Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon · 04

Maison de l'Eau et de la Vallée

In a former village classroom, a municipal cultural space retraces life in the Verdon valley before the lac de Sainte-Croix, the filling of the reservoir and the years that followed.

The essentials

The Maison de l'Eau et de la Vallée is a cultural space created by the town hall of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, in partnership with the local association Culture Loisirs et Patrimoine.
It occupies a former village classroom, complemented by a second space set up under a covered playground.
It retraces life in the Verdon valley before the lake was filled, the filling itself (which the tourist offices date to between 1973 and 1975) and the period of reconstruction that followed.
The village of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon itself was not submerged by the lake: according to Wikipedia, only Les Salles-sur-Verdon was 'condemned' by the filling, while Sainte-Croix and Bauduen were spared.
The site appears on the official list 'Musées et maisons thématiques' (museums and themed houses) of the Verdon Regional Nature Park.
Seasonal opening (spring and summer) and a modest admission fee; as opening hours and prices vary from one year to the next, it is best to check them with the tourist office before you come.

What you can see

A first room, set up in a former classroom, presents a timeline frieze, an interactive terminal and photographs on local history.
Three documentary films of about 10 minutes each are shown there: life in the valley before the lake, the filling of the reservoir (1973-1975), then the reconstruction that followed.
A second room, under a covered playground, is devoted to the theme of water, with a digital screen offering a virtual tour of the Sainte-Croix dam.
Temporary exhibitions and free guided tours are also announced by the tourist offices.

Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, a village spared by the lake

The lac de Sainte-Croix is an artificial lake created by EDF, filled from August 1973 (final filling on 15 November 1973 according to Wikipedia).
Contrary to a common confusion, it was not the village of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon that was submerged: Wikipedia states that the villages of Sainte-Croix and Bauduen were saved, and that Les Salles-sur-Verdon was the only village condemned by the filling of the future lake.
It was therefore Les Salles-sur-Verdon that had to be entirely rebuilt, higher up, from 1974 — a story that the local tourist office tells, for its part, in its own permanent exhibition.
The Maison de l'Eau et de la Vallée tells this same chapter of regional history from the point of view of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon: the farming and village life of the valley before the filling, then the changes that followed for the whole area.

A municipal and community project

The site was created by the town hall of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, in partnership with the association Culture Loisirs et Patrimoine.
Contact given by the tourist offices: 04 92 77 85 29 / [email protected] — this number matches the one published by the Verdon Regional Nature Park in its official list of museums and themed houses.
The space is not accessible to wheelchair users, according to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme listing.

Getting there & visiting

The Maison de l'Eau et de la Vallée is in the village of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon (04500), on the shore of the lac de Sainte-Croix, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The village can be reached by road from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Riez or Aiguines. Opening is seasonal (spring and summer); for up-to-date opening hours, prices and guided-tour arrangements, it is advisable to contact the Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon tourist office before you go.

Official museum website (opening hours & prices) ↗

Frequently asked questions

Who created the Maison de l'Eau et de la Vallée?

The town hall of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, in partnership with the local association Culture Loisirs et Patrimoine.

What can you see there?

A local history room (timeline frieze, interactive terminal, photographs, three 10-minute documentary films on the valley before the lake, the filling and the reconstruction) and a room devoted to water, with a screen offering a virtual tour of the dam.

Was the village of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon submerged by the lake?

No. According to Wikipedia, only Les Salles-sur-Verdon was submerged and entirely rebuilt; the villages of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon and Bauduen were spared by the filling.

What are the opening hours and prices?

Opening is seasonal (spring and summer) and there is a small admission fee, with free entry for under-12s. As opening hours and prices vary from one year to the next, it is best to check them with the Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon tourist office before you come.

All the museums of the Verdon The history of the Verdon Discover Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon Verdon culture

Check for yourself

The sources this page relies on, one click away. We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.

All 6 links responded during our last automated check, on 22 September 2026. A broken link is removed, never left in place.