Maison Baudinard, Baudinard-sur-Verdon

Description for B&B:

Description for Gite

Enjoy truly breath taking views of the wild countryside and spectacular sunsets, an artist's delight. Opposite a restaurant giving the convenience of a hotel. An old three story house village house set in a beautiful village near the Lac de Sainte Croix and Gorges du Verdon. It has a large terrace of 10 m². The village, perched on a hill at an altitude of 630 meters, has maintained its old fashioned Provençal appeal and is in the midst of a nature reserve, which is rich in flora and fauna. The scenery here is astonishing and diverse. This area was never really discovered until the beginning of the 20th century, the two Verdon Gorges have fascinated innumerable visitors ever since. The two canyons are separated by the Lac de Sainte Croix. One is called Les Hautes (upper canyon) and the other is called Les Basses (lower canyon).• Private outside semi-shaded sun terrace for eating and relaxing, with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside• Large bathroom with Victorian style free standing bath• Beautiful veiws of rolling countryside from bath• Crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, cotton linen, electricity and water included. Towels for indoor use only• Pop downstairs for your coffee and breakfast, lunch and diner – no need to cook at all!• Lots of free and secure parking outside the house and in the friendly village• No hidden extras• 5 Minutes from the Lac de Sainte Croix• Self-catering• Opposite restaurant• Two double bedrooms• 2 double beds• 1 double sofa bed in living room• Sleeps 6• Floor area 80 m²• Roof terrace• Living room with fire place• Large bathroom and toilet• Separate shower room and toilet• Lac de Sainte Croix 4 kilometers• Nice Airport 1 3/4 hours• Toulon Airport 1 3/4 hours• Nearest beach 10 minutes (on lake)• Marseille 2 hours Things to doRelax and watch the world go by on the terrace or on one of the many beaches on the nearby lake.WalkingThe Canyon of Baudinard should not be missed. Cliffs of up to 150 meters, home to many caves, beautiful clear turquoise water. It defines the 13 kilometre long path called le Sentier des Basses Gorges. Be warned, it's not for those who are afraid of heights! There are many marked out paths in the area and general walks near the village that are excellent for viewing the diverse Provençale flora of the region. For example, le Sentier Botanique of 2 km in length, or the path du Museau de la Colline which takes you to the 16th century chapel of Notre Dame de la Garde at an altitude of 710 meters. From here, you will enjoy a tremendous vantage point of six departments of the Var.In Baudinard, you could visit the 11th century church of Saint Michel l'Archange, restored in 1921; le pont Silvestre (built near the remains of a Roman bridge), the three shrines of Ste Catherine, St Espero and St Etienne, or the 14th century dungeon of the Chateau de Sabran. A classified historic building, l'Abbaye de Valmogne, is situated on le chemin de Vaumougne. This superb Roman priory of the 13th century has been recently restored and is well worth a visit. There are walks and hikes along the edge of the river Verdon, as well as walks that take in villages and vantage points. Whatever walk you choose, you can be sure of the most awe-inspiring scenery, a wealth of wildlife and a wide variety of wildflowers, plants and birds.Action and Adventure ActivitiesThe Gorge and the lakes of the Verdon river are the home of many companies specialising in action and adventure activities such as white water rafting, canoeing, canyoning, kayaking, sailing, water skiing, climbing, trekking, mountain bike rides paragliding, free flight, gliding, and horse riding. It is also one of the most memorable settings in the world for fishing. It is sheer nature at its best featuring crystal clear emerald waters and white canyon cliffs 700 meters high above your head. It is a paradise for hikers, climbers and fly-fishers.The areaLe Parc naturel du VerdonThe Gorge and Lake are in a Natural Park, and there has been a successful programme over the last few years to re-introduce wildlife such as golden eagles and vultures, which can frequently be seen souring above the mountains or down into the Gorge. There are many different varieties of lizards and geckoes to be seen on a hot day as well as crickets and cicadas. The scenery is enhanced by the abundance of wild flowers and shrubs throughout the year. In April the acacia trees bring white fragrant blossoms whilst the elegant wild irises are a mass of colour and the rarer dwarf varieties in their different colours and hues can often be spotted. May brings the vibrant yellow blooms which abound on the mountain and roadsides. Wild flowers such as the delicate purple columbine, sweet peas, and many varieties of orchid are numerous in the area. The Grand Canyon du VerdonThe Gorge du Verdon is the world’s 2nd largest gorge, approximately 20km long and plunging more than 300m in places. This immense and magnificent canyon straddles the departments of Var and the Alpes de Hautes Provence. The Gorge du Verdon is one of Europe’s great natural wonders; formed where the blue-green Verdon river cuts a deep swathe through the high limestone plateau of Haute Provence. Often called Europe's Grand Canyon , this truly spectacular canyon is over 25 kilometres long and in places over 1000 metres deep, and the great cliffs are a playground for rock climbers. Although it's much smaller than Arizona's Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon du Verdon is deep, compact, wild and beautiful.Lac de Ste. CroixThis magnificent turquoise lake was formed by the Barrage (dam) de Ste. Croix, built on the Verdon river in 1975. Sitting on the open Plateau de Valensole and the Grand Plan de Canjuers, the lake has a feeling of endless space and light. At the north eastern end of the lake at the Pont du Galetas, an almost invisible slot in the mountain wall hides the deep, wild Verdon canyon where the rushing green waters of the river enter the lake. There are many sandy beaches on the lake, which is very safe to swim in.There are hikes starting from the ancient villages around the lake. There is easy access to most of the lake shore, and plenty of beaches and picnic areas. As the lake is so large the summer visitors are accomodated without a feeling of overcrowding its vast surface. On the plateau above the Lake are miles of lavender fields, which are truly spectacular when in flower, around June and July. The Lake, which the river of the Gorge feeds into, is normally bright blue, reflecting the sun.Although the village of Ste-Croix-de-Verdon gave the lake its name, the village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon on the opposite side is more a part of the lake itself: the old village rests 40 metres below the surface of the water. When the dam was built, Les Salles-sur-Verdon moved to higher ground, taking some of the old village with it, including the church bell tower and the fountain.