Circuit vélo Les barrages du Verdon

A bike ride that unfolds its kilometers from the hills of Haut-Var to the gates of the Valensole plateau passing through villages perched like sentinels above Lake Sainte-Croix.

Departure Aups
Leave Aups (thousand, old town, beautiful Gothic church with 'treasure', feudal castle ruins and ramparts) by the D 957 (north) then the D 9 (northeast), pass the Collet de la Garde before arriving at Moissac-Bellevue.

Moissac-Bellevue
Old houses, Templar commandery, panoramic view. Cross the village and join the D 30.

Régusse
Perched and fortified village, windmills restored. 1 km after the village, turn left on the D 30 and follow it to Montmeyan.

Montmeyan
Medieval fortified village. Turn right onto the D 13 which passes at the foot of La Roquette (massive 17th century castle partly troglodytic) before crossing the Verdon (beautiful view of the lower Verdon gorges that form the limit of the Var). Pass at the foot of Quinson.

Quinson
17th century campanile, old houses, vaulted passages, prehistoric museum. Go up to the right via the D 11 (direction Riez) until it crosses with the D 311. Follow the D 311 to Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon.

Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon
17th/18th century castle, beautiful panorama. Descend to the right by the D 411, cross the Verdon again on the lake of the Quinson dam and go up by the D 471 to Artignosc-sur-Verdon.

Artignosc-sur-Verdon
14th century castle (town hall), Romanesque church of the 11th and 12th centuries. Continue until the D 71, turn left, pass the fortified farm of Fontayne (dovecote tower). Cross a vast plateau where wheat and lavender fields alternate, then turn left by D 9 to arrive in Baudinard-sur-Verdon.

Baudinard-sur-Verdon
14th century Sabran castle. Cross the village and leave the D 9 for the D 71 overlooking the lower Verdon gorges and the Sainte-Croix dam before arriving at the Sainte-Croix Bridge.

Pont-de-Sainte-Croix
Beautiful work spanning the lake, Belvedere. Continue right on the D 71 offering beautiful views of Lake Sainte-Croix and in the background, the Crête de Montdenier (first alpine foothills) until La Font Castellan.

La Font Castellan
Optional itinerary + 15 minutes
In 4 km round trip. Go left until the village of Bauduen (remains of ramparts, Severus style castle), marina.
Climb to the right via the D 49 in a low-alpine landscape. Leave it in Majastre to go up on the right by the D 957 to the Collet-de-l'Hubac de la Darre.

Collet-de-l'Hubac de La Darre
Cutting the ridge line of the Cugulons and Espiguières mountains before arriving in Aups.

Warning: the itinerary of this tour is likely to be modified or to evolve especially for reasons of security or public domain!