Barren rock soon gives way to snow capped mountains and deep valleys broken up by solitary towns. Conglomerations of Swiss style chalets and resorts have mushroomed around the main ski lifts; many roads are closed from November to April.

If skiing is not your passion then spring is probably the most striking time to tour, when fruit trees blossom in the lower valley orchards and nature throws off some of its white mantle. During the summer the mountain peaks form a dramatic chainsaw of peaks which cut savagely into the impossibly blue alpine skies. With over 750 km of rivers and clear streams, 150 mountain lakes and reservoirs and numerous waterfalls, water activities from canoeing to rafting are available.

The spa town of Digne-les-Bains, which can reached by train from Nice, has a lavender festival in August and also sits in the middle of one of Europe’s best areas for fossils. Everything from ammonites to prehistoric footprints has been found among the shale. The Geology Centre’s HQ at St Benoît has detailed information for aspiring “rock hounds”. Sisteron the most important mountain access to Provence is worth a half day stop. Place de l’Horloge has markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays and on the second Saturday in the month there’s a fair. In the citadel’s grounds, Notre-Dame-du-Château boasts some restored gothic stained glass.

Demoiselles Coiffee

Barcelonette, a small town on the northern edge of the Parc National Mercantour, has a surprising Mexican feel as a result of past residents having made their fortunes there before returning home.The central square Place Manuel is ideal for dawdling at café tables and taking in the surroundings. It’s close to several ski resorts and serves as an unusual off-beat discovery.

Castellane and Colmars are set in the Verdon valley. Castellane is surrounded by bare highlands and keen ramblers can take a 30 minute walk up alpine paths to a pilgrim chapel. Colmars is the more attractive of the two with 17th century ramparts. Four kilometres away is the La Lance waterfall. There is a hiking trail (approx six hours) from Colmars to the Lacs de Lignin.