Mercantour hiking: Alpine lakes and rock carvings

Highlight of the tour 

  • The lakes, mountains and rock carvings of the "Vallée des Merveilles"
  • A true Alpine experience 
  • Authentic villages nestled in deep, wooded valleys surrounded by high mountains
  • The Mercantour National park and its wild fauna and flora
  • Walks on centuries old paths in some outstandingly beautiful valleys 


    Customize your holiday here 

  • From 770€ /pers
    • Self-guided Walking
    • Challenging
      • 6 days
      • From June to October
      • Simple -
      • Charming
      • Ref : B1110

Itinerary

Day 1 - Train to La Brigue, mountain village

You arrive in the timeless village of La Brigue nestled in the mountains near the Italian border, with its beautiful architecture and its centuries-old homes with colourful façades. The village traded its Italian flag for a French one in 1947 and much of this valley is bathed in a Franco-Italian fusion of language, food, and culture.

Meals included : none
Night :
La Brigue

Day 2 - Panoramic views above Tende

alpine flowers There is a small grocery store in town for buying picnic items.  It's a hike in lower altitudes to warm up your legs. You climb from the town of La Brigue up a tight valley laden with wild lavender & thyme. Passing the ruins of stone dwellings you reach the Boselia pass and begin a breathtaking and panoramic descent to Tende, the very last town before the Italian border. Take a well-deserved pause in town at a local café or restaurant before returning to La Brigue.

Loop Walk : La Brigue > Tende | 4h | 12 km - 7 miles | Elevation : +550m/-550m
Meals included :
breakfast 
Night :
La Brigue

Day 3 - Hiking & alpine lakes

chamois mercantour wild goatIn the morning you are transferred to the hamlet of Castérino to your cosy chalet-style hotel, your base for the next three nights. Nestled at the base of the lush green valley, the hamlet of Castérino is sprinkled with mountain chalets and surrounded by forested slopes. Leaving your hotel on foot you climb upwards through the evergreen forest and soon the last of the larch trees give way to open pastures and bare rock. Atop the crest you'll enjoy panoramic views of the serrated peaks of the Mercantour National Park to the east. Atop a forestry track you'll encounter former bunkers, witnesses to a not so distant military past. A leisurely descent leads back to the hamlet of Castérino.

Loop Walk : Casterino > Cime de Gratin | 4h30  | 10 km - 6 miles | Elevation : +600m/-600m
Meals included :
breakfast & picnic & dinner
Night :
Casterino

Day 4 - Merveille Mountain refuge & rock carvings

eidelweiss wildflower mercantourA short transfer takes you to the Lac des Mèches lake to begin your hike. Passing a former mining community and then up the Vallon de la Minière, you enter the Mercantour National Park boundaries. Under the watchful eyes of the chamois and ibex that grace the slopes and even the elusive wolves, you leave the forest behind and become surrounded by wildflowers. Amid a setting of crystal clear mountain lakes and denuded peaks, you reach the Refuge des Merveilles hut. You can enjoy a drink at the refuge and soak up the alpine ambiance. You walk back to the Lac des Mèches  for a transfer back to Casterino.
Optional : From the mountain refuge you can embark on a guided tour of the Vallée des Merveilles rock carvings, Europe's largest open-air museum, highly protected and only accessible with an accredited guide. Tours last about 2 hours and cost around 15€ per person.

Loop Walk : Casterino > Lac des Meches > Refuge des Merveilles  | 6h  | 16 km - 10 miles | Elevation : +650m/-650m
Meals included :
breakfast & picnic & dinner
Night :
Casterino

Day 5 - hiking to Fontanalba & the "green lake"

lac chalet mercantourToday  you climb through the bucolic Fontanalba valley and once again enter the heart of the National Park. You reach the Lac Vert from where you can explore some of the 100 000 sacred stone carvings some of which are 6 000 years old. The site of Fontanalba regroups more carvings then elsewhere in the park and many are set beside the marked trails accessible to all hikers without an accredited guide. An optional route takes you to the pristine lakes of the Valmasque valley.  Return to Castérino for your third and final night.
Optional : From the Lac Vert lake hut, you can have a guided visit to the carvings (supplement).

