Castellane
Gateway to the Verdon Gorge
Castellane, dominated by its huge rock on which Nôtre Dame du Roc stands, is often called the Gateway to the Verdon Gorge. The town is an excellent base for exploring the area by car or on foot and of course there are plenty of water-based activities too.
Most of Castellane is on the right bank of the Verdon river and its centre is the place Marcel Sauvaire. It was a stopping place on the Route Napoleon along which the great man marched on the way to his Waterloo. He stopped at number 34 Rue Nationale for lunch before setting off again for Digne to the north.
Castellane is a maze of narrow lanes and ancient buildings such as the Tour Pentagonale, the Porte de l’Horlage and the Église St-Victor. A great view of the town can be obtained by climbing up to the 14th Century ramparts and taking the path to the terrace of Nôtre Dame du Roc – a steep climb and certainly not for the faint-hearted!