Thorame-Haute: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The municipal area encompasses landscapes of the low mountain range as well as high-altitude terrain rising above 2,000 metres, along with a great diversity of natural habitats for fauna and flora.

For a stay in Thorame-Haute, you can search for a holiday apartment here.

Nature and Landscape

Thorame-Haute is described as a pastoral landscape between the Issole and Verdon valleys, with farmland and herds. Family picnics and fishing are possible at Lac des Sagnes.

Culture and History

The village parish church of Saint-Georges was destroyed in 1574 during the Wars of Religion and rebuilt between 1598 and 1603. The Notre-Dame-de-la-Fleur chapel is located in Thorame-Gare and is a pilgrimage site within the municipality of Thorame-Haute. The Pont du Moulin is a 17th-century bridge and was selected, along with 17 other French monuments, for preferential funding through the French Heritage Lottery.

Notre-Dame du Serret is considered the oldest known religious building in the municipality of Thorame-Haute. The structure dates from the 13th century or possibly an even earlier period. It is accessible on foot, attracts hikers, visitors and those interested in history, and offers an exceptional view of the alpine landscapes of Provence.

Peyresq is a rebuilt hamlet in the municipality of Thorame-Haute. Its preserved architecture reflects the site's medieval, military and religious history. The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Peyresq has roots dating back to the 11th century and is designed in the Alpine Romanesque style. The reconstruction of Peyresq was honoured in 1980 with the Europa Nostra Award as well as a second prize in the Chefs-d’œuvre en péril competition.

In Ondres, the Church of Saint-Laurent was rebuilt in 1868. The hamlet of Ondres can only be reached via an unpaved track; access begins below the hamlet at the Verdon. At its centre is a historic stone spring-and-washhouse structure. The former municipal distillery of Thorame-Haute survives as a relic of the local history of lavender distillation and the so-called “blue gold”.

Activities and Trails

The Tour du Courradour hike begins in the hamlet of Peyresq in the municipality of Thorame-Haute. It offers views of mountain forests, high-altitude pastures and open landscapes overlooking the surrounding peaks. The “Les hautes vallées” cycling route is listed near Thorame-Haute as 72 kilometres long, with 1,062 metres of elevation gain and a stated duration of four hours; it runs at the foot of the Cheval-Blanc massif and the Montagne de Coupe.

La Colle Saint Michel has a cross-country skiing centre with a ski area between 1,430 and 1,800 metres above sea level. On Whit Monday, a procession takes place from the parish church of Thorame-Haute to the Notre-Dame de la Fleur sanctuary, followed by religious ceremonies.

Festivals and Getting There

The Fête de la Lavande et du Pain includes lavender distillation, the sale of blessed speciality breads, the sale of distillation products and a Provençal market. The event takes place over a weekend in Thorame-Haute and has been held for just over 15 years.

Thorame-Haute railway station is located on the railway line between Nice and Digne-les-Bains and came into operation in 1911, when the line was fully opened. The Train des Pignes reaches Thorame-Haute after Annot and then continues towards Saint-André-les-Alpes along Lac de Castillon.

More local pages: Esparron-De-Verdon, Revest-Saint-Martin, Saint-Jean, Uvernet-Fours, Quinson, Saint-Maime, Forcalquier, Vachères

To the higher-level travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.