Route description for Napoleon route

The journey went via Waldshut-Tiengen and Brugg to Burgdorf. When we arrived at the parking lot at the Schützenhaus, it started to rain. We used this time for our coffee break. It was only a short rain shower after which the castle and the town were visited.

It was the Zähringer family who built a castle on a rocky outcrop on the left bank of the Emmen. Burgdorf Castle is now the city's landmark. Burgdorf is surrounded by the Emme, which flows around the town in a wide arc to the east. Burgdorf is also called the "Gateway to the Emmental".

The village of Anthy-sur-Léman is slightly elevated above the southern shore of Lake Geneva. The approach to the parking space was a little difficult due to construction sites. We found a small place with 6 places, on which only one camper was standing. (From 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. free of charge) From the square you had a view of the lake in which Irmgard immediately went swimming. We ended the day with a walk along the lake shore and through the village.

The night was very quiet, we had slept well, it had rained occasionally during the night. In the morning before 8 a.m. we started our onward journey.

The pitch that was approached was occupied, we were not the only mobile home that drove to the place at this time. Quickly emptied the toilet cassette and tried again to find a parking space. It was Saturday and accordingly the traffic in the city was on the move. In addition, our GPS sent us twice in the wrong direction. One must not lose hope and we found a parking space at the top of Annecy Cathedral, where there were already many mobile homes. We stood directly under the church tower. We also made our way to the old town on foot. Annecy is known as the "Venice of the Alps" and the crystal-clear Lac d'Annecy with the pretty plane tree promenade on the north bank has a lot to do with it. It invades the old town with two major watercourses, the artificial Canal du Vassé and the branching Thiou river. The result is quays adorned with flowers, a river island with the 900-year-old Palais de l'île, and bridges and jetties.

Made a swim stop. The city used to be a well-visited spa town. We were able to park the mobile home in the parking lot by the lake. The lake has a pebble beach and the water level is quite shallow, you have to go far into the lake to swim. We didn't stay long and continued to Grenoble.

We had primarily chosen Grenoble as a place to stay overnight. On the way to Grenoble we saw areas where there were forest fires. We reached the campsite with a little detour, just before the campsite the road was closed and I followed the instructions on the navigation system, it would have been easier if I had followed the detour signs.

On the way to La Mure we passed the small village of Laffrey.

Napoleon's troops and those of his opponents met here. Here Napoleon is said to have won over enemy troops with a courageous speech. Napoleon allegedly entered the royal troops with the words "If among you soldiers there is one who wants to kill his emperor, here I am!" opposite to. After some hesitation, shouts of "Vive l'Empereur - long live the Emperor" - made it clear that the opponents were joining Napoleon's troops.

A large equestrian statue of Napoléon commemorates this episode.

Four lakes can be seen near Laffrey on the high plateau, the Grand Lac de Laffrey being the largest of them.

Next, La Mure is traversed. The village is the terminus of the Chemin de fer de la Mure narrow-gauge railway, which runs from La Mure in countless hairpin bends and tunnels down to the SNCF train station at Saint-Georges-de-Commiers. We stopped at La Mure on the Napoleon Road, in the heart of the Matheysin Plateau, 800 meters above sea level. We parked in the parking lot at the tourist center in front of the city, where there was also the opportunity to ride the historical railway. There were several interesting buildings to see in downtown La Mure. The imposing town hall, the clock tower, the old market and the Chateau Herbelon.

After our tour and coffee break, we continued our journey, but not through the old town but used the developed bypass road, from which one can enjoy a sweeping view of the rising Alpine scenery.

The access to the lake was on a narrow road that can only be driven in one direction. The entrance to the campsite has a tight curve, which we would not have been able to drive without maneuvering. At first it was said that the campsite was occupied, you had to register in advance. Suddenly it worked and we got a beautiful parking space on the water. The campsite's terrain is sloping but the pitches are reasonably level. The sanitary facilities are not a luxury. Irmgard then immediately went swimming in the lake, the water temperature was estimated at 21°C.

A photo stop is a must on the way to GAP.

At the indoor pool was the designated parking space (free of charge). We had to walk to the city center on a two-kilometer-long avenue. The many trees donated a little shade, so that the great heat was bearable.
There isn't much historical architecture to see in the city. There was a wealth of interesting things to see in the streets. The city's medieval cathedral began to collapse in the 19th century, so a neo-Gothic replacement was built in its place and completed in 1904.
Napoleon spent the night of March 5, 1815 here on his way from Elba exile to Paris, just before the Hundred Days.
He chose this detour through GAP; because this city, in contrast to the cities in the Rhone Valley, remained loyal to him rather than to the French kings.

