A true idyllic picture, Provence seems to stop at this impressive cluse where the Durance slips between the fortifications and the prodigious Rocher de la Baume whose strata seem to spring vertically from the river Sisteron is a real history book: a prehistoric village, then a bishopric in the 6th century, a stronghold of the Counts of Forcalquier in the 11th century, then property of the Counts of Provence. It joined the kingdom of France in 1483. Crowned by its citadel and its extraordinary geological outcrops, it is waiting to tell you all about its history. Turn off the engine and explore the city where the poet Paul Arène (1843-1896) was born, as well as its surroundings... Before tasting its "pieds paquets", or Sisteron's lamb, whose reputation is well established. The town has been awarded the "Ville et Métiers d'Art" label, which it richly deserves. The painter William Turner, who passed through in 1836, made some drawings and watercolors. The painter Paul Signac, on a visit, was also charmed. Religious heritage, castles, military architecture... It is undoubtedly every year at the time of the Nuits de la Citadelle, a festival mixing theatre, dance and music for 50 years, that the city shines fully. One of its particularities? Its many narrow streets in steps, its andrones, which give it charm. For those who are passionate about the subject, the municipal museum Terre et temps, which can be visited freely between April and September, shows some rare and unusual objects such as a water clock with automatons, a Foucault pendulum and sundials... all in a restored former chapel of the Visitandines of the 17th century.Several guided tours are offered by the tourist office to enable you to discover the main monuments of Sisteron, which are the cathedral, the old town and the citadel. In the old town, the Rue Droite, the Rue Mercerie and the Rue Saunerie were the trading quarters of the old town and the La Coste and Bourg Reynaud quarters were the quarters inhabited by the peasants of the time. You used to go from one district to another by the famous andrônes.During your walk in the surroundings, we advise you to venture into the Jabron valley. You can even continue to Les Omergues to enjoy its wild environment and its preserved nature. A magnificent little valley that has kept the charm of yesteryear!
