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Nationalpark Mercantour, 8 days
France
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Hiking to the beautiful stage town of Sospel

Mercantour

From the Maritime Alps to the Côte d´Azur

8 Days / 7 Nights
Mountain Hiking
Hiking to the beautiful stage town of Sospel

Along the traces of one of France’s formerly most important salt routes you walk from the Maritime Alps through pretty mountain villages to the charming Côte d´Azur. Starting point of this tour is a region - lovingly called the ‚Fairy Tale Land’ by the locals – with remote mountain scenery amidst Mercantour national park. You will be fascinated by the diversity and culture of the mountain villages which prospered by the former salt trade. From the Roya-valley you walk steadily along the French-Italian border with views onto the vast valleys and mountains in the background, and where the vegetation becomes more and more Mediterranean every day. Soon you are accompanied by the scent of the sensitive plants, orange blossoms and rosemary, at the latest once you arrive at the well-known lemon town Menton at the end of your hiking holiday.

Mountain hiking to the splendid port of Menton
Stunning mountain scenery on the trails in Mercantour National Park
Mountain hiking without luggage with nice views
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You start your eight-day hiking holiday in Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende. On the very first day you can explore medieval mountain villages at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres as part of a circular hike. The next stage takes you to the village of Saorge, which is situated directly on a slope. Equally spectacular is the route on the fourth day of your hiking tour, which takes you along a historic salt pan path to the village of Breil-sur-Roya at an altitude of 350 metres. You hike through the Mediterranean vegetation to Sospel, to the mountain village of Saint Agnès and to your final destination in Menton, where you can end your hiking holiday on the glorious coast of Southern France.

  • Organ tunes amidst the mountains: On the fourth day your hiking tour you reach the impressive mountain village of Breil-sur-Roya, also known as the “valley of organs”. Relax and listen to the well-known organ craft and allow nature to work its magic on you.
  • High up in Southern France: The sixth day of your hiking tour takes you through the Mediterranean natural landscapes to Europe’s highest coastal village. Here you have the opportunity to visit the historic military fort or to stroll through the little boutiques.
  • Soak up the sun in Menton: Your final destination Menton is also often referred to as the Sun Paradise. No wonder, with around 316 days of sunshine a year. You can look back on your wonderful hiking holiday directly from the golden sandy beach.

This hiking holiday in the Mercantour National Park is assigned our level of hiking ‚mountain hiking’. With a good basic fitness level and for some stages also a bit of surefootedness and a head for heights, this active holiday in France will be a wonderful experience. The routes take you on nice hiking paths through the scenic valleys of Menton’s hinterland.

Mountain hiking to the splendid port of Menton
Stunning mountain scenery on the trails in Mercantour National Park
Mountain hiking without luggage with nice views

Itinerary at a glance

Walk through mountain villages and the Mercantour National Park on the trail of salt to the Côte d'Azur - the beach is calling! Listen to the sound of the organ in Breil-sur-Roya and soak up the scents of oranges and rosemary.
Day
01
Arrival in Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende

During your hiking tour you come across numerous medieval mountain villages such as Tende and La Brigue, situated on an altitude of over 2.000 m in altitude. Both villages will enthrall you, La Brigue with its marvellous Baroque church and Tende with a magnificent cathedral, the pretty old part of town and the Prehistoric Museum.

You walk through chestnut forests and past sleepy villages, with their houses – characteristic for the region - built with dry stone walls and slate roofs. A particularly beautiful village is Granile, a genuine jewel. You continue via Berghe with a view over the Roya and reach Saorge, whose architectural style is unique in this region.

Along the former saline path you reach the village Breil-sur-Roya which was daringly built into a steep slope. Always along the ridge, you pass a steep staircase cut into the rock, but well secured. In your Day Finish you can listen in on the organ craft, which is renowned far beyond the borders of Italy. The valley owes its name to this handcraft: ‚Vallée des Orgues’ (valley of the organs).

