Saint Paul-sur-Ubaye Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04530) Population: 198 Altitude: 1470 m Michelin Map #245 "France Provence-Cote d'Azur" Nearby:      [ Barcelonnette 23 km | Guillestre 27 | Jausiers 14 | Meyronnes 10 | Ubaye Valley | Trip Report ] Photos:             1  Saint Paul-sur-Ubaye village with its bit of farm land in the mountains (41 k)             2  Stone 1714 fountain in the village (46 k)             3  An 1860 sundial on one of the buildings (28 k)             4  The Pont de Châtelet bridge above a high narrow gorge (42 k)             5  A zoom-in view of the Pont de Châtelet bridge (49 k)             6  A view down the valley (from near the Pont de Châtelet) with La Grande Serrennes hamlet (31 k) Below: [ Museum | Pont du Châtelet | Lodging | History | Hiking | ] The official name of this little mountain village is simply "Saint Paul". The village, located high in the Upper Ubaye valley 14 km north of Jausiers, sits on a mountain ledge overlooking the Ubaye river, surrounded by pastures and mountains [photo-1]. The old buildings are largely made of stone, and the houses have corrigated metal roofs and ancient wood-and-wrought-iron balconies. There's a stone fountain in the center engraved "1714" [photo-2]. Commerce in the village is brief but fairly complete, with post office, Mairie, alimentaion, Gites, bar-tabac (with post cards and souvenirs). Massive stone walls surround the chuch perimeter, enclosing the cemetery. The church has a tall stone steeple, with eroded gargoyles at each corner and a unique small asymetrical clock on each side. We also discovered two sundials (cadrans solaires) in the village: one very worn down, and this 19th-century one [photo-3] Museum There's a Museum of "outils et Traditions", open July-Aug, 15h-19h. We didn't want to wait around for the afternoon opening, so if you visit here, let us know what the museum is like. Pont du Châtelet This stone bridge was built in 1880, using a single arch to span the 100 meters across a gorge that's impressive because of its extreme depth. It is a very long drop from the bridge to the river below [photo-4][photo-5]. A pasture hilltop near the bridge is a great place for a picnic lunch, with a view of the gorge and bridge just above, and the hamlets of Seranne and Saint Paul in the lovely valley below [photo-6]. Lodging We saw one hotel-restaurant in the village, the Auberge du Chamois. History Gallo-Roman: There was a Roman presence in this Upper Ubaye valley, especially in the villages and hamlets of Saint Paul, Tournoux and Gleisolles. Medieval: Saint Paul was urled by the Lords of Beaufort until the 13th c, and the Lords of Bérad until the 15th. Hiking Maps: Didier Richard (1/50,000) #10 "Queyras Pays du Viso" Hiking trails go through pretty much all of the mountains surrounding Saint Paul. The GR6 goes through the center of Saint Paul, running along the stone wall between the church and the neat gardens overlooking the river valley. To the south, the GR6 and GR56 trails follow above the Ubaye to Tournoux, then over the mountains to the southwest. To the northeast, the GR6 and GR56 continue up the valley before splitting off and continuing into the Queyras and the Italian Alpes.