Things to do

Outdoor Activities

Hautes-Alpes is renowned for it’s incredible nature and the range of outdoor activities on offer. From hiking, cycling, mountain biking, fishing, paragliding, rafting, canoeing, to rock-climbing, there are plenty to choose from.

Just 15 minutes from La Maison du Mûrier, you will find the River Buëch and its beaches, popular with bathers and picnickers alike.

Plan d’eau in Veynes, a lake just 20 minutes drive away for swimming and picnicking, with inflatable aqua park and water slides for kids in the summer months. There are cafes with terraces overlooking the lake and some barbecue areas under the shade of the pine trees.

The outdoor swimming pool at La Germanette is surrounded by the mountains and is equally beautiful as a natural lake. It’s well suited for families with young children with play area, paddling pool, and lifeguard on site.

The pretty village of Orpierre known for being a rock-climbers’ paradise is only 25 minutes drive away. This unassuming little village is actually one of the top 10 climbing sites in France! Here, you will find over 600 climbing routes at all levels.

Plan d’eau du Riou is 30 minutes drive away, offering a calm and beautiful lakeside setting for picnics, swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking. We have two inflatable kayaks and two paddle boards for our guests’ use.

Gorges de la Méouge, 45 minutes drive away is a beautiful canyon with turquoise river running through, with cascades, naturally formed whirlpools and polished pebble beaches. It is absolutely stunning and worth a visit just for the view. Between 13 July – 20 August, there is no parking by the gorges to protect the nature. You must take a shuttle bus from nearby that takes you to the spot.

https://www.sisteron-buech.fr/en/i-love-provence/6-wonders-visit/gorges-meouge

Info on the shuttle bus service:

https://www.sisteronais-buech.fr/navette-des-gorges-de-la-meouge/

Just 35 min drive away is Le Claps, a beautiful site with unusual rock formations (you will see many rock climbers) with a small lake and a waterfall. A great spot for a picnic and a refreshing dip in the lake. Drive further along the Clairette de Die sparkling wine route which takes you through the walnut orchards to the small town of Die.  

In the summer from early July to the end of August, our local ski resort La Joue du Loup just 35 minutes drive away turns into a downhill mountain bike park. There’s 50km of downhill and 6 trails for all levels. There are many fantastic trails for mountain biking just around La Maison du Mûrier too. Perfect for taking our four electric mountain bikes out for a spin. One of the things we recommend to our guests is riding the e-bike to a lovely bakery called Pain du Forest which can be reached over a mountain behind La Maison du Mûrier. The bakery is only open twice a week, selling freshly baked bread using ancient variety of organic grains and wheat ground using traditional methods. On the way back, stop for a picnic with an epic view over La Beaume.

Tour de France often passes through the area making Hautes-Alpes and it’s famous cols popular with many cycling enthusiasts. In fact last year’s Tour de France, which was postponed to the end of August, passed through villages just 10 minutes away from us!

For the adrenaline junkies there’s Gap-Tallard Aerodrome just 45 minutes drive away, home to all types of microlight aircraft, helicopter, hot-air balloon and skydiving.

A little further afield but worth mentioning is Lac de Serre-Ponçon with its stunning blue water. It is over an hour’s drive away from La Maison du Mûrier but a beautiful drive in itself. The lake is located on the border between the Hautes-Alpes and Haute-Provence and feels more like a sea in the mountains than a lake. It has 80 km of shoreline and offers a wide variety of nautical activities from kayaking, rafting, sailing and of course swimming or just sunbathing along its shore. 

Les Gorges d’Agnielles (20 minutes by car)

Preserved natural site with remarkable landscapes which is great for various outdoor activities such as climbing, via ferrtas, vertigo trail, caving, mountain biking, etc.

https://www.sources-du-buech.com/gorges-agnielles.html?nocache=1

For more info:

Hautes-Alpes Tourism

Sisteron Buech Tourism

Gorges de la Méouge

Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Gap Tallard Air Sports Centre

Winter Sports

Come winter, Hautes-Alpes turns into a big playground for winter sports lovers. The Devoluy ski resort is just 35 minutes drive away from La Maison du Mûrier. The Devoluy, made up of two resorts, La Joue du Loup and Superdévoluy which link onto one another, has a total of 100km of slopes. After a long day on the slopes, you can look forward to getting back to La Maison du Mûrier for a soak in the hot tub with vin chaud!

For more info:

Le Dévoluy

Local Markets

There are several local markets that run every week which are great for picking up fresh local produce and specialities of the region like lavender honey and goats cheese.

Thursday mornings:

Veynes: (20min drive) a decent sized local market selling fresh fruit, veg, cheeses, charcuterie, etc.

Laragne-Monteglin: (30min drive) a little further afield but a great Provençal market where you will find lots of fresh fruit and veg, cheeses, olives, herbs, spices, honey, natural soaps and creams made with local lavender and essential oils, etc. There’s also a section where they sell clothes, marché baskets and other bric-a-bracs. Pick up some cheeses, ham, bread and fresh fruit here and stop off for a picnic by Plan d’eau du Riou (Riou Lake 10 minutes drive away) or continue further down to the beautiful Gorges de la Méouge for a riverside picnic!

