Nice - Tende - Menton - Côte d'Azur

Walking the Alps along the border of France and Italy

Selfguided walking trip from hotel to hotel from Nice.

The trail to the sea

A nice walking holiday with cultural assets, non guided walking tour

5 to 9 days (3 - 7 nights) in small village-hotels

You can book this walk as a comfortable Plus**/*** package (you stay on this page) .

Almost every day you will have to do some short train transfers which are not included in the packages..

A forgotten path, even in wintertime beautiful, with all the orange-and lemon trees along the path heavy with fruit. The path goes down from the mountains to the sea, winding from one valley to the next, passing perched villages, pine trees and olive orchards. During a number of centuries, it was the main salt route, a important source or prosperity.

The path leads you along the "plus beaux villages perchés", the most beautiful high villages, of the Côte d'Azur and the surrounding country-side or Nice.

Tende

There is a night-train connection from Paris to Nice.

The route (8 days)

Day 1 : Arrival in Nice. Visit or the town, evening train to and night in St.Dalmas de Tende

All day discovery or the city or Nice and its culture: (To visit the barok churches of Nice you'll have to be here on Sunday)
- Saint Pons church and chapel of the Miséricorde, Baroque masterpieces
- church of Gesu, example of early Baroque (17th century)
- the historic centre with its narrow streets and the hill of the castle
- the altarpieces in the monastery of Cimiez
- the Chagall museum
- the Matisse museum

Departure from Nice to St. Dalmas at the end or the afternoon, either with your car (80 km) or with train (this and all other train journeys are not included in the package).

Day 2 : Departure by train from St. Dalmas to Tende (leave at 8.57h, 12 minutes)

Route: from Tende to La Brigue, over the Col de Boselia (altitude 1111m). downhill to La Brigue and walk to Notre Dame des Fontaines and back. Elevation gains :+400m and -400m, length 5 hours.

To see in Tende:
- church with Baroque altar and Italian organ.
- medieval streets
- visit of the chapel of Notre Dame des Fontaines: the most frescos of the Alps (1492)

Walk back to La Brigue and walk or by the train back to Saint Dalmas for your second night.

Day 3 : Saint Dalmas-de-Tende - Saorge

Beautiful hike today, walking over so-called balcony paths along the Gorges of the Roya.

From Saint Dalmas to Fontan and to Saorge, via the perched villages or Granile and Berghe.
Difference in height: +400m, -700m, length : 5h30min

To see:

- Village or Saorge, a beautiful perched village
- The Baroque Franciscan monastery (17th and 18th century)
- The chapel or Notre Dame del Poggio (Roman apse, 11th century)
- The baroque church of Fontan
- Traditional architecture of Granile, one of the most beautiful mountain-villages of the Roya.

Day 4 : Saorge - Breil sur Roya

From Saorge and the Roya valley to Breil. A very nice and not too long track, but with some considerable climbing.
Difference in height: +300m and -600m, length: 5h

To see:

- In Breil sur Roya, one or the most beautiful Baroque churches in the country-side or Nice, and the organ from the 18th century)

Night in Breil sur Roya.

Day 5 : Breil sur Roya - Pine Haute - Sospel

No trains today. From Breil sur Roya to Sospel, via Pine Haute, by beautiful balcony paths and along olive orchards.
Elevation gains: +450m and -450m, length : 5h30 - 6h

To see:

- Piène Haute and its church (baroque dance of the death, danse macabre, from the 18th century)
- Toll bridge in Sospel (15th century)

Night in Sospel

Day 6 : Sospel - Ste Agnès

Leave by bus or taxi from Sospel to the Col de Castillon.
From the col de Castillon to Ste Agnès, via the summit or the Mont Ours (1239m).
Elevation gains: +550m and -500m, length 4h

To see:

- In the morning visit or the cathedral or Sospel (baroque décor and altarpieces by the Primitives de Nice)
- Pay special attention to the military defences from the end of the 19th century and 1936-1940 (Maginot line of the Alps), the village of Ste Agnès above the sea and her enormous subterranean fort, part of the Maginot line.

Night in Ste. Agnès

Day 7 : Ste Agnès - Menton

Freewheeling, or almost to the sea! Beautiful walk through pine woods till Castellar, then descent to the historic Menton and its old harbour.

From Ste Agnès to Castellat, via the path of the "Balcons de la Côte d'Azur".
Elevation gains : +200m and -500m, length 3h
From Castellar to Menton via le Baousset.
Elevation gains : -350m, length 1h30
In all 4h30

To see:

- Castellar and the chapel of Saint Sébastien
- The historic Menton and the baroque church St Michel
- The small museum Jean Cocteau, near the harbour or Menton,

No transfers today.

Day 8 : Menton (or Nice) , leave after breakfast.

Degree of difficulty : average.

Hike of average degree of difficulty, accessible for anyone experienced in mountain walking.

Every day luggage transfer. Average length: 5 h

Signposted paths. Average elevation gains: +500m

Maximum altitude: 1240m, Average altitude for the nights: 700m

Particular difficulties: The Côte d'Azur, near the Italian border, is not a hilly region, but very mountainous, with a typical alps relief.

The season

The late autumn with its colors and the early spring with all the flowers are without any doubt the most pleasant periods to walk. During the winter it sure is much colder, but dry and very sunny.

What we offer

• A guaranteed departure from up to 2  persons
• Free choice of starting day and date.
• Half-board (shops in every village to buy yourself a picnic) , single room possible.
• In Nice and Menton BnB.
• Luggage transfer every walking day between La Brigue and Menton.
• You get a description and maps, which you leave behind at the end of the hike (1/25.000) and detailed instructions.
• Not included are: beverages, entrance fees and train- and bus-tickets.
• From 1st or February till the 15th or June
• From the 15th or September till the 15th or November

HomeWalking in France       H70-plus - Nice - Menton

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