Curbans above the Durance

Curbans is a hilltop village with views across the Durance. Its elevated location and views over the river give the village a strong connection to the surrounding landscape. At Lac de Curbans, by contrast, nature watching and fishing take centre stage. Travellers choosing Curbans can therefore distinguish between village history, scenery and specific activities.

At the top of the village, the Oratoire Sainte-Anne stands in an elevated square surrounded by flowers. The roads to Tallard and Urtis meet there. The Oratoire Sainte Barbe, by contrast, overlooks the lake. The two oratories thus provide different geographical reference points: Sainte-Anne is at the top of the village, while Sainte Barbe stands above Lac de Curbans. For a cultural perspective on Curbans, their locations are as specific as their names.

At Lac de Curbans: migratory birds and fishing

Lac de Curbans lies in the bed of the Durance River and within the territory of the municipalities of Curbans and La Saulce. During bird migration, naturalists observe migratory birds there using telescopes. Birdwatching is therefore a seasonal highlight at the lake. Nature enthusiasts will find a specific reason here to plan their trip around the bird migration season.

Fishing is permitted at the lake, but not in the restricted sections 300 metres upstream and 300 metres downstream of the La Saulce dam. The restriction applies to both banks. Check local access and safety rules before fishing. This allows you to plan the activity with the explicitly designated areas in mind, rather than assuming fishing is permitted across the entire lake.

Religious buildings and local history

At the foot of the village stands the Chapelle Saint-Pierre, a Romanesque building. Its earliest traces date back to the 11th century. The chapel has been closed since the 1990s. If you are planning a visit after the restoration work, check access again. The building’s historical significance and the possibility of visiting it are two separate matters: its early date remains an interesting point of reference, but says nothing about access.

The village church is also part of local history, though from a later period. In the 17th century, it became the seat of the parish and replaced the church of Saint-Pierre during reconstruction. This makes it possible to distinguish chronologically between the history of the Romanesque chapel and the later role of the village church. Together with the two oratories, these buildings offer different ways to discover Curbans—not only through its location, but also through its religious and architectural history.

Routes with different key details

Adventure No. 5, “Les ordres monastiques, au nom du Père,” is a one-day, 90-kilometre route travelled on foot and by car. This gives you three specific details to plan around: its one-day duration, total distance and two modes of transport. So don’t treat it as a walking route only, and check the route details before setting off.

In addition, two routes on the Sentier des Contes start at the Curbans-La Saulce bridge. Their shared starting point is specified, whereas for Adventure No. 5, duration, length and modes of transport are the main details. These details answer different planning questions and should not be confused when choosing a route. Depending on whether a named starting point or the details of a one-day route are more useful to you, you can consider the two options separately.

Discover more destinations: Aiglun, Dauphin, Revest-du-Bion, Montagnac-Montpezat, Saint-Jeannet, Saint-Andrè-Les-Alpes, Sigonce, Saint-Étienne-Les-Orgues

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