Historic site and monument
in Les Mées

Village des Mées

Les Mées, in Provençal Lei Meas from the Occitan meya, which means stack of wheat, to designate the Penitents. It is a village which offers a beautiful panorama, it has 3630 inhabitants.
In the center there are beautiful exposed stone houses, small narrow streets... The Saint-Roch chapel and the Notre Dame de l'Olivier church are beautiful places to visit.

The Pénitents trail is a 2-hour route which allows you to discover this particular rock that is the Poudingue, formed a few million years ago by the consolidation of rock debris torn from the Alpine chain and rolled by the Durance. This 2.5 km long geological curiosity overlooks the village. The Chemin de la Colle leads to the high plateau, above the village, where lavender fields extend (flowering June/July).

The Penitents
The village of Mées owes its notoriety to the narrow rocks which stand more than 100 meters high in the town. They are called the Penitents of the Mées because of their long and narrow shape; some have seen a procession of monks wearing pointed hoods. According to legend, these are the monks of the Montagne de Lure who were petrified by Saint Donatus at the time of the Saracen invasions and punished for having fallen in love with young women.

The olive groves
Les Mées is the largest olive-growing commune in the Alpes de Haute-Provence with nearly 80.000 olive trees around the village. There is a 3,6km marked trail, the Chemin de l'Olivier, which allows you to discover these centuries-old olive trees. Several oil mills in the town can be visited all year round. FREE ENTRANCE. Info: 04 92 34 36 38
We speak French

Themes:

  • Historical patrimony
  • City Village

Location details

  • Public transport stop within 500 m
  • River at -5 km
  • In the city
  • Mountain view

Visit

Customers

Suitable for: Hikers, mountain bikers

Prices

Free

Services

Equipments

  • Parking
  • Free parking
  • Public toilets
  • Bar
  • Playground
  • Show room
  • Mediatheque
  • Restaurant

Linked offers

On the spot…

Address

04190 Les Mees
How do I get there?

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