Sisteron
172.5 km
Friday 14 March
© Ville d’Althen-des-Paluds
Althen-des-Paluds, which is situated between the region’s capital (Avignon, which is 13 km to the west) and the capital of the Comtat Venaissin (Carpentras, 11 km to the east), is one of the newest villages in the Vaucluse as it was only created in the middle of the 19th century. At the beginning, it was a hamlet which was a part of the outskirts of the town of Monteux. It was called “Les Paluds” (the marshes) because of the nature of the ground, which had been boggy for a long time and was dried out in the 16th century. Jean Althen (Johannès Althounian, an Armenian agronomist) brought a fertile crop to the town, madder, which was used to make red dye. His name was given to the village in 1845. The town hall is situated in the oldest district of Althen, whose former building supports the steeple with its wrought-iron bell-tower.
• www.vaucluse.fr
© Office de Tourisme de Sisteron
Sisteron is situated on the Route Napoléon, on the banks of the River Durance and is a privileged stopping place between the Alps and the sea. “This is where one country ends and another one begins!” The town marks the way between Provence and the Dauphiné. With 300 days of sunshine per year, Sisteron is unique in terms of its beauty, its light and its colours. Sisteron welcomes you to discover and relax in the Alpes de Haute-Provence.
