Activities during your cure

Gréoux-les-Bains sits at the heart of the Verdon Regional Natural Park, a quarter of an hour from the lavender fields and twenty-five minutes from a turquoise lake. Your afternoons are free: here is how to fill them, at your own pace.

Close by, without the car

The spa town's parks — Morelon, thermal and Olivia — cover 150 hectares of green space: shaded, flat and made for a daily stroll.

The banks of the Verdon offer an accessible walking route and fifteen open-air fitness stations, free and open to all levels.

The village is best explored on foot: the Templars' castle, the church of Notre-Dame des Ormeaux, chapels, fountains, wash-houses and cobbled lanes.

For half a day

The Lake of Esparron-de-Verdon is twenty-five minutes away, and Saint-Julien beach fifteen. Emerald water, creeks and cliffs: supervised swimming in summer, electric boats, canoes, pedalos, paddleboards and fishing. Guided cruises last an hour, which fits perfectly into an afternoon.

The Valensole plateau begins fifteen minutes to the north-east. The lavender is in bloom from mid-June to mid-July. A local tip: go early in the morning or at the end of the day — the light is better and the roads much quieter. At the height of the season, crowds can be considerable.

Guided tours of the area feature oil mills, distilleries, perfumery, farms and the heritage of Manosque.

For a whole day

Five tourist routes pass through or start from Gréoux: the Olive Tree Route (89 km, via Manosque, Lurs, Oraison and Forcalquier), the Lavender Route (100 km via Valensole, Riez and Puimoisson), the Wine Route (95 km via Pierrevert and the Coteaux de Pierrevert appellation), the Route Napoléon and the Route des Grandes Alpes. The Train des Pignes links Nice to Digne-les-Bains in 3 hours 20 minutes.

The Gorges du Verdon and the Lake of Sainte-Croix can be visited in a day. Take care in summer: access to the hills is regulated by prefectoral order according to the wildfire risk level, published every day around 6 pm. Check before you set off.

If you like walking or cycling

125 kilometres of footpaths and 1,225 kilometres of cycle routes cover the area. Guided walks and themed nature outings — truffles, birdsong, local flora — are offered regularly: the ideal format for a curist's afternoon.

For cyclists, sections 13 to 15 of the TransVerdon link Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon to Gréoux via Quinson, and several waymarked loops go around the Verdon lakes, the Valensole plateau or the Esparron balconies. The FFC Provence Verdon mountain-bike area completes the offer, and rental shops offer mountain bikes and e-bikes.

If your grandchildren come to visit

The Randoland trails turn a village visit into a treasure hunt: you solve the riddle given to Inspector Rando by looking for clues on the façades. They are free, available at all our tourist information offices and online, at three levels — ages 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 and over. There are two trails in Gréoux-les-Bains, one in the village centre and one along the banks of the Verdon. Twenty-five villages in the area are covered.

Events of the season

Open-air concerts on the Placette Pauline from Friday to Sunday, April to October. The Soirées de l'Étoile at the Congress Centre, March to November except July and August. The Gréoux Jazz Festival and Gréoux de Janeiro in summer, the Automne Musical and the Foire aux Santons in autumn. The monthly programme "Ici et Aujourd'hui" is available at the tourist information offices.