The summit of Andran via the village of Courbons

Park in the Musée Promenade car park at La Maynière.

(S/E) Head towards the entrance gate: white and red markings. At the gate, you will see the sign "Musée Promenade alt. 620 m". Head towards Belvédère de Caguenard / Digne, following the path that runs alongside the museum's wire fence. You will reach a crossroads at a bridge.

(1) Turn left and continue along the path that runs alongside the Bléone river below.

(2) Continue on the main path, ignoring the one that branches off to the right. You will come to a fork: Caguerenard signpost.

(3) Turn right: start of the yellow and red markings. Continue along the very pleasant winding woodland path offering views of the Bléone.

(4) Turn right and continue through the undergrowth, following the yellow and red markings until you reach a forest track.

(5) Turn right towards L'Andran and continue with caution on this track called Route du Relais.

(6) Turn left towards Courbons. The path runs alongside the Ruisseau de Saint-Véran stream, then climbs back up towards the village and joins a tarmac road at the signpost marked "Dessous le Village". Continue to the crossroads: signposted "départ itinéraire de randonnée" (start of hiking trail) and "Courbons alt. 920 m".

(7) Take a sharp right turn onto Montée Grimaldi, which crosses the old residential area. Continue carefully along the road to the Church of Notre-Dame des Anges: signpost "Lavoir" alt. 950 m.

(8) Turn right onto the path that goes around the church. Take your time to look at the village and Digne-les-Bains. The path crosses the Ruisseau de Saint-Véran stream again, which provides a little refreshment. It then passes under the ruins of a farm and disappears into the fields; continue towards the pass: signposted "la Baisse des Chatières. Alt. 1140 m".

(9) Turn right and climb the steep path to reach the summit of Andran, where there is a take-off area for paragliders.

(10) Begin the descent and continue straight ahead for about a hundred metres towards the antenna. Turn left onto a path lined with box trees. Please note that this path is sometimes used by mountain bikes , so take care. In addition, the first part of the descent, which is in a sunny area, has a number of steep hairpin bends. When you reach the national forest, the path through the oak undergrowth is much more pleasant as it is shaded and the ground is free of stones. You will come to a fork marked by a cairn.

(11) Turn right, cross the Baisse de Blanchard, which is barely visible. Continue along the contour line and reach another cairn.

(12) Turn left; both paths lead to the same point, but the one marked on the map is more direct. You will reach a crossroads.

(13) Turn right and continue through an area of coniferous trees until you reach the next intersection: cairn.

(14) Head left and follow the path down towards the valley to the car park (S/E).

Please note that we recommend doing this hike during the week to avoid the mountain bikers who are there at the weekend.

Hiking boots and walking sticks are recommended.

Water point at the wash house (8).

The Promenade Museum gate is open every day at 9am. It closes at 5.30pm every month of the year except July and August, when it closes at 7pm

The starting point is the Promenade Museum, which boasts an exceptional geological heritage. It was the first Geopark in the world, created in 2000.