Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vallée de la Tinée
Col de Restefond la Bonette (2802m) - Europe's highest mountain pass - links Vallée de
l'Ubaye with plunging Vallée de la Tinée, a steep-sided V-shaped valley lined by towering
peaks. In wintertime, when the snowy pass closes, the 149km-long valley can only be ac-
cessed via its southern leg from Nice.
At St-Sauveur-sur-Tinée (elevation 490m), the D2205 twists north along the river, near
the ski town Isola 2000 - a small resort with ugly architecture, but the region's deepest,
driest snow - then to lovely alpine St-Étienne de Tinée (population 1684). If it's crowded,
smaller St-Dalmas-le-Selvage is a less-touristed stopover.
Endless hiking trails wind around Cime de la Bonette (2860m).
Ma Vieille École
(
04 93 03 43 05;
www.mavieilleecole.com
;
D61, Roya; dm €20, half-board per adult/child
€39/30; May-Sep)
makes a good rural base with proper table (no credit cards accep-
ted). From D2205, look for the turnoff 5km south of St Etienne-la-Tinée or 9km north of
Isola; Roya lies 6km west of D2205.
ROURE
Adjacent on maps to - but 20 hair-rising minutes up switchbacks from - St-Sauveur, tiny
Roure (1100m) crowns a pinnacle with vertigo-inducing valley views. From the 1920s un-
til 1961, villagers used a 1850m-long cable to transport items up the mountain; the cable
still remains.
Chapelle St-Sebastien
has a sideways-facing clock tower and a sculpture of
a figure teetering atop poles over the valley's abyss. Continue uphill to
Arboretum Mar-
cel Kroenlein
( 09 77 31 68 33;
www.arboretum-roure.org
; suggested donation adult/
child €5/free; 10am-6m; )
- pet project of Monaco's Prince Rainier - where 15
steep-sided hectares (1200 to 1500m elev) are planted with mountain flora, adorned with
sculptures by Niçois artists.
Auberge-Restaurant le Robur
(
www.aubergelerobur.fr
; Rour Village)
puts
gastronomy within reach of mid-budget travelers, and provides mesmerising vistas from
its clifftop perch (arrive before sunset). Chef Christophe Billau dazzles with refined,
highly stylised cooking, including playful surprises like
foie gras
macaroons. Reserva-
tions required. Upstairs are seven spotless rooms with drop-dead views, making this an
ideal one-nighter from Nice, 90 minutes away. To arrive on time, budget 30 minutes from
St-Sauveur-sur-Tinée.
Visit the
Mercantour National Park Office, St-Étienne-de-Tinée
( 04 93 02 42 27;
quartier de l'Ardon;
Jul & Aug)
for info.
