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Allemagne en Provence stands between the rugged canyon country of the Verdon and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau. It is dominated by the palatial Château d’Allemagne, founded in the 12th century, which is now a luxury guesthouse (see Château d’Allemagne, Allemagne-en-Provence).

Annot stands in unspoilt countryside in the Vaire valley. Many houses are built into the giant sandstone glacial boulders, known as the grès d’Annot – some have 17th- and 18th-century carved façades.

Provence’s northernmost town stands in the rugged Ubaye valley. High in the Alps, its cobbled streets are ringed by peaks that have a scattering of snow until June.

Beauvezer, in the dramatic Vallée du Haut Verdon, stands 1,179 m (3,600 ft) above sea level. Once a frontier fortress, it still has its formidable battlements.

Castellane is a lively market town surrounded by steep mountains. The Verdon flows through it on its way to the Grand Canyon. It is also a centre for adventure sports (see Castellane).

Squatting on a steep-sided crag, high above the narrow valley of the River Durance, the formidable defences of the Citadelle guard one of the strategic gateways to Provence (see Sisteron). Built in the 13th century, the bastions and ramparts, crowned by towers and a graceful chapel, are an awesome piece of military engineering. In summer, they become the venue for the Nuits de la Citadelle, an enchanting festival of music, theatre and dance.

Forcalquier is a beguiling old town, evocative of past glories, when it was the seat of powerful local lords and capital of the region. One gate of the old walled town, the Porte des Cordeliers, still survives, along with the restored cloisters and stark library of the 13th-century Couvent des Cordeliers, with its tombs of the town’s medieval seigneurs.

This 17th-century fortress has a grim, businesslike look when compared with the fairytale medieval castles found elsewhere in Provence. It was built to withstand cannon fire, not just arrows and siege towers. The work of the master military engineer Vauban, it is a remarkable testimony to his skill. The Fort de France, the second of this former frontier garrison’s strongholds, has fared less well and lies in ruins.

La-Palud stands on the north side of the Grand Canyon du Verdon, making it a popular base for exploring the region (see Grand Canyon du Verdon).

Tucked away in the hills, the little village of Les Mées is best known for the strange rock formations known as the Pénitents des Mées. Legend says these pinnacles were once monks who broke their vows of chastity and were turned to stone by St Donat (see Les Pénitents des Mées).