Loop Walk : Casterino > Fontanalba   | 5h30  | 16 km - 10 miles | Elevation : +750m/-750m
. Longer option : via Valmasque | 7h | 20 km - 13 mies | Elevation : +1150m / -1150m
Meals included :
breakfast & picnic & dinner
Night :
Casterino

Day 6 - Bye Bye Mercantour ..

wildflowers mercantour lilyTransfer to La Brigue after breakfast. End of your trip in la Brigue. You can catch the train back to Nice.

Meals included :
breakfast 

  • From 770€ /pers
    • Self-guided Walking
    • Challenging
      • 6 days
      • From June to October
      • Simple -
      • Charming
      • Ref : B1110
YOUR TRIP

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From the blog

More French Riviera self-guided walking holidays

    • 6 days
    • Easy
    • Self-guided Walking
      • From March to November
  •   Accommodation choice :
      • Simple
      • /
      • Comfort
      • /
      • Charming
      • /
      • Superior

Highlights of the trip

  • The wilderness of the islands of Porquerolles and Port Cros
  • The hidden gem of the Mediterranean gardens of Le Rayol
  • Plenty of swimming opportunities every day !
  • Majestic coastline paths and hidden inlets


    Customize your holiday here 

    • 6 days
    • Moderate
    • Self-guided Walking
      • From March to June
      • From September to November
  •   Accommodation choice :
      • Simple
      • /
      • Charming

Highlights of the trip

  • Discover the hidden gems in the backcountry of the French Riviera
  • Grasse, the perfume capital & Saint Paul de Vence, a source of inspiration for painters and writers
  • The beautiful perched villages of Gourdon, Saint Paul de Vence, Tourettes sur loup
  • Charming Provencal landscapes and panoramic hikes


    Customize your holiday here 

    • 6 days
    • Challenging
    • Self-guided Walking
      • From June to October
  •   Accommodation choice :
      • Simple
      • /
      • Charming

Highlight of the tour 

  • The lakes, mountains and rock carvings of the "Vallée des Merveilles"
  • A true Alpine experience 
  • Authentic villages nestled in deep, wooded valleys surrounded by high mountains
  • The Mercantour National park and its wild fauna and flora
  • Walks on centuries old paths in some outstandingly beautiful valleys 


    Customize your holiday here 

    • 6 days
    • Moderate
    • Self-guided Walking
      • From March to November
  •   Accommodation choice :
      • Simple
      • /
      • Comfort
      • /
      • Charming

Highlights of the trip

  • Authentic mountain villages surrounded by the Alps mountains
  • The cultural mix of Italian and French influences
  • The lovely perched village of Sainte Agnes
  • Ancient paths through forests and follow majestic olive groves
  • The coloured italian-style town of Menton on the Med Sea

  • Please note :  the hotels in the backcountry are quite rustic and simple, but you will appreciate the charm and authenticity. Once you get to Menton, you can choose your level of quality and comfort


    Customize your holiday here 

    • 7 days
    • Moderate
    • Self-guided Walking
      • From March to November
  •   Accommodation choice :
      • Simple
      • /
      • Comfort

Highlights 

  • Authentic villages nestled in deep wooded valleys, surrounded by high mountains
  • The cultural mesh of Italian and French influences
  • The lost village of La Brigue, on the Italian border
  • The magnificent perched village of Sainte Agnès
  • The coloured italian-style town of Menton on the Mediterranean Sea

  • Please note the hotels in the backcountry are quite rustic and simple, but you will appreciate the charm and authenticity. Once you get to Menton, you can choose your level of quality and comfort


    Customize your holiday here