Tallard / Sisteron

From Tallard, you accompany the Durance, no longer the impetuous river it once was since the Serre-Ponçon Dam’s construction in 1959, water from the river being syphoned off into the Canal EDF, which acts as the guiding thread for cyclists on this stage. Orchards thrive on either side, while the Monges Range makes a charming backdrop. Around here, the Durance Valley opens out and the landscapes become gentler, but perched villages such as Upaix mark the way, with fruit trees and gypsum outcrops to the sides. The cycle route then rises above the Buëch River to offer cyclists a splendid finale, in the form of your arrival at Sisteron, a town overseen by a stone citadel built on dramatically twisted strata of rocks. Northerly lavender fields indicate that you’re reaching the border with Provence. Before cycling into this southerly region, savour the Alpine features visible in Sisteron’s very geology before heading into the sun-drenched south.

The cycle route

Cycling off from Tallard, a new lay-out now enables you to reach the Canal EDF with ease to then ride southwards. The way leads you along country lanes following the bottom of the Durance Valley and the gentle curves of the canal, lined with orchards. The setting is peaceful, but provides scarcely any shade, so make sure you have plenty of water and sun protection. After crossing the Buëch River, you need to ride along the busier D951 road to reach Sisteron.

Take care: there’s only one bridge you can use to ride into town, and it also carries the major N85, a generally very busy road. Take special care too as you approach the citadel. If wishing to make use of Sisteron station, make sure to check on travel possibilities well in advance, be it for regional trains or buses.

Don't miss

• Château de Tallard: a remarkable medieval fort looking down on the Durance.
• Canal EDF: the peaceful thread for this stage, as you ride next to this canal, between orchards, with the Monges Range as a backdrop.
• Perched villages (Upaix, Ventavon): places typical of France’s Alpine foothills, but with more than a hint of Provence in their architecture and atmosphere.
• Buëch Valley views: best seen from the natural viewing points, or belvédères, at the tops of the ridges.
• Sisteron: the town dominated by a spectacular Vauban-designed citadel; the old town; the museums; the unique local geological heritage (notably, the vertical folds of twisted limestone strata).