Wednesday and Saturday mornings:

Die: (50 min drive) Place de la République, 26150 Die

A bit further away but a beautiful drive through the Clairette de Die sparkling wine route. In July, you will pass by some lavender fields also. On the way to Die is also Le Claps mentioned above. This is a big market that animates the centre of Die. More than 120 stalls await you (slightly fewer in the winter). Fruits and vegetables, local cheeses and cooked-meat products, fresh meat and fish but also handmade jewellery, paintings, books, clothes, etc... Several restaurants/cafés in the pretty town of Die. Walk through the old town centre after the market. Not to miss – Achard-Verdurand, the quaint, traditional, chocolate and nougat shop on the main street in the old town.

Saturday mornings:

Serres: (18min drive) a small local market with vegetables, fruit, charcuterie, cheeses, etc. There’s a couple of cafés right by the market which are perfect for dropping in for a coffee afterwards.

Gap: (40min drive) a little further away but well worth a trip. A lively large market with plenty of stalls selling fresh fruit & veg, variety of cheeses, charcuterie, fish and seafood, etc. There’s a guy selling oysters that always attract a long queue. When the morning market starts to wind down around noon, you can make your way over to the bustling square and have a nice lunch on the terrace of one of the brasseries.

Brocantes & Flea Markets:

From around April until October, and especially in the summer months, you will often find brocantes and flea markets in the surrounding villages which are great fun for walking around and having a browse, or if you are anything like us, rummaging through in search of a hidden treasure!

For more info on local brocantes and flea markets:

Brocabrac

Wine & Vineyards

Chateau La Coste

1 hour 45 min drive away.

Organic vineyard with art and architecture – a unique destination for art, architecture and wine lovers. Art and architecture walk on the wine estate, art exhibitions, wine cellar visits, wine workshop, etc. Three restaurants to choose from on site, including Francis Mallmann’s first and only restaurant in Europe.

https://chateau-la-coste.com/en/

Domaine Allemand (Hautes-Alpes)

1 hour 10 min drive away.

During the summer season, from June to September, the domaine welcomes you from Wednesday to Saturday late morning, by reservation, for local wine and cheese tastings. The tasting is made up of the estate's 5 most emblematic cuvées and paired with local cheeses. It will be done in the company of Véronique or Marie who will tell you the story of the Allemand family and the vineyard in the Hautes-Alpes.

Free stroll in our vineyards to discover our grape varieties.

- Allow 1h30

- From Wednesday to Saturday. 2 possible time slots: from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. or from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (to be confirmed)

- Rates and reservations: contact the estate

https://www.domaine-allemand.com/

Domaine de Rieu Frais (Coteaux des Baronnies)

1 hour 10 min drive away.

Direct sales from the wine estate of Rieu Frais in the village of Sainte-Jalle in the Drôme Provençale near Nyons. All of their wines (Coteaux des Baronnies) are organic.

Fridays 10h-16h - free visit of the estate.

https://www.domaine-du-rieu-frais.com/

Chateau de Vérone (Vinsobres, Côtes du Rhône)

1 hour 25 min drive away

A beautiful drive through the olive groves as you pass by Nyons (famous for their black olives and olive oil). The Château de Vérone was built in the 13th century at the foot of the perched village of Vinsobres, in the heart of the Drôme Provençale. The wine cave is open to public on Tuesdays – Friday from 2pm – 5.30pm.

http://www.chateaudeverone.com/

Domaine Jaume (Vinsobres, Côtes du Rhône)

1 hour 25 min drive away. Very close to Chateau de Vérone (above).

Since 1905, passion and tradition have been passed down from father to son for over a century at Domaine Pascal & Richard Jaume. The vineyard is tended with the greatest of care, using reasoned, sustainable, and responsible vineyard management practices.

Wine Cellar hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 12pm & 1.30pm to 6.30pm

https://www.famillejaume.com/en/

Lavender Fields

Lavender has been a tradition in the Büech valley in the southern Hautes-Alpes since the 19th Century. Essential oils harvested here is certified "appellation d'origine de Haute-Provence". You can follow the “Routes de la Lavande” (Lavender Routes) to discover the lavender fields amongst the beautiful landscape of Hautes-Alpes. 

"Is there anything more beautiful than a lavender field in bloom? In the emblematic landscapes of the Regional Natural Park of the Baronnies Provençale, straddling the Drôme, the Alpes de Haute-Provence and the southern Hautes-Alpes... the lavender fields appear like a treasure in the heart of an unspoiled nature.

Do not expect vast expanses of blue disappearing into the distance like on the plateau of Valensole; here many small plots of beautiful lavender fields are scattered throughout the landscape as if a painter had dotted here and there a few blue strokes in his painting.” excerpt from the Sisteron-Buech website.

For more info on the Lavender Routes and itinerary:

Routes de la Lavande