The village of Sainte-Colombe lies on a rocky spur at the foot of the ridges of the Montagne de Chabre and cannot be seen from the road. Three distinct landmarks help orient visitors: the Forêt de Beynaves, trails to the Crête de Chabre and the hamlet of Bégües on the Route des Princes d’Orange. There is also a cultural detail on the church façade: the sundial with its Occitan inscription.
Forêt de Beynaves: Natural Area and Trails
The Forêt de Beynaves lies mostly within the commune of Sainte-Colombe and partly within Orpierre. It is classified as an Espace Naturel Sensible (Sensitive Natural Area); its ecological importance is also recognised through its ZNIEFF designation. The GR 946, which connects Serres with Sisteron, runs through the forest. The Forêt can therefore be understood both through its distribution across communes and through a specific route: the forest mostly belongs to Sainte-Colombe, while the GR 946 connects two named places.
Loop Trail or Hike to the Ridge
The Sentier forestier de la Pineraie (No. 23) is a 1,700 m educational loop trail in the Forêt de Beynaves. It offers a way to explore a protected natural area. The trail is accessible to wheelchair users and people with pushchairs. Its loop format sets this forest route apart from trails whose destination is the Crête de Chabre.
Le Pas de Sainte-Colombe is a relatively easy hike that provides quick access to the ridge. The hike offers views of the Céans Valley and the village of Sainte-Colombe. From Beynaves, a trail just under 1.5 km long leads to the Crête de Chabre; from there, the panoramic views stretch from Mont Ventoux to the Écrins.
When choosing between the trails, it is therefore worth considering not only the stated distances, but also the route type and destination: the Pineraie is an educational loop in the forest, the trail from Beynaves leads to the ridge, and Le Pas combines the ridge with a relatively easy hike and quick access. These differences give you specific points to consider when planning your hike.
The Route des Princes d’Orange on a Larger Scale
The Route des Princes d’Orange is a 107 km tourist route connecting Orange and Orpierre through landscapes in the Vaucluse, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. Its route passes through Bégües, a hamlet in the commune of Sainte-Colombe. This pinpoints the local connection: Bégües lies along the route, which crosses three départements in total. The route offers a different scale from the hiking trails in the forest and on the ridge. It lets you consider Sainte-Colombe not only as a starting point for local nature and hiking experiences, but also in the context of a longer tourist route.
A Sundial on the Church Façade
The Cadran solaire de Sainte-Colombe (Sainte-Colombe Sundial) is on the church façade. Its Occitan inscription reads “L'ora e la pes Santa Couroumba te baila” and means: “May Sainte-Colombe give you time and peace.” The wording expresses a wish for the place and explicitly connects its name with time and peace. As a cultural detail, the sundial complements Sainte-Colombe’s landscape and trail connections and adds a distinctive linguistic note to the picture of the village.
Discover more destinations: Aspres-Sur-Buëch, La Freissinouse, Risoul, Saint-Jacques-En-Valgodemard, Saint-Martin-De-Queyrières, Saint-Bonnet-En-Champsaur, Cervières, La Beaume.
For the main travel overview: Hautes-Alpes.
