From the Alps to the French Riviera

Welcome to Sospel

Arrival on your own by train from Nice > Sospel (not included) Please advise arrival time so we can organize the taxi pick up from the train station to your guesthouse. The most striking monument in Sospel is the fortified bridge (pont fortifié) built in the 12th century and used as a toll bridge for the travelers, spanning over the Brévera. On the Bévera, Sospel is grouped into two distinct old-towns, one on each side of the river. The streets of the old town (both halves) are very narrow with tall buildings. The Place Saint Michel is by far the most colorful and picturesque site in Sospel.

Olivetta the Italian village

Pick up your picnic and board your taxi for a short transfer to Breil, you leave Breil sur Roya by foot, giving you a wonderful panorama of the valley. There are two choices in paths above the village and we’ve chosen the one less travelled, following abandoned stone terraces, now dotted with olive trees. You reach the stunning ghost town of Piène Haute, more Italian than French, perched above the valley. Your path then takes you to Italy – to the colourful town of Olivetta – before returning France and to the town of Sospel. Sospel is a genuine and medieval mountain town with a n old stone toll bridge crossing the Brévera river.

Walk: 5h30, 15km, +600m/-550m or shorter version from Piène Haute 4h00, 10km, +300m/-490m

Col de Castillon pass

Picnic is included for today’s walk. A short taxi transfer takes you to the start of our walk. After a gradual climb through a scenic beech forest the summit appears – and perched well over 1000m above the sea the Mediterranean appears in all its majesty, the southern Alps. You reach the perched village of Sainte Agnès, listed among the most beautiful villages in France, and set at 800m in altitude. It is the highest coastline village in Europe.

Walk: 4h00, 10km, +/-550m

Down to the Med Sea

Don’t forget to pick up your picnic before a short morning transfer to the village of Castellar. Castellar offers quaint streets & restaurants. You path leads you to the heart of the town of Menton, the prettiest town on the French Riviera with its colourful streets winding around in never-ending labyrinths and with several architectural treasures.

Walk: 2h00, 7 km, +/-450m

End of trip after breakfast in Menton