Below its citadel, Forcalquier brings together lively squares, old houses and lanes climbing towards a panoramic viewpoint. North of town, the limestone formations at Les Mourres offer a separate countryside walk.
The old town and the climb to the citadel
The town of Forcalquier does not lack character. It spreads nonchalantly on the steep slopes of a cone-shaped hill, crowned by the chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame de Provence.
Forcalquier has also inherited character from its history, it was in the Middle Ages the seat of one of Provence’s three counties, capital of a quasi-independent state, extending across Haute-Provence and the Luberon. The little city has kept a flavour of aristocratic savoir-vivre, given by the façades of the houses in the old part of the city.
Forcalquier stands on the route of the ancient Via Domitia, a vital way of trade and communication linking Italy to Spain. The weekly market of Forcalquier is one of the largest and liveliest in the region.
The living centre of Forcalquier is the "place du Bourguet", heart of the city, filled with the market each Monday morning. The square is bordered by the road and the massive shape of the cathedral Notre-Dame du Bourguet. On the opposite side, we notice the old convent of the Visitandines now converted to town hall and cinema.
Winding and narrow streets in the old town of Forcalquier are nice to walk through. Old houses have very nice wooden doors and door frames, showing the wealth of their owners in the past, but now a bit decrepit and sometimes restored.
On the Saint Michel square stands a beautiful fountain in Gothic style, erected in 1512. It shows some curious bas-reliefs that you can interpret for yourself.
Sloping paths lead up to the citadel. At the summit, the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Provence, inaugurated in 1875, overlooks the town. Views extend towards the Montagne de Lure, the Luberon, the Durance valley and the Valensole plateau.
History of Forcalquier
First
mention of Forcalquier dates from the 9th century; the town grew around a fortified castle. Following a dispute, Sisteron’s
bishop settled in Forcalquier and gave its church the unusual status of co-cathedral.
Forcalquier became the capital of a county extending across the Luberon and Haute-Provence. The town developed and had up to 10,000 inhabitants.
In the 13th century, the earl Raymond Bérenger V married each one of his four daughters to four kings, creating the « legend of the Four queens ». The second daughter, Eleonore, married King Henry III of England.
The town’s importance declined when the counties of Forcalquier and Provence were united by marriage. It became part of the kingdom of France in 1481. 
Forcalquier suffered during the Wars of Religion and the bloody conflicts between Catholics and Huguenots.
A subprefecture of the Basses-Alpes after the Revolution, Forcalquier took part in the republican uprising of December 1851 against Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état. The resistance was harshly repressed.
Forcalquier is still a cultural and trading centre of the region. The city benefits from the economic dynamism of the Durance valley, and develops also with tourism.
Les Mourres
Around Forcalquier are many picturesque villages : Mane, Dauphin, Cruis, Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues, Lurs, … just to mention some of them.
A few kilometers from Forcalquier, on the road to Fontienne, we see on the left side of the road some curious geological formations. They are called the "Mourres" a Provençal word meaning "head" or "face".
Those rocks, shaped by rain and wind are very expressive indeed. They are remnants of an ancient lake whose limestone deposits were sculpted by erosion.
Getting to the Mourres near Forcalquier : GPS location N 43°58'58'' - E 5°46'27''
Planning your visit
Wear shoes suited to sloping paths for the climb to the citadel. The chapel and carillon have their own schedules. At Les Mourres, keep to marked paths to protect this sensitive natural site; this is a separate walk from the town centre.
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Getting to Forcalquier
GPS coordinates : N 43°57'31'' - E 5° 46'48''
Forcalquier location : altitude 545 metres above sea level, 4600 inhabitants, 2 miles from Mane, 6 miles from Sigonce , 7 miles from Dauphin, 8.5 miles from Ongles, 11 miles from Saint-Etienne-les-Orgues, 14 miles from Manosque, 15 miles from Banon , 20 miles from Simiane-la-Rotonde, 25 miles from Apt, 28 miles from Sisteron, 48 miles from Aix-en-Provence, 60 miles from Avignon