Authon: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Authon lies at the foot of the Massif des Monges and along the Route du Temps of the UNESCO Géoparks of Haute-Provence. Those who have chosen Authon as their destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment there.

Landscape and Trails

The Route Col de Fontbelle à VTT (No. 19) is a moderately difficult circular route covering 11.4 km, starting and ending in Authon. It leads from Authon to the Col de Fontbelle and then descends through forests and winding paths, entirely along a single-track trail.

The route to the Grotte Saint-Vincent starts and ends in the car park in front of the Gîte des Monges in Authon. Today, Authon is a starting point for hikes, themed trails and land art.

The Tour de la Chapelle Sainte-Marthe route (No. 8) gives hikers a first impression of the Massif des Monges, with montane and Provençal vegetation as well as views of the surrounding peaks.

The Crête de Pierre-Mont route can be reached from Sisteron via the D951 towards La Motte-du-Caire and then via the D3 to Authon.

Culture and History

La Sentinelle d’Authon is part of the Refuge d’art artwork, an almost 150 km-long land-art trail through the Haute-Provence Geopark. It was conceived and created by Andy Goldsworthy, a British artist and a leading figure in land art.

Authon was a stop along the transhumance routes from Sisteron or Thoard.

Stillborn children were received in the Chapelle Sainte-Marthe without the sacrament. Through the priest’s ritual words, they were supposed to return to life briefly so that they could be baptized. The Chapelle Sainte-Marthe is a religious “sanctuary of postponement” and was associated with numerous miracles.

Further destination pages: Thorame-Haute, Uvernet-Fours, Saint-Jean, Méolans-Revel, La Javie, Châteauneuf-Miravail, Le Brusquet, Les Omergues.

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