🇨🇵les Penitents Mees

The Pénitents des Mées are a geological curiosity of the Alpes de Haute Provence and the Durance valley. The developed path allows you to discover these rocks in an unexpected and spectacular way. This centuries-old site is located at the gateway to the Haute-Provence geological reserve.The route runs through the small streets of the charming village of Les Mées, then climbs to the Saint-Roch chapel and its viewpoint. It continues with an exceptional ridge crossing on the peaks of the Pénitents before descending to the Ubac towards the village.

This geological site, whose rocks were formed by the erosion of cemented pebble materials and are called puddingue, is an atypical witness to the formation of the Alps.Beyond its geological identity, this site is home to a diverse flora and fauna, some of which are protected species. The Late Molinia and the European Grand Duke are the two representative species.The route runs through natural terrain, often along a cliff; extreme caution is required here, especially when supervising children (dizzying passages).

To avoid giving in to desire, the monks wore large hoods that covered their faces. Legend has it that the devil then caused a wind to blow so violently that the hoods were raised as the beautiful Saracens passed by so that the monks could admire them. Thunder struck them immediately, transforming them into a long procession of stones 2 .These rocky peaks were the hoods of these monks, who would have been punished for seeing young women with whom they had to accompany 2 .