The five most beautiful hilltop villages
hilltop villages Côte d’Azur
Here is my selection of the 5 most beautiful villages in my department of Alpes-Maritimes
I was born here, in my corner of paradise and I cannot claim to know everything, just that of wanting, through my eyes, to make you known,….
SO, READY TO GO?
GO !
Gourdon: village classified as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”.
It is located 15 minutes by car from our rental-06 gîtes or 1 hour 30 minutes’ walk along the wonderful Chemin du Paradis hiking trail.
Gourdon has less than 200 inhabitants all year round.
As “Provence Web” says, going to Gourdon is already quite an adventure because you have to go there via a road that goes up and where there are many turns.
But once at the top, Gourdon is majestic, perched at an altitude of 760 meters.
As if clinging to the cliffs, it dominates the Gorges du Loup valley.
When we look at Gourdon, we first see an imposing castle built from the 9th to the 17th century surrounded by gardens designed by Le Notre, then the bell tower of the 12th century Romanesque church and finally well-preserved old houses which all stand sets.
When we arrive in Gourdon, nicknamed the eagle’s nest of the Côte d’Azur, we marvel at the beauty of the village, then we are charmed by the view of its Provençal houses and its authentic charm.
Then, we discover a multitude of artisans who seem to have been there forever.
My selection?
All the shops of the Balembois family which since the creation of the company in 1956 has specialized in the art of crystal.
Then, the Gourdonnais gourmand, (rental partner-06: 10% discount on your purchases) and which in my opinion makes the best gingerbread I know, then the Source Parfumée, managed by Mme Roux-Gallimard.
hilltop villages Côte d’Azur
The five most beautiful perched villages
Where we discover the collection of old agricultural tools from his grandfather Mr. Siméon Roux, flower brokers, as well as perfumes, candles and soaps (rental locations-06: 10% discount on your purchases and free visit).
We continue with the Ste Catherine grocery store hidden in a little nook where we enjoy syrups, preserves, flavored mustards, all homemade (partner of locations-06: 10% discount on your purchases).
And finally, we will finish with the restaurant “les Grands Hommes“, run by a cousin of Mme Roux (partner of locations-06: free coffees), which will delight you.
From Place Victoria, the view is fantastic over the coastline and the bay of Cannes and you can see as far as Corsica through reflection.
We can see the entire coast, the Riviera in front of us with breadth and depth, the sea and the sky then to the left, Nice, the Baie des Anges and Antibes.
Below us, the mule track of paradise and a rock that we call “the grougne”, the hamlet of Pont du Loup with the remains of the bridge destroyed at the end of the 2nd World War and the building of the Florian confectionery (partner of locations-06: 10% discount on your purchases and free visit). On the right the Sarrée plateau, and below the picturesque village of Bar sur Loup. In front of us are the Gorges du Loup and the Courmettes plateau.
Go ahead, let us know what you thought!
The five most beautiful perched villages
Tourrettes sur Loup, capital of violets
hilltop villages Côte d’Azur
15 minutes from our gîtes in Bar sur Loup.
I love this village that I have been visiting since my childhood.
This village is magical.
In certain places in the village such as the station area, you can see lauves which are rare geological formations in the Alpes-Maritimes.
This charming medieval village is worth a visit.
It is located 8 km from the famous St Paul de Vence and 10 km from Bar sur Loup.
From the village, there is a superb view of the sea in the distance and the surrounding vegetation.
A natural belvedere surrounded by prickly pear trees which grow naturally, this site fortified in the 11th century has houses which form a form of rampart and which surround the main square and its church.
We like to visit Tourrettes by taking the Grand’rue which forms a sort of central half-moon artery. In this street, we discover many artists and craftsmen (Ex: Poterie Tournesol (partner of locations-06). Walking through this village, via the artisans, we understand that Tourrettes is called “The City of Violets” because there you can find crystallized violets and violet preserves, violet ice cream at the baker’s, fabrics marked with violets, … Indeed, for a century, Tourrettes, whose inhabitants are nicknamed by the Provencals the “mangea lentilles” has been surrounded by fields of violets.
This violet, honored in this village, is still one of the main activities of the village where there are three major producers and since 1993, the Bastide aux Violettes museum.
But stop, I’m stopping or you won’t be curious enough to go there!
PS: in March, don’t forget the violet festival
The five most beautiful perched villages
Eze
Extraordinary village from where in my opinion at the top of the exotic garden of Eze we have the most beautiful views of the Côte d’Azur: Villefranche, Monaco, St Jean-Cap Ferrat, …
Eze is located 50 minutes from our lodgings locations-06. Many writers and artists like Nietzsche have resided there.
A seaside city, camped on a cliff at an altitude of 400 meters, Eze is 8 km from Monaco.
This village is small but very beautiful with streets and houses with medieval architecture, lots of sunshine, Mediterranean vegetation, fantastic views and the baroque Notre Dame de l’Assomption church with its numerous trompe-l’oeil and altarpieces. I love its exotic garden dating from 1949 where more than 400 varieties of succulent plants grow side by side. Go there, and tell me what you thought!
Coaraze, one of the three villages in the Alpes-Maritimes which holds the label “Most beautiful villages in France”
1 hour from our lodgings, it is above all the village of sundials because since 1959, many artists such as Cocteau, Goetz, Ben, Moya, etc., have made eleven unique sundials there.
I like the calm of this village at 650 meters above sea level facing due south, only 25 km from Nice.
In August, there is the traditional olive tree festival.
When we go to Coaraze, we take the opportunity to go hiking, there is something for all tastes and levels. So, visit, enjoy!
hilltop villages Côte d’Azur
Peillon, fortified medieval village located near Nice
In a landscape of pines, olive trees and broom one hour from our locations-06 cottages.
When we talk about Peillon for local people, we think of the sources of Ste Thècle which played a historical role in the water supply of Nice.
This eagle’s nest located at the bottom of a mountain cirque preserved for centuries is well known and recognized for its beauty and it is for this reason that it is fully classified.
In Peillon, there is a baroque church, the chapel of the White Penitents, the St Roch chapel, oratories, calvaries.
But what I like is the old flour mill of Peillon (quartier des moulins) where the Santons fair takes place every year.
It’s a magical place.
There you have it, I told you about five villages that I love.
But I could just as easily make a blog entitled “1000 villages on the Côte d’Azur that I love”.
But I can’t resist offering you a few more.
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