La Motte-du-Caire offers several distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip: a parish church with architectural and artistic history, traces of a former monastery, and the Tour de la Blachère circular hike. Culture and history take centre stage in the village; the tour is a separate, five-hour hiking excursion.
Church, place name and traces of village life
The parish church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine was built in 1851 and retains a bell tower dating from 1785. Inside is a 17th-century “Deposition from the Cross,” classified as a historic monument. The tower, church building and artwork therefore date from three different centuries. This range of periods also makes the church an interesting subject from a cultural and historical perspective.
The place name is recorded as “La Mota” as early as 1168 and refers to a medieval motte castrale, or fortified mound. A surviving house with a doorframe dated 1682 and a Maltese cross recalls the Trinitarian monastery founded in 1498. Some of the monastery buildings have disappeared; the house preserves the memory of the monastery in a tangible architectural trace.
Rue Casse-Cul is also part of the village’s history: it is one of the steep lanes in La Motte-du-Caire. Among old houses with traditional façades, the village’s rural and artisanal past comes into view. The lane, the façades and the house that recalls the monastery reveal different aspects of the village’s heritage.
Tour de la Blachère: circular hike and time required
The Tour de la Blachère (No. 24) starts in La Motte-du-Caire and is a 14.3 km circular route with 540 m of elevation gain. It is rated moderate and is listed as taking five hours. Taken together, these details give a clearer idea of the effort involved than distance alone: there is also the elevation gain and a substantial amount of time to allow. Practical route details may be updated, so check them again before setting out.
The route passes Rocher Roux, follows the foothills of Montagne de la Blachère and goes through the La Gypière valley. The return journey leads through the Grand Vallon valley. These named landscape sections trace the circular route; in particular, the change from the La Gypière valley to Grand Vallon on the return journey is clear. This makes it possible to understand the hike as a route through several successive landscapes.
Other activities and regional products
Randoland offers activity sheets along the route for children aged 4 to 12. Designed as a treasure hunt, they are intended to keep children engaged along the way. This gives the route a distinct discovery experience alongside the longer Tour de la Blachère and the village’s cultural and historical attractions.
The Club de Vol à Voile de la Motte du Caire offers introductory flights, taster courses and a gliding school for glider pilots. The activities range from a first introduction to gliding through to training; opening hours and availability may vary.
A culinary perspective complements the village and landscape themes: Miellerie Des abeilles et des fleurs produces a range of regional honeys, including varieties from Provence, the Alps, the lavender-growing region and the garrigue. The different origins give an insight into the range of honeys on offer.
Discover more destinations: Lardiers, Beaujeu, Quinson, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, Saint-Julien-Du-Verdon, Les Thuiles, La Brillanne, Riez.
For the broader travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.
