Allemagne-en-Provence, Provence, France
Allemagne-en-Provence is a little town with a beautiful castle. It is located between Valensole, Gréoux-les-Bains and Esparron-de-Verdon, near the Verdon canyon. Near the village you can find amazing lavender fields. Allemagne means "Germany" in French, so the name of the village can be translated as "Germany in Provence". However this name isn't German-inspired, but it can be derivative of Alemona, who was Roman goddess of fertility. It also could be that the village's ancient name Armagna was simply derived from "area magna" what means "large plain of gravel".
The access and parking in Allemagne-en-Provence
You can visit the town on the occasion of visiting the Verdon canyon. There we find a large parking lot (P; GPS: 43.782748, 6.007017), located right next to the castle. It's good because we are close to both the old town and the castle itself.
Château d'Allemagne-en-Provence
The castle (A; GPS: 43.783309, 6.007850) was built at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It is a former stronghold of Castellane family. The castle has five defensive towers and a moat with a bridge. In Renaissance period the castle was rebuilt and converted from defensive function into the residence. Although the building is privately owned, it is possible to visit the interior of the castle. Ticket prices: 8€ for adults, 4€ for teenagers, children under 12 enter for free. More information on the castle website (in French). Please note that in 2017 individual tours of the castle are not possible - the touring is available only for groups of at least 15 people (5€/person).
The town
The old town is really very small - it just consists of main square (Place de Verdon) with a nice fountain (B; GPS: 43.782282, 6.007043) adjacent to the road leading through the village (D952) and surrounding buildings with narrow streets. As usual in such situations, we aimlessly stroll in search for something interesting :).
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