Castellane sits at the bottom of a bowl, with a huge limestone rock standing over it like a stopper. The rock, simply called le Roc, rises about a hundred and eighty metres above the old town, and a small pilgrimage chapel, Notre-Dame du Roc, perches on top, reached by a steep path through the pines. The town lies on the Verdon river a little upstream of the great canyon, and it has been a gateway to this country for as long as there have been roads.
The most famous traveller to pass through was Napoleon, who came this way in March 1815 on his march from Elba to Paris, along what is now the Route Napoléon. The N85 follows his route, and Castellane makes much of the connection. The town square, the Place Marcel Sauvaire, is a lively place with plane trees, a fountain and a number of cafes and restaurants that spill onto the pavement in summer, and it makes an excellent place to eat.
Expect Provençal basics done decently: soupe au pistou, grilled lamb, a salad with local goat's cheese, fougasse bread, and a glass of rosé. It is also a base for rafting and canoeing trips on the river, and in July and August the main street fills with people in wetsuits and flip-flops, which makes for a cheerful if slightly chaotic atmosphere. The town has about sixteen hundred permanent residents, but that number grows several times over in the high season.
The riding in and out is the highlight. The roads converge here from every direction: the Route Napoléon runs north and south through the hills, the great gorge road runs west, and the quiet lanes toward Annot and the Var valley climb over the pass. Surfaces are mostly good, bends are flowing, and gradients are manageable, though the mountain weather means sudden rain and cold fronts even in summer. Check your fuel before arriving, because there are stations in Castellane itself but the nearest large town, Draguignan, is a long way south.
At around seven hundred metres, Castellane is cooler than the coast, with a clear light and the smell of lavender and thyme drifting from the hills. Late spring and early autumn are the best times, when the traffic is thinner and the colours are rich.