REVIEW: Mediterranean Musings – Les Alpes-Maritimes

IMAGE:Village of Tende on the French/Italian border

Read all of JOY DODDS’ previous Mediterranean Musings – from Italy to Spain and France, and including gastronomic delights …

Before extolling the virtues of perhaps the most exquisite resorts of the Côte d’Azur, and the principality of Monaco, a short exploration of inland treasures is warranted.

I first marvelled at the beauty of this landscape from the comfort of a train from Nice to Cuneo, the alpine landscape proving spectacular and unforgettable.

The rail line follows the Peillon river valley north out of Nice, heads up the Roya Valley and passes under the mountains at the Col de Tende into Italy. Much of the line makes no contact with the surface of the earth, either passing over it on numerous viaducts or passing through it in many, many tunnels, one of them about 6km long between l’Escarène and Sospel. From Fontan to Saorge, the train loops inside the mountain, the track passing alongside itself. In the upper Roya Valley near Tende, the train also actually makes a couple of full 360-degree loops while in tunnels. Even with the many tunnels, enough spectacular sights remain to make the trip memorable with its valleys, villages, mountains, streams and wild nature.

The Nice-Cuneo train is now called the ‘Train des Merveilles’, a smart marketing image based on the area’s Valley of Wonders. This apart, the Roya valley and the region of Tende with hikes and guided trips into the Mercantour National Park are well worth exploring. The famous Vallée des Merveilles with its prehistoric rock engravings is the piece de resistance.

A second Train des Merveilles also goes from Ventimiglia to Cuneo in Italy. The outside of the railway carriages are decoratively painted with bright colours and branded with images of the rock carvings and the local village names. Trains run every two hours and the journey takes around two hours at a cost of 7 Euros one-way! It too is an astonishing journey, starting at the Italian border town and climbing up into the French Alps, stopping at some stations that the train from Nice does not. Whilst starting and ending in Italy, the journey itself crisscrosses the French Alpes, finishing in Cuneo.

Scenic train journey aside, the Alpes-Maritimes region, so close to the Mediterranean Sea yet so different and unique, is well worth exploring. Historically, the area held enormous significance as a strategic defence stronghold and its many fortifications bear witness to this history. Villages of ancient houses, many with squares featuring the inevitable fountain or two, make this a particularly quaint area to explore. Lovers of Nature will adore its spectacular landscape, ideal for trekking and exploring.

Not far from Levens, a town located about 50kms north of Nice, is the great national park of Mercantour, one of the most unspoilt and remote parts of Provence – some would argue in entire France. Former mule tracks through the mountains are now roads where it is possible to witness the Grand Capelet, 2935 metres of snow-capped mountain, a mere 30kms from the Mediterranean. The source of some of Provence’s great rivers including the Var, the Roya and the Vésubie lies here and the flora of the region includes pines and birch as well as wildflowers.

When the Compté of Nice was united with France, the Italians, and in particular Cavour, managed to hang on to the Mercantour and the Roya Valley which borders Italy, so dearly did its royalty value it as a hunting ground.

The town of Sospel, which sits under the dramatic Col de Turini, is a charming rather Italian/French village which sits on the Bévéra River. A complete departure from the busy Cote d’Azur, there is much to delight from the 11th century ancient bridge, Vieux Pont, to the delightful Place St-Michel with its Baroque facades where the town church stands next to charming arcaded houses. While the medieval castle lies in ruins, it is still possible to see Fort Roch, part of the hated interwar Maginot Line, near which is a Resistance Museum which is well worth visiting.

Sospel is the perfect town to overnight before exploring St Dalmas-de-Tende and its Valley of Marvels, the most ancient natural history museum in the world. Within this prehistoric sanctuary of lakes and rocks are engravings from the Bronze Age, and the even earlier Stone Age, snow-covered for much of the year. Primitive Man lived here 5000 years ago, eking out an existence by raising cattle and agriculture. The treasured artwork, in the form of a hundred thousand engravings, was made “a site of inestimable value for the study of humanity” by the International Congress of Study in 1975. St-Dalmas, the nearest town to the Valley of Marvels, has a hotel too, as does La Brigue, one train stop from St-Salmas-de-Tende.

Near the border with Italy stands the charming town of Tende with its overhanging roofs and colourful balconies. It also boasts a Musée des Merveilles with reproductions of the prehistoric wonders to be found in the nearby valley.

Not far from the Mediterranean Coast, to the west of the railway live, lies the Provencal village of Levens, with its panoramic view over the Var and the Vésubie river valleys. Levens’ ancient houses include the Maréchal’s familial mansion built in 1722, near which is the baroque chapel of the Pénitents Blancs. Levens is yet another reason to venture inland from the coast.

And there is another . . . the food of the Alpes Maritimes region. While it may be simple and sturdy, it is still delicious. Fully recommended is the local ham, jambon du pays, dried from sturdy local beef fed on alpine pastures while the smoked mountain ham is also delicious. I did baulk however at a stew of Calf’s Head (Tête de Veau a la Vinaigrette) which offered not only the poor calf’s head but also its brains, simmered for hours and served separately. Thanks, but no thanks!