Annot sits in the valley of the Vaïre in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, a medieval village of tall stone houses huddled beneath a backdrop of extraordinary sandstone boulders. These are the Grès d'Annot, huge blocks of sandstone scattered through the chestnut woods above the village, some of them with houses built right into them. The rock gives its name to a geological formation that is studied by geologists from around the world.
The village has a well-preserved old quarter, with narrow lanes, archways and a fortified church. The Train des Pignes, a narrow-gauge railway running between Nice and Digne-les-Bains, stops here, and the line itself is a marvel of engineering, threading through gorges and over viaducts. On some summer weekends, a historic steam train runs on part of the route.
For riders, Annot is in the middle of superb country. The N202 runs along the valley of the Var to the south, with the dramatic Gorges de Daluis and the Gorges du Cians nearby, both carved through deep red rock and among the most spectacular roads in the southern Alps. To the north and west, the roads climb towards Colmars, the Col des Champs and the Verdon. Corners are endless, surfaces vary, and traffic is light outside July and August.
Annot has cafés, bakeries and restaurants, making it a good food stop. Fuel is available in the area, but stations are spread out in this mountainous region, so it is wise to fill up when you can, for example in Saint-André-les-Alpes or Puget-Théniers. Take time to wander the old village and climb up to the boulders for a view.