Route Napoléon: Castellane to Sisteron

About this drive

The Route Napoléon follows the road Napoleon took on his return from Elba in March 1815 — a mountain route through the pre-Alps chosen deliberately to avoid the Rhône Valley where Royalist troops controlled the main roads. The modern N85 from Castellane north to Sisteron covers the most dramatic section of that journey: a road that crosses two significant passes through some of the most remote settled country in southeastern France. From Castellane, the road climbs immediately into the limestone pre-Alps, passing through Clues de Chabrières and the gorge above before reaching the plateau. The Lac de Castillon, formed by a dam above Castellane, is visible on the southern approach. The Col de Luens and Col des Lèques are the two significant passes; neither more than 1,100 metres, but in March 1815 they carried sufficient snow to make the route genuinely difficult for the small force Napoleon was leading northward. Sisteron, at the northern end, is dramatically situated on a limestone ridge above the Durance River — the citadel visible from far below on the approach. The town controlled the only easy crossing of the Durance for many kilometres, which is exactly why Napoleon chose to pass through it. The citadel is open to visitors and the view from its walls down the Durance gorge justifies the climb.

Stops along the way

• 🏛️ Citadelle de Sisteron · Historical

  A fortress perched above the town, rebuilt repeatedly from the 12th century onward to guard the Durance valley.