It is a truth locally acknowledged – among people who live near the Riviera coast, whether permanently or temporarily – that every trip to the region should include at least some hiking in the mountains.
Most of these people are – like us – residents of the coast themselves and would not think of settling in the mountains. But coming here for a visit to spend all your time in the Mediterranean resort towns without going at least once higher up the hills is considered odd, the equivalent of travelling to Paris and resolutely sticking to one side of the river.
Surely, there are many things to see on the Right Bank – Montmartre, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees – but are you really sure you want to miss out on Montparnasse? the Latin Quarter? the Eiffel Tower, for crying out loud?
Admittedly, hiking the French Riviera mountains (the modest peaks of the Maritime Alps) is not for everyone. Up to altitudes of about 1000 metres, however, the routes are often less arduous than you might think.
Once you are on the trail, you can find relatively long stretches that do not involve a great deal of climbing. The recipe is simple: join the trail as close to its peak altitude as you can, letting a local bus do the climbing for you.
Hiking the French Riviera mountains
One such “starters’ trail” leads from Gorbio to Roquebrune. It is the perfect deal for people who want to see and experience all different facets of the Riviera but prefer to do it the easy way. The trail gives you a good impression of what the landscape looks and feels like and is painless even by easy-hiking standards.
On top of that, Gorbio is easy to reach and Roquebrune even easier to get away from by public transport.
Last but not least, the walk is short enough (at roughly two hours) so that you can still have lunch in one of Roquebrune’s many fancy restaurants provided you start reasonably early.
But you must manage to be on time: bus no. 7 to Gorbio leaves at 9:26 from Menton train station. (To get to the bus stop, walk across the car park and then turn right.) Do not miss this bus: the next departure is 3 hours later. (The problem with public transport in the area is not that there are no buses: the problem is that there are so few of them.)
Gorbio itself is pretty, although there is not much of it. The fewer hilltop villages you have seen, the more you will be impressed.
Once you are here, however, you might as well have a look around, but return to the bus stop because the trail starts 50 metres on its far side (on your right hand side when you arrive).
From here on, just follow the red markers of the GR51 in the direction of the Croix de la Muratore and La Coupière.
Just behind the village borders, you must walk up a little hill on your right: that will be your steepest climb all day.
Other than that, the trail is flat or goes gently upwards, giving you the opportunity of concentrating on the many beautiful views.
Turn around to see Gorbio shimmering in the distance …
… surrounded by the rolling hills of the Maritime Alps.
We are now at an altitude of approx. 400 metres, half-way between the coastal lowlands and the first highland peaks on the horizon.
This is, in many other ways, the “half-way country” of the Riviera. Civilization is always just around the corner …
… there are optical reminders that we have not really left the slopes of Menton …
… and that the Mediterranean is never more than just a short drive away.
This is a walk of great views, up as well as down: we also get a peek of Saint Agnes in the distance …
… the picturesquely located hilltop village that you can also reach on foot from Gorbio, although that hike is one level up in difficulty.
Shortly after the junction with another trail that leads southwards to the Mont Gros, you should leave the GR51 in favour of making a short detour, turning left into the eastern section of the GR653A to climb the La Coupière hill.
All right: it is more a gentle stroll than a climb, but at 483 m, this is the highest point of the walk, and you should not miss it.
Finally, you will arrive at Roquebrune …
… and when you see the medieval castle shimmering through the tree branches, the walk is nearly over, with only a steep descent ahead of you.
If you have wobbly knees or hate steep slides for whatever other reason, you can also take a left turn into the road that you will have to cross after the first part of the descent, called the D50 or the Promenade de la Première Division France Libre. This is a slightly longer way, plus you will have to share the road with cars, but it will get you there, too.
Roquebrune itself has several stations of the bus line from Monaco to Menton (no. 21), but the service is infrequent (every 2 hours or so), so you might prefer to walk down to the Lower Corniche on the coast from where you can catch one of the no. 100 buses that connect Menton and Nice via Monaco (roughly every 15 minutes; the walk will take you approx. 20 minutes).
Finally, we want to share with you something you will probably not see during the hike because it is a relatively rare phenomenon: a fog coming inland from the seaside, called by the French une Entrée Maritime …
… very much like the eponymous protagonist of the 80s horror movie The Fog, only that this fog was generated by seasonal weather conditions (warm air, cold water) rather than by the restless souls of sailors who were murdered at sea 100 years ago.
It was a far less vengeful fog, too: politely refraining from murdering any residents, it only spoilt our view of Monaco.
That, however, is something it did rather thoroughly.
