Travelling in France: Road bike tours in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence - South of France: Dream tours between the Alps and Provence
The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is one of the least populated regions in France with 23 inhabitants per square kilometre (in comparison: four people per square kilometre live in Brandenburg). Our starting point, Sisteron (population 7,000), is located at the point where the river Durance, which comes from the Alps, forces its way between two mountain ranges in a spectacular way. The lively little town with its pretty old town centre, also known as the "gateway to Provence", lies halfway between the Mediterranean coast (Marseille) and the Alps (Gap, Briançon) with the famous Col de Vars, Col d'Isoard, Col du Lautaret and Col du Galibier passes. For those whose calves tingle at the sound of these names, there is another "cycling pilgrimage site" nearby: From Sisteron to the summit of Mont Ventoux via Sault is just under 90 kilometres!
Most people live in the Durance valley, where the main roads (Gap - Aix) also run. The busiest roads follow the rivers Bléone (towards Digne) and Buëch (towards Laragne, Grenoble), but should be avoided despite the occasional cycle lane. Since the opening of the 51 motorway, the wide N85 running parallel to it towards Gap (part of the famous Route Napoléon) has seen very little car traffic and is ideal for cycling. The further you cycle into the mountains, the more paradisiacal it becomes. The mountainous region around Sisteron is criss-crossed by a loose network of small roads, where you are alone for long stretches. To the east, the Prealps await with the Col de Sagnes (1,176 m) and Col de Font Belle (1,306 m) passes, while to the west there are many small limestone massifs, above all the Montagne de Lure (1,826 m), which also conceal some pretty passes. The quality of the roads is consistently good. Many routes are signposted for cyclists. All our tours break the thousand metre altitude barrier. If you don't fancy the mountains, you can enjoy the almost flat roads in the river valleys.
