Located where Provence meets the Dauphiné, on the banks of the roaring Durance river, Sisteron is one of the high-profile Alpine towns of Haute-Provence, huddled up against the spectacular Rocher de la Baume, one of the gems of the Haute-Provence Geopark, under the protection of its iconic citadel. Every summer, the fortress provides the backdrop to the festival "Les Nuits de la Citadelle", one of the oldest in France, featuring musical, dance and theatrical performances. Napoleon made a historic halt in Sisteron on his return from Elba, on the route that now bears his name. It is a town steeped in history, with its old quarter, museums, art galleries and sublime andrones, streets with staircases made famous by Pierre Magnan, a novelist from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Sisteron, a sporty, cultural and touristic town, is also an economic hub, with a Sanofi factory, a renowned hotel school, an industrial estate home to over 150 businesses connected to the railway network and A51 motorway, sprawling arboriculture plantations, livestock farms and the biggest sheep slaughterhouse in France. Indeed, lamb from Sisteron, award-winning meat used in fine dishes such as pieds et paquets, is a source of pride for the roughly 8,000 people who call this town home!