Sisteron is the gateway to Provence and a small tourist town. Already at the entrance to the city there were crowds of people, the parking space right at the entrance was occupied. The second variant was the parking space at the cemetery, to which we could not find the access road. By chance we saw a parking lot where there was also a mobile home, to which we stood. It was only a few minutes to the old town. The old town of Sisteron which is picturesque with narrow streets lined with old houses and an abundance of fountains. Notable monuments include the bell tower and the 12th-century Notre-Dame Cathedral. After visiting the old town, the citadel on the rocky hillside, originally from the 11th century, is worth a visit. During our walk on the viewing rock, we also saw the parking space at the cemetery where two campers were parked. The access to the parking space looked more difficult for us, the narrow streets are easy to drive on.

Before our stage destination in Dingle les Bains we went shopping at the discounter. When we arrived at the parking space, there were two WoMos, then the mobile homes came one after the other. We arrived in time to get a seat. It was oppressively hot 34°C. First we lowered all the blinds on the sunny side. It was too hot to go to the old town. After dinner we went for a walk to the old town. A nice bike and footpath led along the Bléone river to the town about 10 minutes walk. The streets of the old town were deserted, only a few people were sitting in a small restaurant or bar.

The Notre-Dame-du-Bourg cathedral in Romanesque style from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Saint-Jerôme Cathedral is a more recent construction and is a 15th-16th century Gothic building. Century (although the facade was rebuilt in the 19th century). Cathedral with a beautiful portal was already closed. Dingle les Bains is the self-proclaimed capital of lavender. Especially between the end of June and mid-August you can experience the landscape in the fragrant purple of the medicinal plant. Then we went back to the WoMo, where we enjoyed the evening outside in a mild breeze.

In Castellane we went into the Verdon Gorge.

The campsite was today's destination. From there we could cycle the Route des Cretes. The Route des Cretes can be traveled by car, mobile home or by bicycle. We decide to go on a bike tour in order to be able to fully enjoy this great landscape.

Approached the paid parking lot at the cemetery (GPS: 43.52281, 5.46136), we weren't the only camper that parked here. We were lucky with the parking fee, the ticket machine was broken. Going downtown was only a 15 minute walk. We came to a well-kept Provençal old town. Really lively, many restaurants. But fewer real sights. A beautiful fountain at the beginning of the promenade "Fontaine de La Rotonde".

In Cassis we drove to the campsite where we could stay for the night (Gps;43.21349, 5.53781). The place was big enough, with pebbles. We used the power connection to charge our e-bike batteries. The fridge was malfunctioning when we came back from our bathing stay, the display showed the error code I10 (voltage not in the 200-260 volt range). The main thing was that the batteries were charged, the refrigerator continued to run on gas.

A walk through the small streets dominated by a castle is part of a visit to Cassis. The medieval fortress dates from the 17th - 19th centuries and was used as a military fort. The castle is now privately owned

Pitch in Avignon approached Gps: 43.95608, 4.8002, was pretty empty. Chargeable. The course is on the Rhone Island.

"Le Mont Ventoux" (1910 m) the sacred mountain is a myth, the summit road is often a stage of the Tour de France, the panoramic view over Provence was unfortunately not that great today. In the most beautiful sunshine - and a clear view of the summit, we found a parking lot, where we also stay overnight. The gravel place with some large stones is free and sloping. Towards the late afternoon, the parking lot emptied and we made a change of place on which our camper was leveler. But the sacred mountain of Provence soon made its mark as Mons Ventosus (lat. "windy mountain").

The sunset was gorgeous, a starry sky that you don't get to see every day and the silence at night with the sunrise over Le Mont Ventoux the next morning.

On leaving Vaison-la-Romaine, on the left, there are 81 fascinating menhirs. 81 stones are set, 9 of which bear the names of European cities of culture: Reykjavik, Bergen, Helsinki, Prague, Kraków, Bologna, Avignon and Saint Jacques - de - Compostela. Each is engraved with a verse from a poet from that city. And on the 72 remaining stones, a poem is engraved every June 21st, so this work is universal. Nothing has been improvised, the stones are not randomly laid, but respect the golden numbers and algorithmic measurements. If the sphinx appears, she will help solve the riddle, she has the bust and head of a woman, a good body and eagle wings.

We had chosen the pitch as a place to stay, Gps: 44.96011, 4.8473 because there is no pitch in Valence.

The plan was to explore Valence from the square. When we saw the Cornas wine region, we decided to go on a vineyard hike instead of visiting Valence.

The municipality of Cornas on the Rhône gives its name to the Cornas wine-growing region.