Discover Oraison: Heritage and Water

Oraison offers several practical starting points for planning a trip: historic buildings, traces of the water supply, hiking routes, seasonal water activities and an almond-growing tradition. When looking for a hotel in Oraison, you can first decide which of these themes you want to shape your stay. This helps you plan your visit around heritage, a marked trail, seasonal activities at the Lacs des Buissonnades or the almond tradition.

Architectural history in Oraison

The Chapelle Saint Pancrace dates from the 12th century. At the Église Notre Dame du Thor, Gothic architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries meets Romanesque round-arch elements. These are distinct historical architectural styles side by side: a chapel with a clearly dated origin and a church whose architecture combines several traditions.

Oraison’s music pavilion was built in spring 1926 in place of the former fountain and was ceremonially inaugurated by the Oraison brass band. The ruins of Villevieille are freely accessible and can be reached from the tourist information office via Rue Elie Louis Julien, Rue Auguste Brun and Rue Rosé Banon. The Pont de la Durance is also freely accessible. It has seven arches and a total length of 285 metres; the best view is from the hippodrome.

Water and trails

The Lacs des Buissonnades are south of Oraison. They include a swimming lake, a well-equipped fishing lake and a reservoir. The lakes offer water play activities and stand-up paddleboard hire. These water activities are seasonal; confirm before your trip whether they will be available during your planned visit.

For a hike with a specified duration and difficulty level, consider the marked Saint-Pancrace loop: it is four kilometres long, has 180 metres of elevation gain, takes one hour and 30 minutes, and is of moderate difficulty. The Bois de Saint-Martin route follows a canal past olive groves, crosses the Bois de Saint-Martin and returns to the starting point via the ruins of Villevieille. This gives you different points of reference when choosing a route: the Saint-Pancrace trail specifies distance, elevation gain and time, while the Bois de Saint-Martin route is described by the sequence of landscape features and ruins it passes.

The Source de la Boucharde supplies Oraison’s nine fountains and three washhouses. Two named walking tours offer further points of interest: in Oraison, there is the tourist route “Les Fontaines et les Lavoirs d’Oraison”; “Le Patrimoine Oraisonnais” starts at the tourist information office.

Almond tradition and planning your visit

Perl’Amande has maintained an almond-growing tradition in Haute-Provence since 1920. The Pointue d’Oraison is a local almond variety that once enjoyed a certain reputation at the market. The almond tradition is thus connected to a specific local variety and a history of market trade. Guided visits to Perl’Amande are available by reservation through the Oraison tourist information office. Reservation procedures and visiting times may change; check with the office in advance.

The tourist information office provides local tourist information, as well as tickets and booking options for activities, guided tours, concerts, performances, accompanied hikes and transport. As these visitor services may change, check directly with the office for the service you need when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Saumane, Pierrerue, Peipin, La Brillanne, Cruis, Auzet, Noyers-sur-Jabron, Puimoisson.

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