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Castellane, which dates back to the sixteenth century,
is located at the cross-roads of the
Route Napoléon
and the Upper Verdon road.
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Nearby: |
Bargeme 30 km |
Batie 10 km |
Digne-les-Bains 54 km (1 hr) |
Entrevaux 43 km |
Frejus 85 km (1h15) |
Grasse 63 km (1h15) |
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie 45 km |
Nice 103 km (1h45) |
Saint Vallier-de-Thiey 51 km |
Sainte Croix Lake 48 km |
Senez 19 km |
Trigance 19 km |
Verdon Gorges 16 km |
Below: |
Hats |
Museums |
History |
O.T. |
Dates |
Transportation |
Sports |
Hiking |
Lodging Hotels |
Castellane is the opposite of a perched village. Tucked down in the throat of the steep Grand Canyon du Verdon, the town is invisible from a distance as you approach, except for a tall rock jutting straight up out of the valley, with a stone chapel (from 1703) perched on top.
The Chapel Nôtre-Dame-du-Rock perched high above Castellane (small photo-4 10k) is built on the site of a Roman fort and the ancient Roman town of Petra Castellana.
The Romanesque Eglise St-Victor dating back to the 11th century, was built by the monks of the Abbey of St-Victor of Marseilles. The aisles of this parish church were built in the 16th and 17th centuries.
It wasn't until the 14th century that the inhabitants of Castellane moved completely down off the rock and into the lower town.
Hats
In the "Modes" hat shop they are serious about their hats, and have been for a very, very long time. The lady who looks after the shop sometimes to help out her friend is 87 years old [1995]. The proprietor is responsible for the design or purchase of everything she sells, and is knowledgeable and proud of her wares; she's 102 years old.
[Sept 1999] The proprietor is now 105 years old. She's relaxed her work to only half-days now, attending her shop only in the afternoons, and she no longer makes her own hats. She does, however, personally select all wares that are offered for sale (and there's a great selection, including some for hiking and strolling). During the mornings, you'll find her granddaughter looking after the shop, maintaining the family's friendly service.
Museums & Sites
- Art et Traditions Populaires
- Association Petra Castellana
- Ancienne Sous-Préfecture
- 34, rue Nationale
- tel: (33) 492 83 71 80; or 92 83 61 14 (Office de Tourisme)
Maison des Sirènes et Siréniens
Location: Place Marcel-Sauvaire
Open: 9-12h, 14-18h
May-Sept: 7 days; Oct-Apr: closed weekends and holidays
Tel: 0492 831 923; fax: 0492 83 19 27
The House of Mermaids and Sirenians, and the Valley of Fossil sirens is about the myth of mermaids, with many "supporting" fossils.
History
Name
First record, 965: Petra Castellana; earlier called Salinae because of two salt-water springs.
Celto-Ligurian:
The ancient Ligurian village of the Suetrii tribe, then a Gallo-Roman town.
Gallo-Roman:
Vestiges remain of the Roman town, including tombs, funerary stela and medals. A knowledgeable friend has shown us the route of the Roman road west of the town, and we've hiked part of it in the hills down towards the Gorges du Verdon, just a few km away.
Office de Tourisme
Tel(V.A.): 04 92 83 61 14; Fax: 04 92 83 76 89
Email: office@castellane.org
Dates
Saturday is market day, and the market is big, busy, and interesting.
Every Aug - Festival d'arts traditionnels "folklore"
Transportation
Bus
Bus service is provided once a day, every day (including Sundays) between Castellane, Grasse and Nice. The schedule is subject to change; verify the times with the Office de Tourisme.
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Castellane
Grasse
Nice |
14:40
15:50
15:45 |
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Nice
Grasse
Castellane |
07:30
08:25
09:35 |
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. One bus a week (Saturday) connects Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.
Driving
From Nice, take the A8 autoroute west (direction "Aix/Pce") and exit at Cannes. From the Cannes-exit roundabout, follow the signs for Grasse, taking the limited-access road. From Grasse, take the N85 Route Napoleon. It's a nice drive with some great scenery, and a bit twisty in places.
Sports
Castellane has a public swimming pool located on the Verdon river, and several nearby camp sites. There are several hiking trails climbing the nearby hills surrounding the town. There are many sports and leisure activities available in and around Castellane, including: équitation (horse riding) and kayaking.
Camping
Naturism.
Fishing
AAPPMA La Gaule
Fishing Association
Location: Mairie de Castellane About 60 km northwest (an hour and a half drive) from Cannes and Nice.
Tel: 0492 836 007, or 0493 936 259
Magasin Safari
Fishing permits (carte de pêche)
Location: Rue du Mitan About 60 km northwest (an hour and a half drive) from Cannes and Nice.
Tel: 0492 837 048, or 0493 936 259
Le Pont de Soleils
Fishing permits (carte de pêche)
Location: bd Charles Guillaumont
Antibes 06160 About 60 km northwest (an hour and a half drive) from Cannes and Nice.
Tel: 0492 836 039, or 0493 936 259
Verdon River Fishing
Between Castellan towards the Gorges du Verdon (to the Pont de Carajuan). This sectioin of the river is easily accessable, for trout fly-fishing.
Location: About 60 km northwest (an hour and a half drive) from Cannes and Nice.
Rafting
Base Sport Nature
Rafting, canyoning, kaya-raft, cano-raft (hot-dog), baby-raft, family raft, via-ferrata, climbing, hydrospeed and river-hiking.
Location: 10 rue de la Fontaine About 60 km northwest (an hour and a half drive) from Cannes and Nice.
Tel: 0492 831 142, or 0663 633 828; Fax: 04 93 05 42 12
Email: contact@basesportnature.com
Web: basesportnature.com/
Based in Entrevaux and Castellane, the professional team of Base Sport et Nature has over 15 years experience in accompanying clients down the most beautiful rivers in the South of France, and up the most breath-taking cliff faces!
Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN (1/25,000) #3542 OT "Castellane"
There are many hiking trails in and around Castellane well marked by wooden sign posts at the starting points and junctions, as well as the standard paint marks along the trails.
The GR4 (Grande Randonnée) goes through Castellane, with Entrevaux to the northeast and the Grand Canyon du Verdon to the southwest. The hike through the Grand Canyon du Verdon is famous, and beautiful.
Northwest out of town you can hike up to the Col des Leques, or you can pick up trails out of town or at the Col itself. From the Col des Leques, the N85 winds down through the Clue de Taulanne, a really gorgeous gorge.
South of the town, several loop hikes go to and around the Montagne de Robion (1660 m) and Destourbes (1543 m), or to the little villages in the next valley.
A couple of good guidebooks are the Guides IGN: Ubaye-Verdon and the FFRP Tope Guide: GR4 - Ref. 401 (Guidebooks and Maps).
Lodging - Hotels
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Photo gallery of 7 photos for Castellane
