny this place is, a census taken in 2014 showed only 422 inhabitants. During the off season, this sleepy village gets to enjoy their surroundings all by themselves. During the summer months, however, this place becomes a tourist’s mecca, which is why May is marvelous here.

One of the tiny streets in Esparron-de-Verdon
One of the tiny streets in Esparron-de-Verdon
Esparron-de-Verdon
Esparron-de-Verdon
Church of Saint-André in Esparron-de-Verdon
Church of Saint-André in Esparron-de-Verdon

Eparron-de-Verdon has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age. Remains from the Neolitic and Bronze Ages have been found, as well, not to mention the cliff side homes. The first time Esparron appears in recorded history was during the 11th century. During the middle ages this village was not considered very important because there were larger villages that surrounded it who had a higher concentration of people. During this time, the lake was only a small stream and no where near the size of what it is today. Daily life was not affected by too much of the outside world and all the way from the 11th century to the French Revolution the village remained somewhat isolated.

Cliff house near Esparron-de-Verdon
Cliff house near Esparron-de-Verdon

The creation of the Verdon damn and the Lac d’Esparron

All this changed only 50 years ago. This was when the river of Esparron became Lac d’Esparron and with it a huge transformation for the inhabitants of the village. It was during the year 1963 when the project first came into being and consisted of creating a damn, 67 meters high, in the nearby town of Greoux-les-Bains (there is also a damn just after Quinson and right before Lake St. Croix). It took 5 years to complete the project and by February 1967 water began filling into this man-made lake, forever changing the landscape and life of village.

What one sees today, two large basins bordered by streams and cliffs and the blue and turquoise colors of the water, was all created in only 5 years and by mid-1967, the Lac d’Esparron was born.

Lac d'Esparron
Lac d’Esparron

The Verdon damn, which was conceived and built by EDF (the French Electric Company) in order to increase electrical output, also gives water both domestically and agriculturally to 116 communities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, including major cities like Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Toulon. When the concept was first thought of for the damn and the lake, it was to give relief to the area of the Verdon but it was quickly realized that more water for more areas would be necessary. Since the creation of the lake, it has given more than 660 million cubic meters of water to the region, that is around 60% of the water used by the population. The lake is also used to irrigate the land when there is a drought.

On the Lac d'Esparron
On the Lac d’Esparron
Investigating the cliffs on the Lac d'Esparron
Investigating the cliffs on the Lac d’Esparron

The Verdon damn and the creation of the Lac d’Esparron also gave new life to the village by creating an abundance of recreational fun.

The Chateau d’Esparron

In 1218, Bonfice V married Agnès Sada and with this marriage he acquired the entire, lower region of Verdon which included a share of the Esparron “kingdom” with the Esparron family. He proceeded to build a 30 meter tower that can still be seen today.

View of the medieval tower of the Chateau d'Esparron
View of the medieval tower of the Chateau d’Esparron

The tower and kingdom stayed within the Esparron family until 1448 when Robert of Castellane married Alix d’Esparron and the property became that of the Castellane family.

Chateau d'Esparron
Chateau d’Esparron

In 1780 Joseph Jean-Baptiste de Castellane built the south wing. He and his wife had no children so the property was passed down to a nephew, Joseph Léonard de Castellane. During the French Revolution, Joseph left France for England and the chateau was taken over and then sold by the state. From this point, there are two version of the story. One is, the wife of Joseph temporarily divorced him so that she could buy back the chateau another is that a friend of the family purchased the chateau and then gave it back to the family.

In either case, the Castellan family regained their property after the French Revolution.

Plaque on the walls of the Chateau d'Esparron
Plaque on the walls of the Chateau d’Esparron

In 1989, Louis-Provence de Castellane, also known as the Marquis d’Eparron, willed the property to his nephew, Bernard, because he had no male heirs. The chateau continues to be owned by Bernard, his wife and their children and together are the 32nd generation of Castellanes to own and occupy the Chateau.

