A town bathed in French and Italian history
Enjoy a walking tour in the French Riviera and explore the town of La Brigue, perched at 770m above sea level, surrounded by alpine pastures and the snow-capped peak of the Mont Bego in the distance. It has retained much of it’s Italian past, with colourful houses, narrow streets, arched passageways along the river and numerous religious monuments. La Brigue is home to just under 400 people year-round (the number grows by a few hundred during the high season) and is something of a hidden gem in the French Riviera back country.
Given the altitude and the close proximity to the Italian border, La Brigue remained under the rule of the Kingdom of Sardinia for many years and was considered a strategic point in the natural border with France. It was not until after the Second World War and the Paris Treaty of 1947 that the Brigue became French once again after a referendum.
Enjoy a self-guided walking holiday exploring the history of this charming town and admire the Romanesque church full of medieval paintings, the St Martin baroque style church with its ‘trompe l’oeil’ façade and walk past the beautiful fountain covered with lion heads dating back to 1884. If you look closely, you will notice that above many of the doors in the town there are carved lintels, some dating back as far as 1234. They depict mysterious symbols, the drawing of a lamb or the initials I.H.S. The lamb is a tribute to the rich farming history of La Brigue (records show over 20 000 sheep in 1818). The initials stand for Iesus Hominum Salvatori" - God, Saviour of Man.
Hiking in the French Riviera with stunning loop walks from La Brigue
From La Brigue, you can enjoy a pleasant 4km walk to the 15th century Notre Dame de Fontaine chapel. A seemingly bland yet peaceful building from the outside, inside it is quite remarkable: 38 frescoes depict the torment and death of Christ in very detailed paintings. Even if this would not normally be your thing, it is worth a visit!
Our French Riviera walking trip also takes you on a loop walk from la Brigue to Tende, the very last town before the Italian border that guards the Tende pass, linking Provence to the Piedmont region of Italy. Although Tende itself is an average town (but with plenty of places to sit, relax and rehydrate!), the walk is simply breathtaking, leading you on forest tracks, past fields of wild lavender and thyme and old stone ruins.
