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Forcalquier town

10 Place du Bourguet, Forcalquier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Description

Forcalquier is a small town in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in South Eastern France which became the capital of Haute Provence in the 11th century until the countess of Forcalquier married the count of Provence in 1195, with their son inheriting both counties. The town is built around the slopes of a hill where once stood the medieval citadel (destroyed in 1601) - it has since been replaced by Notre Dame de Provence, an octogonal chapel. Besides this chapel, other highlights of the town include the 12th century Co-Cathedral Notre Dame de l'Assomption, the Cordeliers Convent built by Franciscans in the 13th century, the Municipal Museum with prehistoric and Gallo-Roman artefacts, and the weekly market.

Access & Transport

The closest train station is La Brillane - Oraison, 11km to the east and a 90mins ride from Marseille, 55mins from Aix-en-Provence and 25mins from Sisteron. By car, Forcalquier is 50km southwest of Digne-les-Bains, 50km south of Sisteron, 70km northeast of Aix-en-Provence and 110km north of Marseille.

Instructions & Recommendations

The weekly market takes place from 08h to 13h on Mondays. This activity can easily be combined with a visit of the Sisteron Citadel, a 45mins drive away.

Meta review

Travellers highly recommend visiting on market day (Monday) and taking a stroll to discover the town's various little squares and shops. The shaded uphill walk to the chapel will reward visitors with panoramic views over the Luberon and the Alps - take note though that there are no toilets or snack kiosk there. As for the co-cathedral, it is quite impressive (voluminous) but quite dark inside and lacks decoration.

Environmental & Social

The main activities in the town have a low carbon footprint. Tourism is a welcome injection of activity and revenues in the local economy.

Conclusion

Forcalquier is a town with several religious monuments worth visiting, an interesting history and a large weekly market that make it a relaxed provincial town to explore for those on a regional itinerary and slow travel mood.

Key positive

Interesting history and nice views from the "Citadel Hill"

Not very touristy

Key negative

No spectacular highlight

Suitability

We suspect wheelchair users will require some assistance to reach the top of the hill where the citadel/chapel is located but the rest of town should be accessible.

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:1h

est. visit time:3h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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