A unique natural area
At the foot of the Pic de Bretagne, the Parc of Saint-Pons offers all the diversity o the Mediterranean flora. The typical vegetation of southern Provence, composed of scrublanfd, holm oak and pine forests, gives way at the bottom of the valley to a forest of beech, horbeam, lime, male and yew.
Water is at the origin of this lush vegtation. the Fauge feeds a network of streams that water the many trees present. Through an underground path, the spring collects rainwater and runoff from part of the Sainte-Bame massif. It never dries up, even in the heart of summer.
A discret fauna flourishes in this luxuriant forest. The dormouse rubs shoulders with the white-throated dipper, the roe deer or the emblematic and rare Bonelli’s eagle.
Trails and paths enable you to discover the natural treasures of the Parc de Saint-Pons. The cistercian abbey of Sain-Pons, founded at the beginning of the 13th century, emerges from the forest. Other vestiges, such as the chapel of Saint-Martin and the mills of Cuges and Foulon, bear witness to the spiritual fervour and past prosperity of the abbey. During the walk you can discover the remains of the Paradou paper mills, founded in the 17th centur by the Marquis d’Albertas, and the walls of the od Blancherie.
