After having explored the Natural Parks of the Camargue, Alpilles, and Luberon, we continued our trip east to the Provence Verte, with the ultimate destination being the Gorge du Verdon – also known as the Grand Canyon of Europe. And the name certainly didn’t promise too much! Without wanting to spoil anything, I’d like to note here that the Gorge du Verdon is probably the most impressive piece of nature I’ve ever seen in Europe so far. After having seen the valley from the winding roads above, hiking through it was an incredible experience that left us in awe. Ever changing scenery, one viewpoint even more impressive than the other – there are really no words to describe this stunning place. Go and see for yourself!

THE FIRST ORGANIC VILLAGE OF FRANCE

---

But before exploring the breathtaking canyon, we had to make our way up through the ‘Parc naturel régional de la Sainte-Baume’ into the Provence Verte. The drive was marked by winding roads through ever changing landscapes. Sometimes it was the grapevines lining the road, sometimes endless fields and forests that made you wonder whether you were still in the south of France because the scenery was so diverse and different from what we had seen so far. The first stop we made on our way through the Provence Verte would be Correns, le premier Village Bio de France. With less than 1000 inhabitants, this little village charmed us with its tiny streets, beautiful houses and the one little bar on the main square where we managed to grab a coffee alongside some locals that opted for Pastis instead of coffee – I mean after all it was already 12pm. Our small town experience was rounded up by one of these locals showing us the church and giving us some information about the town and its history. While we first thought the man was trying to make some money on the only two tourists that stopped by on that day and possibly even that week, it turned out that his only desire was to show us his hometown and make us feel welcome, which he most definitely succeeded in doing.

CHARMING ALLEYS & SOME SPECIAL BOULANGERIE TREATS 

---

Since we were quite happy with the little exploration we had been doing already, we thought our stop in Cotignac would be a quick one. But after a short 15 minute drive we arrived in the slightly bigger town and realized quite quickly that this place deserved another proper stroll through its enchanting little alleys lined with colourful houses with their typical French shutters and pretty balconies packed with wild flowers and plants. Walking from the parking lot towards to centre, we arrived at a little square with lots of little cafes and restaurants. The parasols and cold drinks in front of the people looked so inviting that we couldn’t resist and sat down in one of the cafes as well – what’s one cafe au lait more or less. If you ever visit Cotignac, make sure to not leave the town before you’ve had a Croissant aux Pignons from the Boulangerie ‘Le Fournil’. I even went back to get a second one, that’s how good these little special treats from the Provence Verte are!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

WATER AS TURQUOISE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE 

---

Another 40 minute car ride through beautiful scenery and landscapes later, we entered the Verdon area, which is characterized by curvy roads leading you up the mountains of the canyon. As we were enjoying the stunning views outside of our car windows, we suddenly spotted something turquoise through the trees. The bright and calm surface of Lac de Sainte-Croix was emerging in front of us. And although La Palud-sur-Verdon, as our base camp for the upcoming days was already typed into the GPS, we couldn’t help ourselves but stop at the next opportunity to see the lake and have a quick dip before continuing the ride. Even though it was already 5pm, it was still warm and the water was the perfect refreshment after a long day in the car. From the middle of the lake we looked back at the stunning rock walls of the Verdon valley in front of us. Together with the turquoise water of the lake and illuminated by the sun that was slowly setting behind us, I couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful panorama.