**Above information taken from the Chateau d’Esparron website.

Interestingly enough, you can stay in the chateau. Between mid-May and the beginning of October each year, part of the chateau becomes a B&B and anyone can stay. If you would like to do so, click here to get information and make reservations.  I have not yet convinced my husband that this is a necessary thing to do (because we don’t live that far away) but sooner or later he will see it my way and I’ll be making reservations!

A view of Esparron-de-Verdon from the above the lake
A view of Esparron-de-Verdon from the above the lake

Fun on the Lac d’Esparron

Since the creation of the lake in 1967, it has seduced the love of sunbathers and relaxing water sports lovers.

NOTE: NO gas powered water craft allowed. This is a fresh water lake used as a potable water source by an entire region and thus needs to be maintained as pollution free as possible.

The nautical club of Esparron, CNEV, set up shop almost immediately after the creation and is still there today.

Near the nautical club of Esparron-de-Verdon
Near the nautical club of Esparron-de-Verdon

Now-a-days, you have La Perle du Verdon, which is a multiple passenger boat for making a 1 hour tour around the lake with a commentary, and also a few other companies who rent electric boats, kayaks, paddle boards, peddle boats and little sail boats. Plenty to choose from, in fact, try them all!

One man sailboats on Lac d'Esparron
One man sailboats on Lac d’Esparron
Boat rentals on the Lac d'Esparron
Boat rentals on the Lac d’Esparron
Kayaking on the Lac d'Esparron
Kayaking on the Lac d’Esparron
Even the wild animals are friendly on the Lac d'Esparron
Even the wild animals are friendly on the Lac d’Esparron

Personally, I’ve rented the electric boats from a company called Alize Electronic. The staff here are super friendly and easy going. You just need to leave your ID with them and after a two minute lesson on how the boat works, and what to do and not to do, you’re off and running. You have to give them an approximate time frame in which you will have the boat so they can have an estimated time for other groups who would like to use their boats during the day, but other than that, you’re good. They take cash and credit card, yippee for me who is not a cash person at all.

Alize Electronic boat rental Lac d'Esparron
Alize Electronic boat rental Lac d’Esparron
Cruising on the Lac d'Esparron
Cruising on the Lac d’Esparron

I would highly recommend at least two or three full hours for a boat rental. The boats go about 4km per hour so it’s not super fast and it does take time to go into the gorge and/or around the lake. In all actuality, I would even go for longer. If the lake isn’t crowded, you will feel like two or three hours is not nearly enough because it’s such a beautiful and serene setting. Also, to see both the canyon going towards the village of Quinson and to do a trip around the lake in Esparron, two hours will not be enough. The nice thing about their boats is they have a cover which can be put up or down while you are on the boat. This way if you feel like you’re getting a bit too much sun, instant shade. Pretty cool.

Electric boat rentals on Lac d'Esparron
Electric boat rentals on Lac d’Esparron

Now, as far as getting off the boat and venturing around the cliffs in the gorge, I’ve been told two different things. The first time I rented the boat, the staff person said it was forbidden to anchor and go on the cliffs while in possession of their boat. The second time I rented from them, a different staff person ask me if I was going to stop and look around the cliffs and if so, she would show me how to pull up the motor, so….go figure. I honestly don’t know if you can or can’t, I guess it’s up to whatever staff person you get and what rules they want to enforce that day!

Underwater grotto on the Lac d'Esparron
Underwater grotto on the Lac d’Esparron

Hiking around Esparron-du-Verdon

For those of us that get their kicks out of hiking, look no further because this little village has got your back. There are a multitude of hikes in every direction ranging from 30 short minutes to a few hours depending on what your level or desire is. You can even hike from Esparron-de-Verdon all the way to Quinson which is about a 6 hour round trip. Each time I’ve visited, there has always been a couple of hiking groups out and about.

Hiking trails in Esparron-de-Verdon
Hiking trails in Esparron-de-Verdon
The canola fields near Esparron-de-Verdon
The canola fields near Esparron-de-Verdon
Canola and poppies near Esparron-de-Verdon
Canola and poppies near Esparron-de-Verdon

The nice thing about this time of year is that Provence has not quite hit that super-hot, humidity stage and because it’s spring you also get to see all the flora and fauna in its beautiful and colorful state. The hills are green, the trees are green and there are flowers blooming everywhere.

