Castellane

Lost in striking and still wild natural surroundings at the northern end of the Gorges of the Verdon in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Castellane is a lively and historic town at the crossroads of the Route Napoléon and the Upper Verdon.

Although situated at 724 metres altitude, Castellane nestles in a ravine in the Grand Canyon of Europe. At first, as you approach, you will see just its 184-metre high rocky peak with a chapel on top.
The town, set on the banks of the emerald waters of the Verdon, only begins to appear when you get to the Pont du Roc bridge, built in the 15th century to replace an older one from the 9th and used by Napoleon in 1815 on his return from Elba.

The historic city centre is partly surrounded by its old fortifications and you enter through one of the stone porch ways, such as the Porte de l'Horloge gate, with a belfry topped by a wrought-iron campanile, or the Porte de l'Annonciade, named after an old convent and situated between two square towers. The centre is arranged around the Place Marcel Sauvaire and its small streets, some good for shopping others more secret, are mostly pedestrian. Strolling through the town, you will see the 12th century Saint Victor Church that presents elements of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The vaulted ceiling over its Romanesque side aisle was rebuilt in the 17th century and there are features dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the altar from 1725. The base of its bell tower dates from 1445, but the top was rebuilt in the 18th century. More recent but no less interesting is the town hall in a neo-classical style.