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Mercantour National
Park - Walking and Exploring
Many thanks to Dick Bayne at Upland Escapes.com for this article!
I thought that I
knew France reasonably well - the Pyranees, the Massif and the
Mediterranean Coast, not to mention walking through the beautiful
Auvergne and camping holidays in the Dordoyne that I enjoyed as a
child. But the Mercantour? I’ve never heard of this National Park!
Immediately inland
of Nice and the Cote d’Azur rise France’s southernmost Alps. Deep
valleys cut northwards into the mountains, paving the way for this
unique and incredibly picturesque Upland Escape experience. Here lie
the borders of the Mercantour National Park, where populations of
protected species including wolf, ibex and chamois are carefully
monitored. Butterflies are also rich in abundance in this region,
particularly in the Var valley, in summer months over 50 different
species have been identified. Villages surrounding the National Park
are home to traditional ways of life and flocks of sheep still graze
free in the high valleys.
The park covers some
685km and consists of a central uninhabited zone comprising several
valleys, (Vesubie, Tinee, Ubaye and Roya). There is also a peripheral
zone that includes a number of traditional villages, set in stunning
locations at the top of rocky peaks and outcrops.
The
scenery in the Mercantour Park is some of the best to be found in
France. You could choose to introduce yourself to the region with a
series of short strolls; to mountain chapels gracing spectacular
viewpoints around the remarkable village of Peone, into the dramatic
Daluis Gorge, or through aromatic woods and alpine meadows. Half-day
walks allow you to discover remote chapels, an old water-mill in a
hidden valley, where you can paddle and picnic by the stream. Longer,
full-day walks found in the Upland Escapes Handbook that takes you
across high passes before opening out on to breathtaking views. One of
the unexpected surprises sees worth visiting can be reached by heading
north from Sospel to St-Dalmas-de-Tende up into the Vallee des
Merveilles, where hundreds of 3,000 year-old rock carvings of people and
animals can be seen. The Barcelonnette to Sospel road passes along the
south side of the National Park, passing towns that include
St-Martin-de-Entraunes, St-Saveur-sur-Tinee and St-Etienne-de-Tinee.
The road itself reaches an altitude of 2800 metres (one of the highest
in Europe) as it passes by the Cime de la Bonette.
A National
Park since 1979, the Mercantour mountain massif marks the extreme south
western end of the great Alpine arc. Its foothills drop directly into
the Mediterranean, and the eastern end of the massif straddles the
border with Italy. A series of river valleys cut northwards into the
mountain, the most westerly being the Var. Only a few of the alpine
dairy herds survive, and the flocks of sheep that have replaced them are
also dwindling. Millions of years ago, the compression and crushing of
the limestone rock has now become what is known as the Alps, which is
how the Mercantour comes to be 350 million year old granite.
More than
2000 of the 4,200 flora species can be found in the Mercantour. With
the Mediterranean climate of the lower valleys, a walk in the Daluis
gorge has all the herbal scents of the garrigue. Higher up the valleys,
the meadows are mixed with forests of larch which change in colour with
the season, from a luminous green in the summer to a rich red in the
autumn. Here, the alpines are plentiful and over sixty types of orchids
have been documented, but the most distinctive feature of the grasslands
are the carpets of wild lavender at altitudes of 1000 to 1,500 metres.
Modern
history of the Mercantour region begins with the Ligurians, tribal folk
from Italy along the coast of the Mediterranean from 1000BC onwards.
Five hundred years later, the Ancient Greeks set up colonies, and Celts
were arriving from Northern France. From the 2nd Century BC,
the Romans entered this area and the valley of the Var became the border
between the vast regions of Cisalpine and Transalpine. Many years
later, the fighters of the French Resistance prepared to attack German
occupying forces which resulted in the Germans being held for days ,
before being forced to advance to Guillaumes. Two days later the
Germans withdrew, never to return.
Guillaumes,
Haut Var’s commercial hub further down the valley is an attractive town
with a fascinating little museum, a variety of shops and an outdoor
swimming pool. North of the town is La Lavandula Vera which is
dedicated to medicinal and aromatic plants grown in the surrounding
mountains, which are distilled into natural remedies and essential
oils. You could spend a day exploring the area by mountain bike,
following the self-guided cycling routes from the Upland Escapes
Handbook. There are a plethora of organised activities such as
bungee-jumping from a bridge in the Daluis gorge. Canoeing and
white-water rafting can also be arranged locally. The ski resort at
Valberg offers a number of child-friendly entertainments, such as
horse-riding and a forest adventure course.
Local Cuisine
The
Mercantour is home to local cheeses that are sourced direct from nearby
farms and the proximity to Italy is revealed in local pasta specialities.
Your host, Jean Louis has a passion for cooking and the menus at the
Hotel La Valliere reflect his love for the local cuisine and the
influences of Nice. Locally-produced seasonal vegetables feature
strongly in this region that compliment local lamb (gigot d’agneau),
rabbit, game and veal.
Events
The
following events take place each year:-
Guillaumes Summer Festival, August – an authentic and unique rural
French festival
A
truly rustic affair taking place in the little town of Guillaumes
from 13-16 August 2010, that draws in big crowds of people from all over
the Arrière-Pays. Over 4 days there are many diverse events
during the daytime and each evening there is a dance in the main square,
with local specialties on offer and fireworks. Unique to the town in
the procession of “Napoleonic Troops” through the town, a tradition that
has been continuous since 1814, when during Emperor Napoleon’s ill-fated
Russian campaign, the troops of the light infantry vowed to honour the
Virgin Mary in this way if they were allowed to return to their hometown
alive. The festivities round off nicely with a more laid-back, yet
bustling summer market bringing many of the locals from the mountains
that come to sell their home-grown (mainly
organic) produce.
Guillaumes - 'Foire aux Tardons', Autumn Country Fair
This market-cum-festival is a very traditional affair and a chance for
the shepherds of the Alpes Maritimes to sell their lambs which are born
in the spring and raised exclusively on their mother’s milk and the
sweet grass of the high alpine pastures. The flocks are walked into
town from their summer pastures, as part of the annual transhumance, and
as such it is a cause for celebrations (the shepherds were traditionally
absent for the whole summer). This is a really well-attended affair and
really popular amongst the locals, so much so that it has become one of
the biggest of its kind in South-eastern France.
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The Mercantour is
noted for the variety of vegetation types found within the Park
boundaries, including Mediterranean olive trees and fields of lavender.
As the region is remarkably under-exploited, tourist revenue provides a
useful boost to the local economy. A haven for wildlife, this Upland
Escapes region with peaks exceeding 3000m, is one of our most idyllic
and un-touched walking destinations.
Prices for Upland
Escapes holidays to the Mercantour start at £290pp (3 nights)
For
families:-
-
We don’t increase
our prices at all during the school holidays
-
All children aged
between 2-11 receive a 25% discount.
-
All infants
(under 2) travel for free.
-
Parties of 6 or
more receive one free place – a great deal for larger family groups.
For more
information, visit
www.uplandescapes.com
Or call
01367 851 111 |
