So many of my posts from The South of France are focused on the Côte~d’Azur and all that it has to offer. But now, as the weather cools, I thought I’d share with you some picturesque examples of the other side of this region of France which is called Alpes~Maritimes, and why I love it so much. In this section of France the high peaks of The Alps slide down to meet The Mediterranean Sea, creating dramatic views, landscapes and an essential playground where one can enjoy the pleasures of the mountains and the sea in the same day with ease.
These hill are filled with ancient, extensive trails that will allow you to hike for the morning or for several days, staying at refuges or small village hotels at night. Lately, I’ve been riding up in the mountains with an unique operation called Horse and Ventures. From our Pied~de~Eze {which is between Nice and Monaco}, it takes just 35 minutes to drive up to the base of the beautiful perched Medieval village of St. Agnés.
St. Agnès is famous for being the highest coastal village in Europe. It’s a wonderful place to wander, with charming winding alleyways, potted flowers on balconies, thick, irregular stone walls, rich patina and delicious little restaurants that look into the valleys and out to the Med. It also contains a massive concrete bunker built back in 1932 as a point of French defense against Italy during WWII, back when Nice {or Nizza, as they still refer to it on the bi~lingual street signs} was still a part of Italy.
Higher up on the hill, you can see the outline in the shot below, is what’s left of the Medieval St. Agnès Castle, one of the oldest castles in France, portions of it date back to the 10th century. I haven’t made it up there yet, but hope to soon, it’s supposed to have a beautiful garden, maintained by the locals.
I met up with my horse Usarline at the base of St. Agnès in front of the rustic and très petite Chapel San Sebastian.
I love the contrast of the more contemporary Madonna paintings above the worn stone benches on each side of the entrance walls.
Here we climbed onto our trusty mounts {they provide chaps & helmets} and wandered up into the forested, limestone trails. As we dipped and climbed through the brush and trees I loved the smell of the fresh mountain air, spiked with whiffs of junipers and other mountain flora. Every once in awhile we came upon other humans, mostly trail runners, a few hunters searching for wild boar, and a lone biologist, studying the mountain streams on his bike.
Eventually, we arrived at one of the renowned “Balcons de Côte d’Azur”, which can be found along the stretch of the southern side of the Alps from Grasse to this one overlooking the principality of Monaco. This is a popular route for hiker, bikers and equestrians.
After two hours of wandering this pristine wilderness we were back at our starting point. The horses were freed of their saddles, and bells were traded for bridles.
We helped to herd the horses down to their wild pastures
where they roam and graze freely after a honest morning of work.
Denis Longfellow {below} who makes this authentic alpine experience available is quite an interesting fellow indeed. He came to these hills via Carmel, California years ago with plans to continue his studies, but he fell in love with this alpine lifestyle and instead became a sheepherder. From sheep he moved onto horses and cows and now he provides the world with a small taste of this very special rural lifestyle.
In addition to day rides they also offer many longer tours of this pristine section of the world, including an opportunity to participate in a traditional Transhumance, the historic alpine practice of herding animals to higher mountain pastures in the spring to graze on fresh grasses through the summer and then returning them to their lower homes before the cold weather begins, to spend the fall and winter safe from snows and harsh storms.
If my courage holds out, towards the end of the month I’ll be doing a 5~day ride in the hills above the scenic and gastronomically rich Italian Liguria, including a dip down to the coast near San Remo for a night…
…stay tuned!
So many of the very best ways to see the country is on horseback, certainly my favourite way to see so much.
I agree OFO!!! Are there rides that you've gone on over in your region??
This looks magical! i have traveled in France for over 30 years but have yet to discover this area. Thanks for sharing.
What a great post!! I am bookmarking it for a unique experience for my clients visiting the South of France. Have a terrific weekend, Emily! xoxo
Elizabeth, thanks for coming to visit it with me, more to come.