
Where is Colle-Saint-Michel?
France, europe
N/A
108 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, so you're heading to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in southeastern France? You HAVE to check out the Col de la Colle-Saint-Michel! It's a real gem.
This beauty winds its way up to a decent elevation, offering some seriously stunning views across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The road is totally paved these days (they did some work on it back in '04), so no need to worry about that. It's called , and the northern side? Super pleasant. Think low-level pass snaking through trees - a really enjoyable drive.
The whole pass is only about long, running from . Oh, and pro tip: keep an eye out for the Pont Du Chatelet - it's a bridge you'll cross that's a whopping 108m high! Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 108 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
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