Andy Goldsworthy's Refuges d'Art Trail in Haute-Provence Offers Overnight Stays Inside Sculptures

In the Haute-Provence Unesco geopark, a hiking route spanning 150km and lasting 10 days has been designed by artist Andy Goldsworthy, allowing participants to sleep amidst site-specific artworks. The journey begins in Digne-les-Bains and links seven off-grid cabins that can be reserved. Goldsworthy has transformed shepherd huts, farmhouses, a chapel, and stone shelters into distinctive art pieces. Writer Claudia Casper, 69, trekked a 45km segment over four days with friends Jackie, Wendy, and Sasha, visiting three refuges. Keys for the cabins are available at Maison Alexandra David-Neél, a museum honoring the first western woman in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1924. Hikers will also encounter three tall cairns, known as sentinels, and unique architectural designs at the refuges, such as La Forest's obelisk and La Ferme Belon's dragon-like arches. Casper's novel, The Mercy Journals, received the Philip K Dick award in 2017.