The Cote d’Azur is much more than just the resort beach towns of Cannes, Nice or St Tropez. So, if you need to escape the hordes, the hills above the shoreline contain scenic medieval hill towns which can be easily visited in a day trip. Must sees here include the towns of St Paul de Vence and Gourdon and Matisse’s Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence. The winding roads may also be familiar to 007 movie fans.
We were lucky enough to be staying in St Paul de Vence so it was a handy base for us to take a drive through the Gorges du Loup. Firstly, St Paul de Vence is a must visit. The town is pretty – situated on top of a hill and filled with art galleries, wine bars and various cafes. It is also home to the Maeght Foundation, a fine collection of contemporary art. I think it’s a great place to end a drive in the area so that you can enjoy a good dinner and sunset views.
We actually started our drive with a visit to the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence. This is a chapel created by Henri Matisse in the last years of his life. It’s a special place – one that evokes reverence in the simple tranquility of the chapel. Matisse’s touches are evident in his abstract rendering of nature, the lightness of form and use of colour. The chapel has been known to bring visitors to tears in the purity of the beauty of the place and Matisse’s devotion.
After leaving the chapel, we headed eastward in the direction of Tourettes-sur-loup on the road D2210. We didn’t stop in this town but parked at a scenic lookout to take some photos.
After passing Tourettes-sur-loup, the road heads north towards Courmes and Greolieres. Our aim is to get to the Saut du Loup waterfall for a short stop to take a look at the waterfall there. While the falls themselves are no big deal, the setting is beautiful. It’s convenient as there’s a car park here but you do have to buy a ticket to get in to see the falls, which you walk down some stairs to approach.
After Saut du Loup, you have a choice of going onto Gourdon ( a sharp hairpin turn left on the D3) and perhaps lunch or continue northward to Greolieres. The main reason for driving up the D3 to Greolieres is to actually drive a bit past the town along the D2 – this is the bit that may be more interesting for James Bond fans. The stretch of D2 beyond Greolieres is where they filmed the car chase in GoldenEye between the Aston Martin DB5 and the Ferrari 355 (minus the view of Monte Carlo at the end). This diversion will probably take around 30 -45 minutes depending on how 007 your driving skills are. However, if you’re hungry and not a James Bond car chase fan, you may as well go to Gourdon.
Check this link for a clip of the chase scene from GoldenEye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en-GB&v=ACwkQP6q1QQ&gl=SG
Gourdon is the highest of the hill towns in the area and commands a great view of the valley below. It’s also a quaint town to walk around. We grabbed a bite at one of the cafes. My first choice eatery was full unfortunately but the lunch we had at one of the other places was fine. I recommend the lavender ice cream at the artisanal ice cream store near the entrance to Gourdon.
After a couple hours in Gourdon, we had a nice drive back to St Paul de Vence (along D3 and D6/7). The roads wind their way back down the hill from Gourdon and we could see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. On a clear day you can see along the coast and in particular, the town of Cannes.
Parking around St Paul dV is challenging (you can’t drive into the village) so it will inevitably involve finding a slot and walking to the village. If you want to visit the Maeght Foundation, it’s best to park along Chemin des Gardettes or at the Maeght’s parking lot itself and then walk to the village. It’s difficult anyway to find parking close to the village.
We had a couple of casual meals in St Paul dV at Le Tilleul, which sits to the left of the pedestrian entrance to the town. It has a nicely shaded patio with a nice view of the surrounding hills. There are a quite a few places to eat including the well known Le Colombe d’Or, which used to have some great paintings hanging in the restaurant although its glory may be fading somewhat. Some of the places I wanted to try include Le Toile Blanche (another good view of the valley – great for sunset drinks) and Le Artiste.
Some will say that St Paul dV is a little pricey but given its pristine location and quaint, artsy vibe, it’s still a pleasant place to unwind. I’d recommend a walk around the perimeter of the town. It’s also just nice to wander along the narrow lanes.
Some website links to places mentioned in the blog:
Maeght Foundation: http://www.fondation-maeght.com
Chapelle du Rosaire: http://vence.fr/la-chapelle-du-rosaire-chef-d?lang=fr
Le Tilleul: http://www.restaurant-letilleul.com/en/restaurant-le-tilleul-st-paul-de-vence.html