A particularly pretty path leads you via Piène-Haute to a very well maintained village situated on a mountainside. A picturesque chapel located amidst olive groves awaits and also a spectacular ravine with a height of 600 metres. You walk through the ravine, where the route takes you again and again across into Italian territory.

The fortress, the cathedral and many other historic unique examples of architecture remind you of the significance of Sospel over the centuries. You leave Sospel behind you and walk through the already mediterranean vegetation into the mountain village of Saint-Agnès, which towers and sits high up like a nest on top of a hill.

The coast and the sea are now already visible! With a breathtakeing view onto the coast the route takes you through little typical villages such as Monti and Castellar. Then through the well-known Garavan-bay all the way into the vibrant old centre of Menton, located fabulously on the radiant coast of Southern France. 

Day
08
Departure or extension
Coastal walking at the Côte d'Azur
Fruit trees with regional fruits next to the hiking trails
Palm trees in the middle of the hiking trails
Fascinating mountain on hiking trails range around the village of Sainte-Agnes
Mountain hiking through traditional mountain villages of Mercantour National Park
Impressing cultural highlights at the village of Sospel

Route information

Mountain Hiking

A good basic fitness level is required for the hiking tour in the most beautiful valleys of the hinterland of Menton. Daily you tackle approx. 600 to 1.000 meters in altitude, with a daily walking time of 5 to 6 hours. The route takes you along good hiking paths. In sections, some surefootedness and a head for heights is required.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

Mountain Hiking

A good basic fitness level is required for the hiking tour in the most beautiful valleys of the hinterland of Menton. Daily you tackle approx. 600 to 1.000 meters in altitude, with a daily walking time of 5 to 6 hours. The route takes you along good hiking paths. In sections, some surefootedness and a head for heights is required.

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accommodation 4x in 2**-hotels (French classifying), as well as 3x pretty cozy hotels and inns (without classifying)
  • Breakfast
  • 6 dinner (not in Menton)
  • Luggage transfer (1 piece of luggage per person, max. 15 kg)
  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English)
  • Tourist tax, if due, is included in the price
  • Service hotline

Optional extras

  • Airport transfer Nice - Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende (max. 7 people), costs on request, reservation required, payable in advance.
  • Return transfer from Menton to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende (max. 7 people), costs on request, reservation required, payable in advance.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Airport Nice.
  • Arrival by train to Nice and then by regional train (www.sncf.com) to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende, cost duration approx. 2 hours.
  • Parking: unguarded parking spaces at the train station,no reservation necessary.
  • Return journey from Menton to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende by bus „Lignes d’Azur” in approx. 1.5 hours(www.riviera-francaise.fr).Or return journey by train, approx. 2 hours (1x change of trains).

Things to note

  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!
  • Minimum number of participants: 2 persons
  • This tour is a partner tour.

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accommodation 4x in 2**-hotels (French classifying), as well as 3x pretty cozy hotels and inns (without classifying)
  • Breakfast
  • 6 dinners (not in Menton)
  • Luggage transfer (1 piece of luggage per person, max. 15 kg)
  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German and English)
  • Tourist tax, if due, is included in the price
  • Service hotline

Optional extras

  • Airport transfer Nice - Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende (max. 4 people), costs on request, reservation required, payable in advance.
  • Return transfer from Menton to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende (max. 5 people), costs on request, reservation required, payable in advance.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Nice airport.
  • Train journey to Nice and then by regional train (www.ter-sncf.com) to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende, duration approx. 2 hours.
  • Parking: public parking spaces at the train station at Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende.
  • Return journey from Menton to Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende by bus „Lignes d’Azur” in approx. 1.5 hours (www.riviera-francaise.fr). Or return journey by train, approx. 2 hours.

Things to note

  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!
  • Minimum number of participants: 2 persons
  • This tour is a partner tour.
Sarah Manglberger

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Sarah Manglberger
Travel Specialist
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+43 6219 60877 181
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