Hiking Andy Goldsworthy’s Refuges d’Art trail in Haute-Provence
A long-distance walking route through the mountainous countryside of Haute-Provence combines hiking with encounters with sculptures by land artist Andy Goldsworthy. One visitor describes preparing for the journey by gradually increasing the weight of a backpack before joining friends on a trip that included sleeping alongside the artworks.
A long-distance walking route in southern France offers hikers the chance to experience nature and art through Andy Goldsworthy’s Refuges d’Art project.
The route runs through the mountainous countryside of Haute-Provence, where visitors can sleep alongside sculptures by the land artist.
The writer, aged 69, said they had never previously hiked with a backpack and did not know what land art was before accepting an invitation from a friend to join the trip.
Before setting out, the writer watched Rivers and Tides, a documentary about Goldsworthy’s work, and trained by gradually adding weight to a backpack until they could carry 9 kilograms, or 20 pounds.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions determine who can realistically complete the route?
How does sleeping alongside the artworks shape a visitor’s experience of them?
What forms of access are available to people who cannot undertake a long-distance hike?
How might repeated visits affect the sculptures and the surrounding landscape?
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026