THEMED PATH: The Serre-Duc Canal

There was once a grocery in the traditional hamlet of Le Bathéoud, specifically in the house standing here. Valued by the inhabitants of this small hamlet, it facilitated their everyday lives at a time when means of transport were not as well-developed as they are today. This small shop was a meeting place for local people when running their errands, a real community hub. 

Today, buying a loaf of bread is a commonplace, everyday occurrence. But, right up to the end of the Second World War, the people of the hamlet of Le Bathéoud made their own loaves in the communal oven. Bread baking day was a special day because it did not happen very often. Bread had to last for several months… 

The district of Serre-Duc lies between Le Bathéoud and the rocky slopes. The Serre-Duc irrigation canal allowed the circulation of water. It is now abandoned but its course can still be made out among the pine trees and lavender. Its water intake was situated upstream of the Coumbal de Satan and the canal was used to irrigate the entire district. 

A small population of mouflons is established here. The Mediterranean mouflon, produced from cross-breeding between Corsican mouflons and other species of mouflon or modern sheep, was introduced several decades ago by hunting associations. It is not well-adapted for snow, and so it keeps to the south-facing slopes where the snow melts quickly. The male has long, curved horns. The females sometimes have short, small horns, if they have any at all.

Protected from Atlantic influences by the Massif du Pelvoux, the high Durance valley has a very dry climate with wide seasonal temperature fluctuations. It has grasslands very similar to the steppes of Central Europe which are rare in France. It is part of the Natura 2000 “Steppique durancien et queyrassien” (Durance and Queras valley steppes) site.