Auzet: Hiking, Nature and History

Auzet combines marked trails at Col du Fanget with natural sites and traces of regional history. The destinations vary by theme and starting point: some routes begin at the Col, while the “Le Col” hike starts in the village center. The Cascade du Saut de la Pie and the Arboretum du Cubertin also offer distinctive ways to explore geology and nature. This variety gives you a concrete basis for deciding whether Auzet is the right destination for your interests.

Hiking at Col du Fanget and in the Village Center

Several hiking and mountain biking routes are marked in the Col du Fanget area. In winter, there are more than 30 kilometers of marked snowshoe trails. Trail No. 5, “Crêtes de Fissac,” starts at Col du Fanget and is a short route suitable for beginners, offering a way to discover natural and cultural features and get acquainted with trail running. Trail No. 10, “Col de la Grangeasse,” leads from Fanget to the Fissac forest; a large loop continues to Col de Grangeasse and the Robine ridge.

For a start in the village center, the “Le Col” hike is a good option. It begins at Place du Graveyron, leads to the hamlet of Les Auberts and continues through the forest to the Col meadows. This makes it easy to distinguish the routes by their starting point: the village center, Col du Fanget, or a longer loop via the Fissac forest.

Explore Geology and Nature

At the edge of Auzet lies the Cascade du Saut de la Pie, a site in the Haute-Provence Geopark. It is freely accessible every day, year-round; you can visit by car, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot. The sequence of rock layers is particularly striking: Upper Triassic sandstone, around 235 million years old, lies directly on black Upper Carboniferous pelites, around 300 million years old. The entire Permian period—a span of 65 million years—is missing in between. Both a geological hiatus and an angular unconformity can be observed at the Cascade.

The Arboretum du Cubertin offers a different focus on nature. It is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters in an alpine grassland in the Massif des Monges, about five kilometers west of the village of Auzet. A short walk takes you through higher areas of the locality. Information panels about wildlife, a pond, nesting boxes and an observation shelter are among the arboretum’s features; more than fifty tree species grow in its green, protected setting. While the rock layers stand out at the Cascade, the arboretum brings together tree diversity and wildlife observation.

Traces of History and Agriculture

A plaque commemorating the Righteous of Auzet was unveiled at Col du Fanget on May 7, 2005. The Allouch brothers were brought to Fanget, in the commune of Auzet, in the spring of 1943 and remained there until 1944.

The village also offers glimpses of former ways of life and work: some old houses retain traditional mountain architecture and recall the importance of livestock farming and agriculture to the local economy. Auzet’s economy long relied on sheep farming. Another trace of this history can be found on the Tour des montagnes d’Auzet. The Tour des montagnes d’Auzet also offers a chance to discover traditional summer cabins, locally known as “campagnes” or “bastié.” Families from Auzet spent the summer in them until the mid-20th century.

Ferme Béridon adds an educational farm to these themes. You can visit on your own or as part of a group to learn about a working farm and its human, animal and natural environment. A short path leads around the animal park. Here, the farm itself is the focus, while the old houses and summer cabins tell the story of earlier ways of living and working in the mountain landscape.

Discover more destinations: Mallefougasse-Augès, Turriers, Barcelonnette, Saint-Vincent-Les-Forts, Limans, Redortiers, Bevons, Jausiers.

For the broader travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.