Spring in Esparron-de-Verdon
Spring in Esparron-de-Verdon
Surrounding countryside of Esparron-de-Verdon
Surrounding countryside of Esparron-de-Verdon

If you chose to go hiking along the ridge that is adjacent to the chateau, it offers a fantastic view of it from afar along with the church and a few houses tucked around it. I love it because from that perspective it looks like it was straight out of a fairy tale!

View of Esparron-de-Verdon while hiking
View of Esparron-de-Verdon while hiking

Outdoor sports in Esparron-de-Verdon

Besides all the fun you can have hiking and on the lake, this area also has equestrian centers for horseback riding, tennis and volleyball courts, bike rentals and fishing (probably need a license for that).

There is even a camp ground for those who wish to tent it.

Hiking around the tiny village of Esparron-de-Verdon
Hiking around the tiny village of Esparron-de-Verdon

Personally, I stick to the lake and hiking. Those two things provide countless hours of enjoyment for me.  I would love to do horseback riding but forgo it because my man is not a fan.

All in all, this village might be tiny, but one could easily spend a week here enjoying themselves. It has a nice woodsy feel to it and provides enough to do that the whole family will have a great time.

Outskirts of the village of Esparron-de-Verdon
Outskirts of the village of Esparron-de-Verdon

Les Hirondelles or Swallows (as we English speakers call them)

May is also the time of year when the swallows (or les Hirondelles in French) are at their busiest. These little, migratory birds are everywhere in the south of France during the months between March and June, but in the more remote and less populated areas they seem to arrive in abundance. Esparron-de-Verson in May is one of the best places to view them. The birds are the most active during the early morning hours and in the evening at dusk.

Les hirondelles or the swallows in flight in Esparron-de-Verdon
Les hirondelles or the swallows in flight in Esparron-de-Verdon

Their little nests, up under the eaves of houses and buildings, are bursting with life in May. The many nests attached to the Mairie (town hall) and the church provide you with a wonderful, and free, show. For avid bird watchers this is a delight in and of its self. The little swallows are like boomerangs, swift and agile, and going to and from their nest provides amazing entertainment for hours on end. Bring a tripod with you!

Les hirondelles or the swallows nesting in Esparron-de-Verdon
Les hirondelles or the swallows nesting in Esparron-de-Verdon

The photo and video opportunities in this village, this time of year, are infinite!

The turquoise waters of Lac d'Esparron
The turquoise waters of Lac d’Esparron

As always, I would love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment below.

The location map for Esparron-de-Verdon, along with my Google Local Guide review of Alize Electronic Boat Rentals, is here.

 

 

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Filed Under: Exploring Places Tagged With: birds, boating, canola, castle, chateau, church, cliff homes, countryside, electric boats, Esparron-de-Verdon, exploring provence, flowers, france, gorges, hikes, hiking, hirondelles, history, kayaking, Lac d'Esparron, lake, medieval, medieval village, nature, outdoor sports, poppies, provence, provence countryside, swallows, travel, water sports

Exploring Provence with a visit to Garéoult

December 1, 2016 by Ashley 4 Comments

Canola Fields in Gareoult
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The town of Garéoult, in the Var department, is a nice, family-fun, place to visit in Provence.

The village is located about 30 minutes north of Toulon in the French countryside. There is no longer a chateau here and no “tourist attractions” per say, but even so, the village offers a nice day trip to those wanting to get off of the beaten path and spend a relaxing, casual day out with the family. It also offers some nice pieces of history to see, a couple of good restaurants and a tea house. There is a newly-made parking lot just off of the main highway D554.

