Réserve Géologique de Haute-Provence
Stretching across 2,000 square kilometres of lavender-scented hills, this UNESCO-listed reserve holds one of the richest concentrations of ammonite fossils on the planet. Walking its marked trails feels like leafing through a 300-million-year stone library.
A Walk Through Deep Time
The reserve's star exhibit is the Dalle aux Ammonites, a tilted limestone slab near Digne studded with hundreds of spiral ammonite fossils up to 70 cm across — you can crouch beside them and trace their ridges with your finger.
The museum in town, the Musée-Promenade, acts as the perfect starting point: its outdoor sculpture park blends contemporary art with geological storytelling, and staff hand out trail maps for self-guided walks into the surrounding badlands.
Beyond the Fossils
The Ichthyosaur site at La Robine-sur-Galabre preserves a 5-metre marine reptile skeleton in situ under a protective shelter — one of the most complete ichthyosaur fossils found in France.
Spring and early autumn are ideal for hiking; the ochre and grey cliffs glow amber at golden hour, and wildflowers push through the rock-strewn slopes in April and May.
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