The path to the sea

A cultural, non guided walking tour

8 or 7 days / 7 or 6 nights in small village-hotels

You can book a budget * or a standard ** package.

For the standard ** package extra not included train transfers are necessary.

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 of 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 of Nice.

In this walk you will discover and admire the painted chapels and churches with altars painted by  local painters of an interesting school, Les Primitifs Niçois, with Louis Bréa as the most important exponent.
This is the path of a religious architecture,

The walk in three main lines
- An extraordinary heritage: the perched villages of the country side of Nice
- Well to do in the winter
- Beautiful trails, from the mountains down to the sea.

How to get there?

You are expected at night in La Brigue, the starting point of the walk, but we advise to start on a morning in Nice, spend your first day enjoying the treasures of the city, before you leave on car or train to La Brigue. La Brigue is at the railway line Nice-Cunéo. (if you want you can book a first night at B&B hotel in Nice (=extra night).

If you arrive by airplane, the airport is next to the historic centre of Nice and you can go to the railway station by bus 99.

The finishing point is Menton. From here you can go to Nice by train to the railway station (Gare SNCF) and then to the airport by bus.


The route

During this hike the culture lover as well as the hiker will be satisfied. The path follows mainly the famous “Route Royale”, which was made by the lords of the Savoy to connect Nice with Piémomt via the col de Tende. The trail stays in the mountains, but never higher than 1200m, so it can be practised in every season, even in wintertime.

 Day 1 : Nice-La Brigue or Nice- Saint Dalmas

All day discovery of the city of Nice and its culture:
- 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 of Louis Bréa in the monastery of Cimiez
- the Chagall museum, http://www.musee-chagall.fr/
- the Matisse museum, http://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/

Departure for La Brigue (budget package) or St. Dalmas (standard** package) at the end of the afternoon, either with your car (80 km) or with train (this and all next train journeys are not included in the package).

 Day 2 : Tende –La Brigue (Your first day if you booked the 7 days walk)

Departure by train from La Brigue or 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: highest amount of frescos of the Alps (1492)

Walk back to La Brigue (budget package) and with the train to Saint Dalmas (standard arrangement) for your second night.

 Day 3 :La Brigue – Saint Dalmas – Fontan

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

Via La Brigue or Saint Dalmas to Fontan, over a beautiful balcony path.
Elevation gains: none. Length: 1 hour.
From Saint Dalmas to Fontan, via the perched villages of Granile and Berghe.
Difference in height: +400m, -700m, length : 5h30min

To see:
- church of La Brigue (altarpieces of the Primitives, a Bréa among others)
- the baroque church og ontan
- traditional architecture of Granile, one of the most beautiful mountain-villages of the Roya.


Night in Fontan(budget) or with train from Fontan to Breil sur Roya(standard).

 Day 4 : Fontan – Breil sur Roya

First you take the train toFontan and then you walk to Breil. Uphill to Saorge, then to Breil through the valley of the Roya: a fantastic and not too long track, but with some considerable climbing.
Difference in height: +300m and –600m, length: 5h

To see:

- Village of Saorge, a beautiful perched village
- The Baroque Franciscan monastery (17th and 18th century)
- The chapel of Notre Dame del Poggio (Roman apse, 11th century)
- In Breil sur Roya, one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in the country-side of Nice, and the organ from the 18th century)

Night in Breil sur Roya.


 Day 5 : Breil sur Roya – Piène Haute – Sospel

No trains today. From Breil sur Roya to Sospel, via Piène Haute, on 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 of the Mont Ours(1239m).
Elevation gains: +550m and –500m, length 4h

To see:

- In the morning visit of the cathedral of Sospel (baroque décor and altarpieces by the Primitives de Nice)
- Pay special attention to the military defences from the end of the 19th century (Serrée de Rivière line) 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 till the sea! Beautiful walk through pine woods till Castellar, then descent to the historic Menton and its 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 of Menton,

No transfers today.

 Day 8 : Menton, 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.

Nights
Budget package: in small simple hotels 1*NN (one or two persons room, sometimes shower and toilet outside the room)

Standard package: in 2**NN hotels or Chambres d’hôtes (guest rooms, one or two persons room, with toilet and shower, phone)

The season

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



What we offer

- A guaranteed departure from up to 2 persons
- Free choice of starting day and date (but we do recommend Sunday as first day)
- Half-board (shops in every village to buy yourself a picknick) , single room possible. Menton B&B.
- 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 deailed instructions.

Not included are: beverages, entrance fees and train- and bus-tickets.

Departure 2009

From 1st of February till the 15th of June 2009
From the 15th of September till the 15th of November 2009