Vachères

Discover the perched village of Vachères in the Alpes de Haute Provence

Vachères is a perched village typical of the Haute Provence region, set in the midst of unspoilt countryside that offers extraordinary landscapes: at the highest point in the commune (910 m), you can admire a panorama of 7 départements!

Beautiful old streets

The whole of the old village has been harmoniously designed and carefully restored using local materials. You'll love strolling through the cobbled streets of Vachères, where you'll come across beautiful stone houses, a campanile in the shape of the Tour de l'Horloge, a tastefully renovated priory and covered passageways that give the village a lot of character.

A charming, friendly village

Calm, tranquility, wide-open spaces... Vachères is a village where people come to relax, stroll and breathe. Here you won't find a golf course, a three-star hotel, a nightclub or a shopping mall, but you will meet the grocer, the owner of the café, and the locals who try to keep their village intact and welcoming, and who give Vachères its special atmosphere.

Le château du Colombier

Located in the Prat Lambert district, the façade of the Château du Colombier stands out between two two-storey forebodies. Round-arched windows testify to the refinement of its construction, which dates back to 1578, when it was owned by the Seigneur de Bourgarel. The château's courtyard features a curved wall adorned with magnificent carved flower baskets. The gateway is set between two rusticated pillars. This seigniorial residence is a historic rear-fiefdom of the seigneury of Vachères. The architectural ensemble harmoniously blends local cut stone with the decorative elements characteristic of the Provencal Renaissance style.

A village ideally located between Luberon and Haute Provence

Small roads will guide you gently from the Oppedette gorges in the Provencal Colorado to Rustrel in the Luberon Regional Nature Park. On the road to Banon, you'll come across a beautiful three-towered Provencal bastide (known as a château), then 500 meters further on, you'll discover a small church of Romanesque origin in a charming shady setting.

The Museum of Paleontology and Archaeology

Housed in the former municipal school, the Pierre Martel Museum is home to some exceptional treasures. The centerpiece of the collections is the Bachitherium, a remarkably well-preserved 30-million-year-old fossilized skeleton. The exhibition rooms retrace the history of the region through a collection of local fossils. From dragonfly wing prints to petrified fish remains, each piece bears witness to the region's geological wealth. The archaeological section features carved flints discovered in the Largue valley and a reproduction of the famous Guerrier de Vachères, an emblematic Gallo-Roman statue from the 1st century BC. A must-see if you're passing through the village.

Concerts at Eglise Saint Christophe

Concerts are regularly held in summer in the superb Eglise Saint Christophe. Ask at the Tourist Office about the program during your stay. Often classical music or choirs, very enjoyable in this magical setting.

What's the altitude of the village?

Perched at an altitude of 830 m, Vachères is one of the “perched villages” of Haute Provence. The panorama over the valley is magnificent. The Montagne de Lure is the nearest and most famous mountain in the area.

Our map of Vachères (zip code 04 110, France)

To find your way around this perched village in the Alpes de Haute Provence (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region), you can use our interactive map of the village, which you'll find on this page. We've included all the village's points of interest (Vachères town hall, tourist office, Saint Christophe church, chapel...) as well as our accommodation recommendations, which we update every year.