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The route national N85 running along the west side of the Durance between Sisteron, Château-Arnoux and Manosque is thick with rushing traffic during the summer. One km away, on the east side (left bank) of the river, the village of Volonne and the surrounding countryside is calm and natural and beautiful.
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Nearby: |
Chaffaut-Saint Jurson 19 km |
Champtercier Observatory 26 km |
Digne-les-Bains 28 km |
Durance River 0 km |
Escale Lake 1 km |
Manosque 48 km |
Route Napoléon |
Saint Geniez 29 km |
Salignac 7 km |
Sisteron 12 km |
Hotels near Volonne: |
12 km Sisteron |
28 km Digne-les-Bains |
48 km Manosque |
The village of Volonne (only 13 km south of Sisteron and 27 km west of Digne-les-Bains) is set in the foothills of 1400-m high mountains that slope down to the Durance. Napoléon passed through here on the 5th of March, 1815, on his way to Sisteron, Grenoble, and destiny.
The 17th century chateau is in beautiful condition, and is used today as the hôtel de ville (the city hall). For "sites", Volonne also has the Eglise Saint-Martin, the remains of an 11th-century romanesque church. The ancient ruins on the rocky hill above the village are visible to the rushing traffic across the river to the west.
Lac de l'Escale
This lake, formed by a dam on the Durance river, is about 4 km long between Volonne and the tiny village of L'escale.
Office de Tourisme
Tel : 04 92 64 05 06; Fax: 04 92 64 07 57
Transportation Volonne
Bus
Bus Marseille - Gap - Briancon
The Marseille - Gap - Briancon bus route is: Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Meyrargues, Peyrolles, Mirabeau, Corbières, Sainte Tulle, Manosque, Volx, Villeneuve, La Brillanne, Lurs, Peyruis, Saint Auban, Chateau-Arnoux, Volonne, Peipin, Les Bons Enfants, Sisteron, Le Poet, Rourebeau, Le Beynon, Valenty, Monetier-Allemont, Le Vivas, La Saulce, Tallard, Chateauvieux, La Tourronde, Gap; La Batie Neuve, Chorges, Savines, Embrun, Chateauroux, Guillestre, Mont-Dauphin, L'Argentière, Briançon.
Trip time Marseille - Gap is 3h15 (Marseille - Manosque 1h20; Manosque - Sisteron 0h50; Sisteron - Gap 1hr). The separate bus between Gap and Briançon is just under 2 hours.
The route and schedule is available on the SCAL-Autocars website (link just below).
Web: www.scal-amv-voyages.com/ligne.htm
Bus Nice - Gap
The Nice - Gap bus route is: Nice, Plan-du-Var, Touet-sur-Var, Puget-Thenier, Entreveaux, Annot-Scaffarel, Rouaine, Saint Julien, St André-les-Alpes, Moriez, Barreme, Norante, Chateau-Redon, Digne-les-Bains, Mallemoisson, Malijai, Chateau-Arnoux, Volonne, Peipin, Bons Enfants, Sisteron, Le Poet, Rourebeau, Beynon, Valenty, Monetier-Allemont, Le Vivas, La Saulce, Tallard, Chateauvieux, La Tourronde, Gap.
Trip time is 4hr40 (Nice - Digne 2h40; Digne - Gap 1hr40).
The route and schedule is available on the SCAL-Autocars website (link just below).
Web: www.scal-amv-voyages.com/ligne.htm
Sports
See also the Sisteron-Sports section.
The lake, Plan d'eau des Buissonnades at Oraison, 30 km south, offers: swimming, pedalos, wind surfing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing.
The lake, Plan d'eau des Vannades, at Manosque, 40 km south along the autoroute, offers: swimming, pedalos, wind surfing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, boat rentals.
Hiking
Maps:
IGN (1/25,000) #3340 ET "Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, Les Mées"
Didier Richard (1/50,000) #1 "Alpes de Provence"; #28 (Montagne de Lure, Val de Durance)
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Dining
Auberge des Deux Tours
Location:
Rue Baume
Closed: off-season sun dinner, mon; 20 dec-20 jan
Tel: 0492 626 011
In a 19th-c postal relay. They even have a small non-smokers room.
(11 km south/Sisteron, across the Durance from Chateau-Arnoux)
Lodging - Hotels
Hotels in Towns Nearby to Volonne
• 12 km — Sisteron hotels
• 28 km — Digne-les-Bains hotels
• 48 km — Manosque hotels
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Photo gallery of One large photo for Volonne