Annot Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04240) Population: 1053 Altitude: 700 m Nearby: [ Le Fugeret 7 km | Gorges de Daluis 7 | Méailles 10 | St André 25 | Senez 5 | Vaire river valley ] Below: [ Geology | Hiking | Skiing | Lodging ] Annot is on the Vaire river, on route D908 just off the RN 202, 15 km west of Entrevaux. If you arrive by the Train des Pignes, it's a 10-minute walk down the road to the town. If you arrive by road, take a walk up to the train station for a look around. The station here has a small café-restaurant, and has some picnic hikes you can take. This is also the terminus for the steam train during the summer season. Although this is a large town, it's high enough to have a distinctive mountain air. The Vaire river flows through the center of town, beneath a multi-arched stone bridge. The northwest side of town is overlooked by cliffs, with exposed rocks amidst thick pine forests. There are several terrace cafés, with plenty of huge, shady plane trees. Saturday is the Foire, with mainly low-cost clothing, and Tuesday is market day (see Markets.) Geology The grés (in Grés d'Annot) is a sedimentary sandstone rock created about 60 million years ago when this area was under the sea. Grains of sand were pressed together under intense pressure and cemented together by a natural silicon or calcium cement. The sandstone cliffs were exposed by several million years of glacial and fluvial erosion. Hiking A 3-hour loop hike marked Grés d'Annot begins at the train station. You start by crossing the tracks to the north of the station. The trail goes through shady woods and forests and, at one point, follows around the side of a sandstone (grés) cliff that dominates the Vaire river valley. Total elevation change for the hike is 350 m. Skiing. For the winter time, a ski de fond site is indicated only 10 km out of town (west across the stone bridge). Numbers Office de Tourisme - tel: (33) 492 83 23 03; fax: (33) 492 83 32 82 Camping La Ribière - tel: (33) 492 83 21 44; 15 feb-15 nov Lodging Hotel Beauséjour place Revelly Tel: (33) 492 83 21 08; Fax: (33) 492 83 39 67 Hotel de l'Avenue ave Gare Tel: (33) 492 83 22 07 Hotel du Parc ave Foulon Tel: (33) 492 83 20 03 Hotel Grac place Germe Tel: (33) 492 83 20 02; Fax: (33) 492 83 33 67 Hotel Restaurant Epicerie Goggia Rouaine Gite de France, 3 appartments, 4- and 2-person Tel: (33) 492 83 20 98; Fax: (33) 492 3 29 79 Hotel Restaurant Les Cigales bd St Pierre Tel: (33) 492 83 20 24 Lodging Listing available