Visit the town les mées

There are still many walks at the beginning of the village of Mées…

Departure: the best is to park themselves on the place of the village and to go up the street Clovis Picon which is vis-a-vis the fountain. After having circumvented the municipal camp-site, there do not remain any more to follow the path which curves on the conglomerate and in the pines.

Several possibilities offer to you after the rise, you will be able to follow the panoramic alternative and to return towards the village or to benefit from the landscape on the valley of the Durance and to pass by San-Peyre and Bel Air.

With the return, the Penitent ones are drawn up majestueusement with the top of the path.

One can take this path upon the departure and join the staircases which go up in San Peyre or join the village of Malijai according to the serviceable time.

There exists also the way of the adhesive and the other walks in the olive-trees.

• Starting from Mees square, go up Clovis Picon street, following the yellow track marks. The Mees in the olden days was a fortified village leaning against the rocks, follow along the fortified wall of the old town (before the 15th century) and the various gateways to the town. When level with the butchers’shop on your left, notice the watch tower and Virgile Pons street formerly named hors ville (out of town), because it was outside the town walls. The following street is still named dans-ville (inside the town) and together with Juiverie street and Rocher street, they form the limits of the medieval town. Notice the position of the different gateways (St Christol gate, Baudouine Gate and Bertrand de Bras Gate) and continue up Clovis Picon street. In the past, this street was often flooded and various works to protect the houses can be identified. On the right, a restored wash-house and a chapel (Notre Dame de la Salette) dating from the beginning of the 20th century. On the left, is St Roch chapel, melting into the countryside and dominating the town and the Durance valley.
• From the campgrounds, go along the asphalt road to the right until the end of the wire fence, follow the Carré des pins wall on the left which blocks the end of the valley. It was built to deviate the torrential waters of La Combe towards the tunnel that can be seen at the extremity. It is the mine tunnel, it goes through the rocks and can be visited using a flash-light. These works were carried.
• At the end of the wall take the path left that goes up to the rocks. The Pénitents are in fact an agglomeration of pebbles and gravel smothered in a natural cement, accumulated by the melting glaciers of the Alps and the Esterel, 25 million years ago, with time it has become a concrete substance called poudingue. Today, it is coverered by forest that is having a hard time to implant itself. The proof is that many trees are unrooted by the wind or the weight of the snow. This is a recent forest, until the beginning of the 20th century the rocks were nude, explained by the devastating effect of the accumulated rainfall forming torrents in the Combe gully.
• When you get to the ridge, there is a cross-road dominating the rocks. Left is an unmarked path, quite breathtaking especially towards the end, it‘s best to go along, turnround and come back again. The path to the right follows the ridge to San Peyre (a long trail that returns by Bel Air). Stop a while to appreciate the sweeping panorama of the Lure mountain and the Durance valley. The Mees village is at the limit of the Valensole plateau. Notice how the plateau continues the other side of the Durance as the Ganagobie plateau, although the level is displaced. You can also discover the Villages of Peyruis, Montfort, Château Arnoux, the Saint-Auban airport and the Sisteron cluse, the large bed of the Durance and the importance of the communal orchards
• Go down the trail leading slightly to the left. At the second zigzag, take the right path that goes up to a monument in the memory Jean Millet, the maker of this trodden track. The path that follows to the left is quite spectacular going down between the rocks, and has been worn to a gully making it difficult to use. Follow the path that is just above it, leading in a stairway fashion into a forest that benefits from a micro-climate thanks to the rocks that bring it warmth and humidity. The trail ends on quite a steep slope that gives way to a wide forest track.
• Follow the forest track downwards to the left. In this way, you will edge the rocks for a distance of about 2.5 km to rejoin the village. You can admire the scenery and take some beautifull pictures of the sunset.
• When rejoining the asphalt road, take time to search for the prayer cross (croix du prieur)….old wooden cross, mysterious, hanging in a rocky cove, high up there on the rocky wall, we don’t know who….then you will walk onto a small bridge which is opposite the tunnel exit of the mine. The aqueduct built to receive the rain water to be evacuated towards the river Durance has been demolished and replaced by a large avenue (Avenue Robespierre).
• Keep going along the road edging the rocks to rejoin the village square. If you are attentive and observator, you will find built into the ancient medieval constructions, carved corporation blasons and houses made with stones from the river durance.

