Castellane sits at the bottom of a rock, and the rock is the point. The town, at a little over seven hundred metres in the valley of the Verdon, is overlooked by a limestone crag nearly two hundred metres high, with a small chapel on top, Notre-Dame du Roc, which has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. A steep path climbs to it in about half an hour, and the view over the town's red roofs, the river and the surrounding mountains is superb. The town itself is small, with about sixteen hundred people, but it feels bigger in summer, when visitors fill the cafés.
Napoleon passed through here on 2 March 1815, on his march from the coast at Golfe-Juan to Paris, and the town claims him as a guest. The road he took, now the N85, is called the Route Napoléon and is marked by little eagle signs. It is one of the great motorcycling roads of France, mostly smooth and well engineered, with long bends and fine views, and it is busy with riders in summer. Castellane, at its midpoint between the coast and Digne, is the natural place to stop.
The Gorges du Verdon begin a few kilometres to the west, a canyon of extraordinary beauty, with cliffs of up to seven hundred metres and a river of turquoise water. The roads that run along its rim are narrow and exciting, with tight bends and long drops, and they are best ridden in the early morning, before the crowds arrive. Lake Sainte-Croix, at the western end, has beaches and boats.
Fuel is available in Castellane, which has several stations, and it is wise to fill the tank here before heading into the mountains. Food is Provençal, with a good selection of restaurants and cafés around the main square, and a market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The town is busy in July and August, and quieter in spring and autumn, when the light is soft and the roads are almost empty. Nights are cool at this altitude, even in summer.