GORGE DU VERDON – THE GRAND CANYON OF EUROPE

---

It was only another half an hour of nerve-wrecking winding roads adventure from the lake to La Palud-sur-Verdon and the views surely made up for the occasional panic attacks when another passing car would push us a little too close to the edge of the dip. Around 8pm we finally made it to our youth hostel, grabbed some dinner and wine at one of the handful of restaurants the small town has to offer and had an early night in anticipation of our grand hike the next day. As the town is a popular base camp for all kinds of outdoor activities around the Gorge du Verdon, the crowd that resides here can be described as active, international, backpacker tourists. Waking up on the upper bunk in our 4-people dorm room matched this vibe perfectly and on top of that, we were able to save quite a lot of money by only spending 20€/night per person. We had some coffee in the midst of the breaking dawn and then headed to the small convenience store which opens at 8am and is run by a sweet old lady. Equipped with some breakfast, sandwiches and snacks for the day, we set off to Point Sublime where we would park our car to get back to at the end of the hike. At 9pm a shared taxi picked us up here and drove us 30 minutes to the starting point of the Blanc Martel Trail in Chalet de la Maline. This way we would be flexible as to how much time we’d need to hike the trail since our car would be waiting for us at the end.
From 4-9 hours we read everything regarding the time it would take to hike through the Gorge du Verdon. Hence, we started our hike at 9:30am equipped with a certain amount of anxiety, respect and excitement for the trail ahead of us. The first quarter of the hike was more like a walk with occasional altitude changes. After 1,5h hours we reached a parting point on the trail and took the 10 minute detour to the ‘La Mescla’ viewpoint – the perfect spot for your first breakfast stop and quick dip in the crystal clear water of the stream. The second quarter of the trail turned out to be a bit more challenging. Right after our break we had to hike up a constant slope of pebbles and even climb up some rock stairs leading us to the large iron staircase (Echelles de la Brèche Imbert) dropping several meters down towards the bottom of the canyon. Thanks to handrails and secure mounting, the decent was very doable though and even people with fear of heights do not have to worry about this part of the trail. Around 1pm we reached our lunch spot Défilé des Baumes Fères, an open rock area right by the water, perfect to take a nap in the sun, have a sandwich to refuel your bodies or go for another refreshing dip in the water. After a well-deserved hour of rest, we continued our hike. It should be noted that while the first half of the Blanc Martel was a bit more challenging, this second half turned out to be more like a rocky walk than a climb and ended up being much faster than the first half. Beautiful views kept on emerging and the Gorge du Verdon never ceased to amaze us with its massif rock formations, turquoise crystal clear water streams and endless vastness. Make sure to take your time on the first two break spots as there aren’t anymore spots coming up during the second half where you can actually sit and relax by the water. Right before the last staircase (entering the last quarter of the trail) that will lead you to the two tunnels, which you’ll have to walk through with flashlights, there’s another little decent to your right. A rope knotted to one of the trees eases the first couple of meters after which you can easily climb down the rest until you reach the water once again. Since this isn’t an official break area, it’s the perfect last hidden spot to relax and contemplate about the amazing beauty of nature you were constantly able to witness throughout this day of hiking through the Verdon Canyon. Maybe you’ll hold your feet into the cold water of the Verdon one last time, or you’ll look up the overwhelmingly tall rock walls of the canyon, feeling so small and insignificant but calm and at ease with the world at the same time. No matter how you spend those last moments in the Gorge du Verdon, I hope this hike and incredible nature experience will leave you just as happy and amazed as it left us. As I said before, there are really no words to describe this stunning piece of nature. Go see for yourself!

MY TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS

---

• I would recommend to set your GPS settings to ‘avoid toll roads’ – this will not only save you money but will also make sure that you drive through all the beautiful little villages and gorgeous landscapes the Provence Verte has to offer.
• We stayed at Auberge de Jeunesse HI La Palud sur Verdon and would 100% recommend. It was really clean, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful and it was considerably cheaper than an airbnb for two people – unfortunately, France doesn’t have a lot of hostels outside of the big cities. We just walked in and got a room but reserving in advance is probably a good idea. 
• If you have a car, I can only recommend the plan that we were following. You can call the taxi driver under this number to reserve your seats for the next day: +33668181313
• Make sure to park at the ‘Parking Samson‘ a bit further from Point Sublime, which is free in comparison to the official parking site at Point Sublime – if you call the number above, the taxi driver will tell you about that parking lot anyway though.
• Do your groceries for breakfast/snacks for the hike/dinner picnic before coming to La Palud-sur-Verdon. Although the only shop in town is well equipped, it is also high priced and the restaurants also only offer >15€ meals. There is a little pizza hut on the main road that offers a cheaper dinner option. 
• Hiking boots are a plus but we did the trail in our sport shoes without any problems. Make sure to pack a light jacket or wear layers since you’re often walking in the shade and it tends to get quite chilly.
• We did the hike the end of September and ended up taking 7,5h hours for the trail (9:30-5pm) with a total of approx. 2,5h of breaks. While there are some more challenging parts, we met hikers of all different ages and physical conditions and as long as you’re rather fit and don’t suffer from any health issues, you should be able to do the trail and enjoy the beautiful canyon.