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High lands
[The
National Mercantour Park]
[La Roya]
[La Vésubie]
[La Tinée]
[Les Gorges du Cians]
[Virtual Tour]
Plunging
down to the Mediterranean, the Pre-Alps overlook the Côte d'Azur and unfurl
around deep valleys.
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The
National Mercantour Park
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The
National
Mercantour Park : one of France's seven national nature reserves, the
Mercantour Park lies north-east of the Côte d'Azur. |
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Extending across seven valleys, it covers over
171,250 acres of mountain land. Its rich flora is composed of more than 2,000
species,
some of which you won't find elsewhere. Many fantastic hikes and walks are to be
discovered in this lovely setting, over-looked from a height of 3,000 metres by Mount
Gélas.
To the north of the Mercantour National Park, you will find the Col de la Bonette Pass on the road to Barcelonnette; it is the highest pass in Europe and reaches 2802 metres.
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La Roya |
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One
of the loveliest sightseeing circuits on the Côte d'Azur, the Valley of La Roya
takes you to higher altitudes through superb landscapes with beautiful, unexpected vistas
of the mountains or the sea. Far from the bustle of the coastal towns, you'll appreciate
the tranquil-lity and grandiose scenery in this pastoral setting.
Breil-sur-Roya,
special in itself, is the starting-point for walking excursions in the southern part of
the Mercantour Park. This ancient village will amaze you by the richness of its
monuments : the Baroque church, Santa Maria in Albis, dating back to the end of the 12th century (magnificent altarpiece of Saint Peter dating from the mid-16th century), the Chapels of the White Penitents and of the Misericord (paintings and sculptures), houses with "trompe l'oil"
façades, the local history museum with exhibits from the hinterland.
Sospel, nestling to the south of the valley, lives in harmony with the flowing waters
of the Bevera, which crosses it from end to end. Note the ancient Italian bridge connecting
the two old towns on either side of the river.
Stop for a moment at the end of the bridge in front of the 12th century Arcades (Easter Lamb sculpted on one of the
façades) and the 15th century fountain. Further on, Saint Michel's cathedral and its 11th century belltower welcome you: admire the "Immaculate Virgin of Sospel" inside on the left, painted by
François Bréa in the 15th century and the "Virgin of Pity" altarpiece on the right. Visit the Saint Roch fortress and the Barbonnet fortress nearby.
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Tende, the last village
before you reach the Mercantour Park and the mountains, has kept its mountain village
appearance with its majestic setting and old slate roofs. Situated at the foot of the Grand Capelet, Tende is a major archaeological site. The ruins above the village are those of the castle which was formerly the seat of the Counts of Tende, destroyed at the end of the 17th century.
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La Brigue : a small mountain resort with olde-worlde charm, La Brigue is famous for its Notre Dame des Fontaines sanctuary, which appears in records as early as 1375. A few kilometres from the village, in a wild gorge close to a spring reputed to have beneficial powers, this sanctuary is decorated by fifteen or so splendid frescoes illustrating the life of Christ. Some of these frescoes are attributed to Jean
Canavesi, a contemporary of Louis Br‚a (late 15th century).
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The
Mercantour Park is home to the Valley of Marvels,
whose name refers to a unique collection of rock engravings, some dating back to the
Bronze Age. Don't miss : the Musée des Merveilles in Tende, a museum
dedicated to this classified site.
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La Vésubie |
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At the confluence of the
Boron and the Fenestre mountain streams lies the Vésubie Valley. This valley boasts extraordinary panoramic views.
One
of the lovely valleys, sometimes very narrow, which lead to the western part of the
Mercantour, La Vésubie spills its torrents into deep gorges along a riverbed dotted with
small townships and mountain villages. Just before Saint-Martin, the valley of La
Gordolasque stretches out as far as the foot of the Mercantour.
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Utelle, a village perched on a promontory overlooking the valley and La
Madone d'Utelle (place of pilgrimage with superb panorama of the mountain range) ;
Belvédère (a delightful village whose very name will inspire fans of grandiose
scenery)
Saint Martin de Vésubie : In the heart of this green valley lies Saint Martin
Vésubie, a small medieval village, the "capital" of "Niçoise Switzerland". Follow the Rue des Gargouilles as far as the church which houses two altarpieces painted by members of the Br‚a school. A few kilometres from here lie the spruce forest and the waterfall (80 metres) of Mount
Boroon.
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La Tinée |
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Very beautiful valley playing host to the Tinée, a mountain river that flows down from the Col
de la Bonnette in the Upper Alps and crosses the Mercantour. The valley leads to the main
ski resorts of Isola
(2000 m) and Auron
(1600 m). Saint-Etienne de Tinée, at the foot of Auron, is the starting-point for many walks in
the surrounding area.
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Les
Gorges
du Cians |
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A few miles along the Valley of the Var, the Cians Gorges, hollowed out from a mass of rocks
unique for its red and deep-rose coloring, lead to the plateau of Péone (a hill-top
village overshadowed by the chimney-like rock formations known as Les Demoiselles de
Péone) and the resort of Valberg (1700 m).
Lieuche: follow a narrow road for 5 kilometres and discover this tiny mountain village perched on a vertiginous peak. In the Notre Dame de Nativit‚ church, admire the Annonciation altarpiece painted by Louis Br‚a (15th century), decorated with magnificent sculpted woodwork.
On the road to Valberg, 9 kilometres of gorges are cut into the red rocks of "Dame de
Barot".
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The Upper reaches of the Var Valley |
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For a long time, this valley marked the frontier between the kingdoms of Provence and Savoy. In fact, the Var river, 120 km long, has its source in the attractive site of Estenc (a village 2327 metres above sea level). It then flows down the Daluis Gorge, crosses part of the Alpes de Haute Provence department before re-entering the Alpes Maritimes at Entrevaux. All along the banks of the Var, discover the splendid scenery and villages forgotten by time.
Touët sur Var : this village used be inhabited by the Ligurians, who named it (from the word
"téba" which means "rock") and it is one of the most handsome hanging villages of the French Riviera, perched on the left bank of the Var.
The architecture is amazing, with tall houses forming ramparts and the church - boasting a number of altarpieces - perched high above the mountain stream.
The Roudoule valley : the Roudoule snakes down the valley with a drop of more than 1100 metres before emptying into the Var. This valley, which boasts a rich geological patrimony, is the cross-roads between the French Riviera, Provence and the Mercantour.
Discover a fabulous site: the "Ecomuseum".
This museum displays numerous collections of farming tools, reconstitutions of scenes from daily life (workshops, habitat...), exhibitions on the works of Louis Br‚a and theme days (baking bread, distilling lavender, pressing olive oil...).
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