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The circuit begins not far from the Rhône Valley then sweeps into the Provençal Prealps, going from one hilltop village to the next. The theme is repeated in each village encountered through the panels presenting local history and culture. A short guidebook published for each commune ("parish") enables you to know a little more about each area.
Conviviality and a warm welcome are the bywords of this trip, ensuring an interesting approach to the region you traverse. Guests are often invited to dine with their hosts and will certainly enjoy traditional dishes made with local produce!
From April to October
Itineraries (please click for details)
8 days / 7 nights 
4 days / 3 nights
Characteristics of circuits
Walking holiday without guide
Difficulty 2/5
Daily stages 9 - 21 kilometres, 3 - 5 hours walk
Total daily uphill from 100 to 500 metres
Altitudes from 400 to 700 metres
What's included?
Half board
Guest houses with 2 or 3 "épis"
Baggage transfer
Detailed roadbook and maps
Logistical and technical support
Shuttle organised for return to starting point
Reservation request
Booking form
Once you've filled in the form, Safran will suggest a made-to-measure holiday adapted to your personally chosen dates during the week or at the weekend.
Tariffs 2012
| Price per person, on the basis of two people sharing same room | Additional services | |||
| Duration | July - August | Low Season | Baggage for a Single | Single Room |
| 8d/7n | € 635 | € 600 | € 70 | € 140 |
| 4d/3n | - | € 280 | € 35 | € 60 |
| Picnic € 10 per person | ||||
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The somewhat surprising reason for hilltop villages
 Throughout the Roman empire, people lived in houses scattered here and there in the countryside, with at least one large “villa” (country house) within each of what have become today’s “communes” (parishes).The first Christian sanctuaries were established on the sites of the larger “villae”. In time these became the mother churches of future parishes. In the XI and XII centuries, the villages themselves came to "perch” at the foot of the local castle. For a long while it was thought that this was to protect the inhabitants from attack from invading Saracens, but it has become clear that such fortress villages were often overrun or destroyed in feudal wars, proving quite incapable of resisting any serious offensive. Today another explanation is suggested: the local lords wished, it would seem, to gather the inhabitants around them (by force if necessary) both to facilitate taxation in a booming agricultural economy and to establish monopolies in certain domains such as the milling of flour and the making of bread… |
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Agence Safran - Les Cascades - F. 26400 Mirabel et Blacons
Tel. +33 (0)4 75 25 78 78 - Fax +33 (0)4 75 25 78 79
info@safrantours.com - Agence de voyages LI.026.99.0001