 |
|
|
|
sightseeing |
|
CULTURE, NATURE AND A FINE LUNCH |
|
| One of the main reasons we chose
this part of Europe to create our dream hotel (apart from
the fantastic climate, stunning scenery and ease of getting
here!) is the endless variety of places to visit. Whatever
turns you on, this part of Provence has something to offer. |
|
Greolieres |
|
| If
you're looking for a piece of traditional Provence,
where the locals spend the afternoons
on the village Boules pitch, and where little has changed
for centuries, then take your pick. Our village of
Greolieres has less than 500 inhabitants, just 2 restaurants,
a tabac and a boulangerie. It's a sweet place to stroll
about, but to really understand the history of the place
you need
to walk a further 10 minutes up the mountain to the
ruined old town. Only the chapel has been restored since
it
was left to the elements when the plague came calling
way
back
when... |
|
| More On Greolieres |
|
Gorges du Loup |
|
| Heading south of Le Foulon you
follow the course of the River Loup and within a few minutes
the mountains start to close in on both sides and you enter
the Gorge du Loup. At the head of the Gorge is the Saut du
Loup, a privately owned part of the Loup where the river
drops into a water warn hollow, and with the sun light sparkling
through is an impressive formation. |
 |
|
| The popular past time in the gorge itself is
called Canyoning; the sport of climbing into a wet suit and
descending into the waters of the gorge and emerging the other
end. |
|
| More
On Canyoning |
|
| The gorge itself is simply stunning and makes
an impressive gateway to the valley where our hotel / chambre
d'hote is nestled. It is also a clear demarcation point to
the more developed coastal areas and the natural beauty of
the Alpes Maritime. |
|
| More On Gorges
Du Loup |
|
| At the start of the Gorge is
the tiny village of Pont du Loup. This once immensely popular
spot is still busy with visitors to the sweet factory and
gardens, but has quite a sad story behind its 2 closed hotels
and the remains of a huge viaduct that once spanned the gorge
and took trains from Vence round the mountains
to Grasse. |
|
| More On Pont Du Loup |
|
 |
|
| The quaint
medieval Provençal village of Tourettes
Sur Loup |
|
| Here at the bottom of the gorge, if you turn
left on the D2210 (straight on takes you to the coast and the
airport), you wind through pine forest for a few kilometres
before reaching Tourettes sur Loup. This is about as quaint
as a quaint medieval Provencal village gets and a fantastic
place to stop for lunch - just no jokes about the name. |
|
| More On
Tourettes Sur Loup (Coming Soon) |
|
| Continue on the same road for another few kilometres
and you come to Vence, one of the best-known medieval villages
in the hills behind the Cote d'Azur. It's more of a small town
than a village, and once again makes a great lunch stop after
spending an hour wandering its narrow streets. There are plenty
of restaurants to choose from, and like most places you'll
often get a better experience away from the main square. |
|
|
| More On
Vence (Coming Soon) |
|
You have several options from
Vence. One of them is to head north up the Col du Vence on
the D2; a breathtaking drive with views down to the coast
and the gleaming Mediterranean. Whenever a cycle race comes
through the Alpes Maritime this Col is one of the stages.
The road is daubed with cyclists names and you will always
come across a few gritting their teeth as they make the ascent.
Once out of the greenery that marks the end of Vence you
find yourself in a surreal moonscape, with very little vegetation,
almost no trees and just boulder strewn field after boulder
strewn field.
Up and over the Col and you pass several riding
stables before passing
what looks like a hidden valley to your right and then the
village of Coursegoules. |
| More On
Coursegoules (Coming Soon) |
|
 |
|
| There is a
weekly local produce market at Chateauneuf pre-du Lac |
|
Continue on the D2 and you come
full circle back to Greolieres and Le Foulon. The road is
fantastic and this circuit is a great day out.
The second option at the bottom of the Gorges
is to turn right towards Grasse and onto Bar Sur Loup. This
is another very pretty village, and you need to skirt off
the main road and up to the centre to really appreciate it. |
| More On
Bar Sur Loup (Coming Soon) |
|
| Past Bar Sur Loup you reach Chateauneuf pre-du
Lac, which hosts a great local produce market every Monday. |
|
| Click For A Complete List Of Local
Markets & Their Timings (Coming Soon) |
|
| It's just a quick drive from
here to the famous town of Grasse. Known Worldwide for its
perfumes it has much to offer today's visitor, although it's
not quite as pretty as you'd imagine! Total journey time from
Le Foulon - 30 minutes. |
|
More On
Grasse |
|
