La plaine sous le roc

Collection : TOP 25 RÉSISTANTE

Scale : 1:25 000

17.20€

3438ET - EMBRUN LES ORRES LAC DE SERRE-PONÇON

Collection : TOP 25 ET SÉRIE BLEUE

Scale : 1:25 000

13.90€

TOP75008 - UBAYE VAL D'ALLOS LAC DE SERRE-PONCON

Collection : CARTES DÉPARTEMENTALES IGN

Scale : 1:150 000

5.90€

D04-05 ALPES-DE-HAUTE-PROVENCE HAUTES-ALPES

Collection : CARTES DÉPARTEMENTALES IGN

Scale : 1:150 000

5.90€

NR16 PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR

Collection : CARTES RÉGIONALES IGN

Scale : 1:250 000

6.80€

NR14 AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES RECTO/VERSO MASSIF CENTRAL

Collection : CARTES RÉGIONALES IGN

Scale : 1:250 000

6.80€

NR15 AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES RECTO/VERSO MASSIF ALPIN

Collection : CARTES RÉGIONALES IGN

Collection : DÉCOUVERTE DES PAYS DU MONDE IGN

Scale : 1:2 500 000

7.00€

Description

Make your way between the tumultuous Durance, and the tranquillity of the fields, under the benevolent gaze of the town of Embrun.

From the car park, turn left towards the promenade on the banks of the Roc. From there, walk along the wall at the edge of the Roc. Go behind the handling and stadium, where you'll find a wooden footbridge. Cross the bridge, then at the end, take the track on the right at a place called "les Rochassons".

Descend the path and rejoin the road.
From here turn right at the side of the road. Head past the power station, then take the second road downhill towards the rugby stadium. After the stadium, follow the path.
Once you reach the road, at the "chemin du stade" turn right towards "Chaffal d'en Bas", along the banks of the Durance. At "Le Chaffal d'en bas", take the road to the right and follow the canal towards La Ville. At the crossroads, near the fountain, go straight ahead and take the dirt track at "Le Chaffal 1" towards Les Moulineaux.
Ascend as far as the car park. At the top, take the stairs leading up to the ramparts on the right. Walk past the hospital and continue along the street until you reach the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-du-Réal d'Embrun, then the car park just behind it.

Technical Information

Walking

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

1h30mn

Dist.

4.1 km

Altimetric profile

Starting point

Lat : 44.5626211Lng : 6.4962798

Points of interest

jackdaw

Size: 39 cm

irrigation channels

The channels are strategically positioned to irrigate the various plots, by opening and closing the sluice gates. This age-old technique enables water flows to be controlled according to farmers' needs.

The Durance

The Durance is the most important river in Provence and the third largest tributary of the Rhône, behind the Saône and the Isère. It rises in the Hautes-Alpes in the municipality of Montgenèvre and is soon joined by the Clarée and Guisane rivers, which flow past it despite being longer and having a greater flow at the confluence point. The Durance valley has been a major communication route for centuries, and its capricious nature has been controlled by the artificial lake at Serre-Ponçon and a canal running downstream. The old proverb from the Ancien Régime, which once claimed that "the three scourges of Provence are the Mistral, the Durance and Parliament", has now been forgotten, and the Durance now brings nothing but life to the land it irrigates..

Notre Dame du Réal Cathedral

The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is the city's landmark. It is the largest religious building in the French Alps. It overlooks the Durance valley. Impossible to miss on a visit to the plain beneath the Roc. It stands out for its Lombardy-inspired architecture, with alternating black schist and white limestone.