The vineyards in Garéoult
The vineyards in Garéoult

 

The poppy fields in spring in Garéoult
The poppy fields in spring in Garéoult

It is situated on a plateau surrounded by hills and vineyards. The forest to the north is called the Garéoult forest and is around 700 hectares. It is made up of mainly white oaks and Scottish Pines. It also serves as a great place to hike and gives an impressive view of the landscape when you are up in the hills. The southern area is made up of around 500 hectares of vineyards. This area is called La Provence Verte (Green Provence) because it is an area where it rains quite a bit. It is also an area where the famous Mistral winds can blow very violently.

Gallo Roman Times and Middle Ages.

This village dates back to the Gallo-Roman time period, but the majority of its known history began in the Middle Ages. During a renovation project in 1988, when the city was putting in a public swimming pool, excavators found 90 burial sites. Archeologists were called in and after careful examination of the remains, found that the oldest dated back to the Gallo-Roman times and the most recent ones dated back to the Middle Ages. Today, in the small town hall (Mairie) museum called, La Nécropole Louis Cauvin, a set of one of the remains from the 1st century A.D. is on display along with some of the earthenware artifacts that were found.

The skeletal remains from 1 A.D in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult
The skeletal remains from 1 A.D in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult

There are also illustrated panels on the excavation and the burial rituals of that time period. I encourage you to start here so you can get in a bit of history and also find some brochures in the lobby area of things to see and do in the surrounding area.

Historical Timeline Panels in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult
Historical Timeline Panels in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult

Around the year 1500, an animal powered olive oil mill was constructed in the center of the village. The mill continued to operate until the year 1956 when the olive fields that surrounded the community froze.

The Village Fountains

There are eight fountains in the village that are continuously fed by the spring called Saint Medard. The oldest of these fountains was built in 1745 and restored in 2000. You can see this fountain just outside the town hall in a square by the church.  It is called “The 4 Seasons”.  The restoration was done by the village’s stone cutter. It has a dagger shape to show the power of the Lord and the four faces that surround it are to represent the four seasons. It is surrounded by trees that are several hundred years old.

The 4 Seasons Fountain in Garéoult
The 4 Seasons Fountain in Garéoult

 Saint Etienne Church

Facing the Four Seasons fountain is the original church which was built in a Romanesque style between the years 1045 and 1048. On top of the church is a wrought-iron, ornamented, bell tower which was built in 1842.

Clock Tower in Garéoult
Clock tower of church Saint Etienne in Garéoult
Saint Etienne Church
Side view of Saint Etienne church and bell tower in Garéoult

The church was partially destroyed, but rebuilt in 1848 using the original stones.

The bell tower in Garéoult
The bell tower of Saint Etienne in Garéoult

Inside the church are fifteen classified works, some of them being statues and busts, bells, a pulpit, an alter and a painting of three saints.

Inside Saint Etienne church in Garéoult
Inside Saint Etienne Church in Garéoult

 

Some of the historical artifacts in the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult
Some of the historical artifacts in the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult

 

Painting inside the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult
Painting inside the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult

The Ancient Bread Oven

Walking just north you will find the “four banal” or tax oven. It has been in the center of the village for over 500 years. Here was where the villagers had to pay a tax to the overseeing lord in order to bake their bread. Nowadays, villagers and visitors may go and get some freshly baked bread here twice a year, near Christmas and on Saint John’s day and participate in the celebration of the history of the village.

The 500 year old bread oven "four banal" in Garéoult
The 500 year old bread oven “four banal” in Garéoult

Buying Community Wine

Continue making your way north to a street called Avenue Etienne Gueit and walk towards the west. Here you will find a wine cooperative which was constructed at the end of the 20th century. It’s called Le Cellier Provençal and has been newly restored in the year 2016 with a new store in which you can by wine from the community vines. I encourage you to buy a few bottles as souvenirs of your trip. Currently there are several domains in Garéoult which carry on the important tradition of wine making in this area. They are: The Domaine de Cambaret, Domaine de Garbelle, Domaine de la Bastides des Oliviers and Domaine de Château de Chaberts.

