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Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire - Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
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At nightfall, Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, which was once called Saint-Michel en Provence, turns towards the stars.

Not far from Forcalquier, in the Luberon Regional Nature Park, this site with an internationally renowned observatory invites you to contemplate the sky and discover the Universe.

It is a pleasant village with its old houses decorated with beautiful doors, its fountain, its two churches and its chapels.

Associated since 1973 with the commune of Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, the hilltop village of Lincel dominates the Largue valley. Nestled under the castle of the Counts of Gardanne rebuilt after its destruction during the revolution of 1789, its houses are mostly exposed due south and offer a magnificent panorama of the Luberon massif. The formerly fortified village occupied a strategic position on the Via Domitia. The church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine is a beautiful Romanesque building in the shape of a Latin cross, with a flat chevet and a slate roof. It was included in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments in 1988.

Geographical information

MunicipalitySaint-Michel-l'Observatoire
Postcode04870
Latitude43.9102920 (N 43° 54’ 37”)
Longitude5.7151940 (E 5° 42’ 55”)
AltitudeFrom 386m to 767m
Surface area27.78 km²
Population1254 inhabitants
Density45 inhabitants/km²
PrefectureDigne-les-Bains (60 km, 1:03)
Insee code04192
IntercommunalityCC Haute-Provence-Pays de Banon
DepartmentAlpes-de-Haute-Provence
TerritoriesAlps, Provence
RegionProvence-Alps-French Riviera

Nearest cities & towns

Aubenas-les-Alpes6.5 km (10 min)
Dauphin6.5 km (11 min)
Mane7.4 km (9 min)
Revest-des-Brousses8.3 km (11 min)
Saint-Maime8.9 km (17 min)
Saint-Martin-les-Eaux9.4 km (19 min)
Villemus9.7 km (16 min)
Reillanne10.6 km (16 min)
Forcalquier10.6 km (13 min)
Vachères10.9 km (19 min)
Montfuron13.7 km (20 min)
Montjustin13.8 km (23 min)
Limans14.9 km (21 min)
Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze15.2 km (24 min)

Things to see and do

Places of interest

Information points
Monuments

Events and festivities

Discovering the Solar System 2025

Photos

The commune
The commune
See photo
The village with the Saint-Pierre church and its bell tower
The village with the Saint-Pierre church and its bell tower
See photo
The village of Lincel
The village of Lincel
See photo
The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church of Lincel
The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church of Lincel
See photo
The Haute Provence observatory
The Haute Provence observatory
See photo
The church
The church
See photo
The Haute church or Saint-Michel church
The Haute church or Saint-Michel church
See photo
The mill
The mill
See photo
Fountain
Fountain
See photo
The town hall
The town hall
See photo
Lavender fields
Lavender fields
See photo
The countryside
The countryside
See photo
The commune
The commune
See photo
The mill
The mill
See photo
Parts of the mill
Parts of the mill
See photo
Parts of the mill
Parts of the mill
See photo
The commune
The commune
See photo
The commune
The commune
See photo
The commune
The commune
See photo
The church
The church
See photo
Interior of the church
Interior of the church
See photo

Weather

Sunday 25 may
Min. 8°C - Max. 24°C
Day
Night
Monday 26 may
Min. 14°C - Max. 23°C
Day
Night
Tuesday 27 may
Min. 11°C - Max. 24°C
Day
Night

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Leisure activities

Last nameActivity typeRateCity
Distilleries et Domaines de Provence Shop and Museum
Local flavoursFreeForcalquier (7.9 km)
Hot air balloon flights in Forcalquier
Nature and the great outdoors260 € Forcalquier (7.9 km)
Private Provence Lavender Fields Day Trip from Nice
Nature and the great outdoors1084 € Valensole (20 km)
Visit the lavender fields, the Gorges du Verdon and Moustiers
Nature and the great outdoors599 € Valensole (23 km)
Gorges du Verdon : Canadian Canoe Rental
Entertainment45 € Esparron-de-Verdon (29 km)

Outings

Last nameOuting typeDifficultyDurationDeparture municipality
Around Lincel with the family
HikeEasy3:20Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire
The huts of Mane
HikeEasy2:15Mane (4.5 km)
Colorado of Provence
HikeEasy1:00Rustrel (18.5 km)
Summit and Ridges of Lure via Notre-Dame
HikeAthletic7:00Cruis (19.5 km)
Around Gréoux-les-Bains Electric Bike
Cycling itineraryEasy2:30Gréoux-les-Bains (22 km)

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Your holidays
A hotel
A vacation rental
A bed & breakfast
A campsite
A leisure activity
A restaurant
A rental car
A plane ticket
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