Geography and geology
Located in haute Provence, two hours from Marseille and an hour and a half from Aix en Provence, the montange de Lure is a ridge which stretches over 50 kms from East to West. The geological sister of Mont Ventoux, it reaches a height of 1826m. Its summit is 40 km east of the Ventoux summit and 40 km north of the Luberon.
With these two other massifs, it is part of the great Pyreneo-Provencal chains which rise before the Alps. It is made up mainly of limestone and marly-limestone soils which belong to the Cretaceous era. Because of its composition, it lacks water as its springs disappear into the depths.
History
In XIIth century, Chalaisian monks founded the Abbey of Notre Dame de Lure there. It was a key location for religious pilgrimages.
In XVIIth century, the Belgian Godefroid Wendelin, the forerunner of modern astronomy, watched and explored its pure skies. Today there is a memorial stone in his memory.
In XVIIIth century, herbalists wandered the slopes of Lure to pick the many aromatic and medicinal plants from which they made their « drugs », traditional remedies that they sold across the land and beyond.
In the following century, the Peidmontese found shelter in its coombs to use the wood for charcoal using the traditional « charcoal-burning » technique of which some remains can still be seen today.
More recently, in the 1930s, the writer Jean Giono received his thinking friends (philosopher friends ?) in a sheepfold on the Contadour, one of the famous dry-stone sheepfolds, and loved to draw inspiration from the landscapes and inhabitants of Lure.
Today
A mountain for all seasons and passions !
All year round, it is a meeting place for hikers, riders or cyclists: in the spring to make the most of the awakening and blossoming of the subalpine vegetation and exceptional plant life, in summer to enjoy the fresh air in the altitude, in autumn for its mildness and seasonal colours, and in winter for snowshoeing !
Winter snow also allows you to enjoy the pleasures of tobogganning or skiing in the family resort which is open to all.
But to share the pleasures of Lure, you must remember that it is a sensitive natural area: along with the mountain pastures still alive with pastoralism, it is home to protected species such as the lys martagon or the meadow viper.
Lastly, with its gentle, regular climb, the route départementale 113 is perfect for a cycling ascent. So what about trying the challenge de Lure? You can do it and be rewarded with the most magnificent views!
A 360° view of the plain
Around a bend, in fine weather, you get an unspoiled view of the territory of the communauté de communes. At your feet, the village of Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues, main town of the canton, is known for its herbalism fair every year on 14th July. Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues was originally made up of two villages, les Orgues near the Laye river and Saint Etienne opposite. They were only joined in XVIIth century.
On your left, to the east, the village of Cruis, listed a Village et Cité de Caractère, famous for ist departmental music festival and whose church has a gilded wood altar-piece which is a must.
In the background, to the south-east, the Ganagobie plateau which overlooks the Durance valley and houses the Priory of Ganagobie. Built in the middle of Xth century, the cloister and buildings are occupied at present by a community of Benedictine monks. However, the XIIth church can be visited and you can admire its highly carved doorway and the magnificent Romanesque mosaics in the apse.
To the left of the Ganagobie plateau, you can see the village of Les Mées, located in the Durance valley. It is looked down upon by its Pénitents, « fairy chimneys » formed by the erosion of an ancient moraine compacted into pudding-stone. A hiking trail allows you to get near these rooted giants.
As you go down the Durance valley towards the south, you can see Oraison, with its lac des Buissonnades bathing lake, then the Rocher de Volx, a sort of bolt onto the Durance. Its rock is worked for gravel and it is a highly-appreciated climbing place.
Behind Volx, you can make out the Valensole plateau, renowned for its fields of hybrid lavender and its lavender festival in August. Behind the plateau are the gorges du Verdon, the Lake of Sainte Croix and the famous village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.
Finally, to the north-east and completely to your left, you can see the southern Alps and the Cheval Blanc in the foreground.
The Abbey of Notre Dame de Lure
In XIIth century, Chalaisian monks of the Benedictine order reformed what is now known as the Abbey of Notre Dame de Lure, hidden deep in a beechwood coomb. Next to it there is a hermitage. According to Irène Magnaudeix, Sainte Marie de Lure was already in existence there. The architecture of the abbey is qualified as Romanesque.
Notre Dame de Lure can be visited throughout the year, it is on the itinerary of the GR6, a hiking trail which climbs the mountain. It can shelter hikers in its somewhat rough hut. From Notre Dame de Lure, there is a family walk of about 4 km which is marked. You can reach the abbey by car from Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues, on D113.
This is an exceptional site and on the esplanade in front of the church, you can see magnificent linden trees and a remarkable oak which are probably three centuries old. It is a haven for those who seek peace and quiet and communion with nature, far from the bustle of town life. The inhabitants even used to come and fetch their from its crystal-pure spring.
Every year, there is a religious pilgrimage on 15th August.
The Godefroid WENDELIN memorial stone
After the resort of Lure, beside the road as you go towards Pas de la Graille, there is a memorial stone on the left in memory of Godefroid Wendelin, the first astronomer in Provence. This monument was inaugurated on 22nd August 1953 by the association Alpes de Lumière and the town council of Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues.
Wendelin was born in Belgium, and lived from 1580 to 1667. He stayed in Forcalquier from 1604 to 1612, and as a young mathematics teacher he was tutor to two children of the Arnaud family, noblemen of the Town of the Four Queens. He therefore had access to the family’s very rich library.
Wendelin put his Provencal years to widening his research into astronomy. He was the first, with his friend Peiresc, to use telescopes: he owned 4 in 1645 ! He devoted his time to observing the sky, night and day, as well as the meteorological phenomena at the top of the montagne de Lure.
In 1612, Wendelin walked back to Belgium. He was ordained priest in Brussels in 1620. Nevertheless, up until his death, he continued his research in the field of astronomy and natural science. He was in contact with the best scholars of his time, particularly Gassendi whom he had known during his stay in Provence.
This memorial stone is an invitation to come and observe, the space of an evening, a sky which is one of the purest in Europe.
“The window”
At this point, the GR6 and the D113 join. The road comes to the ridge of the mountain and gives drivers and hikers, an extraordinary view of the whole Jabron valley and a magnificent panorama which unfolds over 360°. In strong wind, we recommend that you dress warmly and hold on tight to each other so as not to get blown away!
With this magical landscape, you can see the different stages of vegetation, from submediterranean to alpine. The north face (also known as the ubac) in front of us, is wetter, colder and has less Mediterranean varieties. The fir forest is well-developed. The Jabron flows against the north flank of the mountain and can sometimes look torrential.
« From this spot, your eyes are drawn north-north-east to the snowy peaks of the Barre des Ecrins and to their right the mountains of the Queyras and the Ubaye. To the east, the Italian side, the entrance to the Gorges du Verdon, and, to the south-south-east, you can imagine the Sainte-Baume, the Sainte-Victoire and in front, the Luberon, south-west, the Monts de Vaucluse. To the west, the Ventoux seems to prolong the chain of Lure and, beyond, the Cévennes and if the sky is very clear, you can just make out the monts du Vivarais. And lastly, to the north-west, the Baronnies, with their succession of little mountains. » Guy Barruol, Encyclopédie de la montagne de Lure, published by Alpes de Lumière.
