Champtercier
Pop. : 527 h. Elevation : 700 m.

Department of Alpes de Haute Provence

Champtercier was once the property of the famous Queen Jeanne, and is the birthplace of Pierre Gassendi, (philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, professor at the Collège de France … in the 17th century!). Today it is a beautifully situated peaceful village, in the hills above Digne, with pure air and surrounded by vast cultivated fields dotted with old barns.

A large square bell tower with a slate roof, some alleyways with steps and a covered passageway linking together simple roughcast houses with blue or green shutters, a fountain and its wash-house, one or two kitchen gardens where fig trees are growing, a stack of firewood waiting for winter ... Champtercier has no pretensions other than to offer you its pure air and generous nature ...

It also has a "rural park" covering 50,000 square metres, designed and laid out on abandoned agricultural land. It will enable you to discover agriculture and the local natural environment.
Don't forget its Santon Museum, with a workshop where you can discover the secrets of how these little terra cotta figurines are made, so typical of Provence!

18th century church.
Ruins of the house where Pierre Gassendi was born.
Rural park of Haute Provence.
Gassendi astronomical observatory.
Santon Museum.

Accommodation :

1 gîte (Gîtes de France). 1 Holiday village.

Leisure activities :

A mountain-biking circuit (9 km). Hiking.

Neighbouring villages :

Digne-les-Bains (9 km), Mallemoisson (10 km), Thoard (11 km)