What a landscape ... rocks, chasms, waterfalls that hang down like wide silver ribbons, tumbling freely down until, splitting, they continue to flow with a great crash into the valley." This is how Klaus and Erika Mann enthused about the Gorges du Loup in their 1931 "Book of the Riviera". The gorge landscape in the south of France is still as spectacular today.
The narrow mountain road winds its way up to Gourdon. Visitors are rarely alone in this small, fortified soap and perfume village. This is understandable, given its magnificent balcony location with views of the sea - as far as Corsica on a clear day. The Gorges du Loup and Gourdon are representative of the many gorges and mountain villages in the Maritime Alps in the hinterland of Nice and Cannes. An exciting, attractive region. Many car tourists are also aware of this, which is why it is so busy in high summer. But when the temperatures and crowds of visitors drop in autumn, it's a better time for e-bike tours anyway, as there are unfortunately no cycle paths.
E-bike hire
- Holiday Bikes rents out simple e-bikes with stations in Nice, Cannes, Antibes Juan-les-Pins and Villeneuve Loubet: www.loca-bike.fr
- Standard e-bikes are available from Holland Bikes in Nice: locations.hollandbikes.com/en/
Worth seeing
- Gorges du Loup: magnificent gorge carved into the mountains by the River Loup.
- Gourdon: picturesque fortified village with views as far as the sea.
- Grasse: a city of art worth seeing and the world capital of perfume, www.grassetourisme.fr
You should definitely visit one of the famous perfume factories there, such as that of perfumer Galimard: www.galimard.com
Accommodation
- Hotel Florence in Nice, www.hotel-florence-nice.com
- Hotel Elixir in Grasse, www.bestwestern-elixir-grasse.com/de
- Hotel Belles Terrasses in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, www.bellesterrasses.fr
Tour tips
- Les Gorges du Loup: from Saint-Paul-de-Vence (35 km, 560 metres in altitude)
- Le Grand Tour des Préalpes d'Azur: a challenging tour of the Maritime Alps in six stages from Grasse (265 km, 3,700 metres in altitude). Tours: www.departement06.fr
Organised trips
The France specialist France-Bike offers weekly packages with guided tours from the Côte d'Azur to the hinterland: www.france-bike.com
Literature/Maps
- General maps and tours are available from the local tourist offices, for example in Grasse and Nice
- Michelin map no. 341
"Alpes-Maritimes", 1:150,000
Tourist-Info
www.cotedazur-nature.com
The full article was published in E-BIKE issue 3/2017. You can download the issue in the MYBIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or in the DK-Shop order.