This circuit without difficulty enables discovery of the commune of Les Mées with the "plain"(of the Durance) and the "Plains High" (of the Valensole Plateau), its flora, its agricultural activities as well as interesting panoramic on different surrounding mountain views geographical
particularities (Ecrins, Monges, Estrop, Verdon, Ste Victory, Provence, Ventoux and mountain of lure)

A know, the "plain" in Haute Provence is always a place flat but raised. The plain near Canal EDF vineyard overlooking "the plan" where the Bourelles. Of course this is that a proposal route, it
is not one-sided and can be browsed on a distance. Good hiking at all!

• In departing from the Les Mées place down the street freedom to reach 350 m further CD4 (Les Mées-pray - Oraison). Follow it over 100 m, then take the amount paved road on the left to achieve the channel the EDF's praying central power. This socalled plant "at constant level" draws its water from the dam at the stop; a horizontal channel carries up to pray where turbined to produce electricity. This channel crosses the rocks of Les Mées of share in hand and over a distance of 2770 m. It is here that is out of the tunnel. Stay on the paved road that goes up to the proximity of an electricity pylon.
• A little before the tower and left the road, a trail is arrow in yellow. It mounts and snakes in a Green Oaks for approximately 3.3 km undergrowth. There, he joined a broader path as it continues to the left.
• The path leaves the forest and leads to a vast well unobstructed area offering a view on the Durance Valley and the lure mountain. 550 m further on the right a path leads to the ruins of the "firm of Chamoye" (at this point to the beginning of the century, stood still a school for the children of the surrounding countryside). Do not take this path, but continue all right up the road a hundred meters later and then back on the right up to the oratory St Antoine (it amounts to a chapel built there in 11th century) noticed at the col. It leads to Puimichel Valensole tray extension plateau. According to the season, you'll be amazed by the panorama. A loss of eyesight, wheat and lavender fields can deploy in July colors and scents.
• Take the track goes full South. At the top of the stumbles it reaches the highest point of the course (783 m). You can locate on 360 °, all surrounding mountain! This piece of trail is common to the glue and High Mountain. Continue the path and 900 m more far, take on the direction of Apollinaires (a farm in ruins) right. Attention, the Panel is not very visible...
• On the left of the forest track 1, 6 km, the farm in ruins is now hidden by vegetation. The track began the descent Middle young Cedars reforestation and Holm, vestiges of old charbonnières. The forest track descends then from increasingly and 400 m after Apollinaires, a marked trail with a cross brutally runs on the left.
• Shortly thereafter, two panels show the separation of the La Colle path from high mountain path. Leave the track for the trail that descends to the left. After a fairly steep descent he turns at a right angle on the left and the slope falters.
• The trail joined a forest trail, take the track hand right and down in the Aubrespin Valley way you will be pleased to appear first olive groves.
• Arrived to the paved road, right take the direction of the North. The olive groves are increasingly numerous, testimony of the importance of this activity on the Les Mées municipality. 2 km further highway joined the channel EDF and shortly before pass close to a ruin, the remains of the Saint Pierre Chapel.
• Cross the number 7 bridge and longer the right banks channel until its exit of the tunnel. Then join the place of the village of Les Mées by the same itinerary to the go.

In limit of the artisanal zone, the lake of fishing and leisures offer a vast space bucolic for the walkers and the sportsmen.
It offers:

• A pedestrian path,
• A surface of skate board,
• A course of the heart.

A football field and tennis will come to supplement this surface of leisures. Many migratory birds found in these places a comfortable surface of nesting