Le Cellier Provencal wine store in Garéoult
Le Cellier Provencal wine store in Garéoult

The Chapel Saint Felix

The little chapel Saint Felix in Garéoult
The little chapel Saint Felix in Garéoult

Make your way to the northern, outer rim and located just outside the village center you will find the Chapel Saint Felix on a small hill. This religious building was built in 1885 and dedicated to the saint who came to Garéoult during August 1854 when a Cholera epidemic killed 70 people in 25 days. He is considered the town hero for helping to save the rest of the population.

The chapel has been newly restored during the last few years thanks to the generous donations and time of the people of the town. It is open each Thursday afternoon and the first Sunday of September, there is a procession to it.

In order to get to the chapel, you must make your way across the street and follow the walking path to the cemetery.

Tree-lined Path in Garéoult
This tree-lined path takes you toward passed the cemetery and towards Saint Felix in Garéoult

 

The Vineyard House in Garéoult
The Vineyard House in Garéoult

Just passed the cemetery, you will see a small house at the edge of a vineyard. Pass by the house and you will see the sign indicating the chapel. Take the stony path to the left of the sign and in about a one or two minute walk, you will see the chapel. On the far side of the chapel is a little area to sit and enjoy the view.

A side view of Saint Felix chapel in Garéoult
A side view of Saint Felix chapel in Garéoult

 

The front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult
The front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult

 

The view from the front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult
The view from the front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult

A Walk Around

After a small break, go back down the path you came up on and when you reach the street, turn left. Continue down this street and it will open up to vineyards. Take a right turn at the first intersection you come to. As you walk down this street, vineyards will be on your right and both houses on the hill and vineyards will be on your left. The road wines around for a while.

The Garéoult vineyards in autumn
The Garéoult vineyards in autumn

When you come to the end of the street there will be a stop sign. Turn right here and this street will take you back to the center of the village. You will pass the tennis courts and the public swimming pool (where the ancient burial site was). Then you will see the main, town round-about. Cross the street to enter into the old part of town. This is the main street where all the stores are.

The round about leading to the main street in Garéoult
The round about leading to the main street in Garéoult

If you are in the mood for the best cakes you will probably ever have, stop into the bakery just on the left after the round-about. It’s called La Fournee de Bella. There is something for everyone at this patisserie. My review on Google Local Guides is here along with some photos.

Continue to make your way down the main street. If the hunger bug hits you, I recommend the two restaurants in town. One is a pizza place called La Table de Lilou and the other is an Asian restaurant called Saveurs d’Asie and as luck would have it, they are right next to each other on Boulevard du Mourillon.  Both offer delicious food and in the spring and summer they have outdoor seating under the trees.

The town also offers a cute, little tea house called Variations Autour du Thé. The inside is very inviting with a small table area. They offer all sorts of teas, coffees, hot chocolates, crepes and a host of other small meals and drinks. It’s a very cozy place and my personal preference, the dark hot chocolate. They give you a large cup of milk with a block of chocolate next to it and you swirl the chocolate around in the milk to make your own hot chocolate. Very tasty!

Getting ready to make hot chocolate at Variations Autour de Thé in Garéoult
Getting ready to make hot chocolate at Variations Autour de Thé in Garéoult

 

Making hot chocolate in Garéoult
Making hot chocolate in Garéoult

 

Nice cup of hot chocolate
The finished hot chocolate.

They also sell, tea pots, cups made from a local artisan, chocolate, and a host of things that are great for gifts or souvenirs. My review on Google Local Guides is here.

Please note the days and times that specific places are open. Typically, things to see and visit are closed during lunch time and on Sundays and restaurants adhere to a pretty strict lunch schedule between 12:00 and 2:00 and a dinner schedule of 7:00 to 9:30ish.

I hope you take time out and enjoy your adventure here. I would love to hear how your visit went and what you enjoyed the most so please let me know by leaving me a comment below.

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Filed Under: Exploring Places Tagged With: artifacts, canola, chapel, chocolate, church, daytrip, fields, fountain, france, Gareoult, history, oven, poppies, provence, skeleton, tea, travel, trees, trip, village, vineyards, wine

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