The park of Saint Benoit, a genuine geological reserve, nestles on a large tufaceous slope looking down on the Bléone River flowing below. The petrified spring is its fertile heart and the abundant waters ensure its lush vegetation. The variedness of the place gives it distinct exposures and microclimates on different levels. Wet zones alternate with arid ones, stony slopes with dry fields, permitting the spontaneous growth or cultivation of a large number of plant species. And if all this were not enough, a disconcerting secret not to be missed is hidden in the casket of the exotic geology of this place: Hydropithecus. “The perfect fossil skeletons of the mythical sirens, no longer in flesh but certainly in bone, show themselves to the terror of the visitors. A dive into the heart of our human evolution, a shudder filled with suggestions of Atlantis that goes well beyond what we have learned from reading the important pages of the usual paleontology”.
The park covers about one hectare with a variance in height of 70 metres. Its greatest fascination is the water that gushes everywhere, dampening the ground and recounting the long history of the site. The property belongs to the city of Digne les Bains and is managed by the Geological Reserve of Upper Provence that has its headquarters here. You can follow three different paths when touring the park:
“The Water Path” travels over the coolest slope and rises up alongside the Great Waterfall; a natural monument constructed over the centuries by the very water that picks up limestone during its subterranean journey and then deposits it and petrifies the moss growing here.
“The Ramparts Path” offers an exceptional view of the city of Digne les Bains thanks to its passage by way of the walls.
“The Cairn Path” takes its name from the artistic works of Andy Goldsworthy. With a southeastern exposure, it is drier and the water is just a memory you hear whispering behind the extraordinary pyramids of dry stones. What makes this part of the Park so distinctive is that it is “inhabited” by works of modern art that play partially or entirely with the water. The five “water-cairns” of Andy Goldsworthy, the “fontane de théières” of Silvie Bussières, the “céramiques” of Agatahe Larpent, the “Lavogne” of Henri Olivier.
The park is also home to the Japanese-inspired “Kamaiski Garden”, homage to the relations established after 1992 between Digne and this northern Japanese city, where there is a reproduction of the “dalle à ammonites”, one of the most fantastic fossil walls in the Geological Reserve.
Also in the park is the delicate “Butterfly Garden, where you can discover the extraordinary variety of insects native to Digne countryside.