Barcelonnette Tourism
Situated at an altitude of over 1,107 meters, at the foot of the mountains and close to the Pra Loup and Mercantour mountains, Barcelonnette is the largest town in the Ubaye valley and one of the most beautiful in the PACA region.
Would you like to discover this magnificent Provencal village of 2,600 inhabitants in the Alpes de Haute Provence department? Book your weekend or vacation at Camping Le Fontarache in Barcelonnette. You’ll also be close to the famous lavender fields of the Valensole plateau, Digne-les-Bains, Jausiers and Briançon.
The city of Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette, sub-prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a pretty mountain town in the heart of the Ubaye valley, just a stone’s throw from the Mercantour regional nature park and Italy.
There are many villas and houses with Mexican architecture, as the Barcelonnets emigrated to Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, and their history is recounted in the Musée de la Vallée de l’Ubaye.
Barcelonnette, a major tourist destination in the Alpes de Haute Provence, has 9 hotels, 3 campsites and numerous guest houses.
The best activities in Barcelonnette by theme
With the family :
- toboggan ride
- dog-drawn sleigh rides
- afternoon at the skating rink
With friends :
- cross-country ski touring
- snowshoe outings
- escape game day
As a couple :
- day at the Eden wellness center
- gyropod rides
- a trip to the Barcelonnette market
Weather Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette can be visited all year round, thanks to its pleasant, sunny climate for most of the year. The weather is particularly pleasant from May to September, when temperatures are mild and sunshine is at its peak (between 10 and 15 hours a day in June and July). However, some periods are more favorable than others, and September, October and November can be prone to precipitation, although rain is very rare.
Barcelonnette is not a very windy town either, with a light breeze blowing at around 7 km/h maximum. Average temperatures range from -3°C in December to 28°C at the height of summer in July. The summer season, July-August, is the ideal time to go on vacation and take part in water sports such as rafting to cool off, visit Barcelonnette’s surroundings and discover the city’s and region’s markets, which offer fresh, local produce.
Take advantage of the mild but not too hot temperatures, which reach around twenty degrees from May to June, and then in September-October, for some great hiking or biking. Finally, if you want to go skiing or snowshoeing in Barcelonnette, the best time to go is between December and April, when the weather is ideal for enjoying the snow.
Map of Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette is a pleasant town in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département (04). With an average altitude of almost 1107 meters, this charming mountain commune near the Italian border covers an area of around 17 km². It currently has a population of just over 2,560, with around 150 inhabitants per square kilometer.
When it comes to visiting the Barcelonnette area, you’re spoilt for choice. The nearest towns, less than 10 km away, are Saint-Pons, Faucon-de-Barcelonnette, Uvernet-Fours et Enchastrayes, Jausiers, Condamine-Châtelard and Thuiles. A little further afield are Méolans-Revel, Orres, Meyronnes, Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye and the village of Allos, around 35 km by car from Barcelonnette.
Numerous must-see tourist attractions await you near Barcelonnette, including the mountain resorts of Val d’Allos and Pra-Loup, the Parc du Mercantour, the Ubaye valley and its superb hikes in a wild landscape where nature has been preserved. You can also visit pretty medieval towns such as Colmars, some forty kilometers from Barcelonnette. A little further afield, the Lac de Serre-Ponçon is perfect for water sports while admiring the beautiful scenery.
Barcelonnette is easy to reach from most parts of France. By car, access is via the freeway and then the mountain roads that serve the Ubaye valley.
You can also get to Barcelonnette by plane, train or coach. By TGV, you arrive atAix-en-Provence or Gap station, then continue by regional bus or rental car.
Air connections are available via Marseille Provence and Nice Côte d’Azur airports. Once there, you can easily take a cab or VTC, use the ZOU! buses or rent a car to get to Camping Le Fontarache and the villages in the valley.
Where to eat in Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette has no shortage of restaurants. With family or friends, for lunch, dinner or just a snack, discover a selection of places to eat well during your stay.
- Le Bocaccino: this restaurant on rue Cardinalis offers a generous blend of Italian specialties and mountain dishes. Enjoy Savoyard fondues, pastas and pizzas in a warm atmosphere, and take advantage of the patio, ideal for summer evenings.
- Côté Jardin: set in verdant surroundings, this café-restaurant is appreciated for its quiet terrace and its simple but carefully-crafted menu. Perfect for an open-air lunch or an afternoon gourmet break.
- Aux 4 saisons: set in Place Président Paul Reynaud, this restaurant focuses on seasonal, local, home-cooked cuisine. The short menu, regularly renewed according to the chef’s inspirations, showcases local produce. The warm, friendly atmosphere is ideal for a meal with family or friends.
- Les 7 portes: located in Place Manuel, in the heart of Barcelonnette, this seasonal restaurant offers homemade local cuisine, with mountain specialties such as tartiflette and fondue, as well as more unexpected dishes like duck breast or, during the Mexican Festivals, a menu with Latin flavors. The terrace on the square is perfect for enjoying the lively summer season.
- Le Poivre d’Âne: on Rue Manuel, this must-visit restaurant serves mountain specialties (tartiflette, fondues, raclettes…) and seasonal dishes, in a chalet atmosphere in winter and on the patio in summer. The place is renowned for its warm welcome.
- Le Génépy: lovers of crêpes and buckwheat pancakes will find what they’re looking for here, with a wide selection of sweet and savoury dishes. It’s just as good for a full meal as it is for a gourmet dessert.
With these few restaurants, you have a varied choice of mountain cuisine, Italian specialties, crêperies and more contemporary restaurants to liven up your evenings in Barcelonnette.
Barcelonnette’s Mexican villas
As you stroll through the streets of Barcelonnette, you’ll be amazed by the exotic, colorful architecture of the Mexican villas. These opulent residences were built by Barcelona emigrants who became wealthy in Mexico, mainly in the textile trade, and returned to their homeland between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.
Their style blends neoclassical and tropical influences, in stark contrast to the surrounding Alpine architecture. Today, many of these villas can be seen on a stroll through town, and their story is told at the Musée de la Vallée de l’Ubaye.
If you’re visiting the region in summer, don’t miss Barcelonnette’s Latin-Mexican Fiestas: a festival that pays tribute to this unique heritage and invites locals and tourists alike to celebrate Mexican culture together.
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