La Gordolasque

This ancient glacial valley is one of the wildest in the Southern Alps. It offers landscapes of rare beauty in an exceptional setting, and provides access to the major sites of the Mercantour National Park. The Ray waterfall, the vacherie, traditional Alpine houses, lakes and the hamlet of Saint Grat are just some of the sites to discover on your way. Many activities are available: hiking in the Mercantour, trout fishing, climbing and mountaineering, winter activities (snowshoeing and ski touring). You'll come across cows and horses in summer pastures, as well as chamois, ibex and marmots. A tributary of the Vésubie, the torrent is also ideal for trout fishing. La Gordolasque is also the starting point for reaching the Refuge de Nice, the Vallée des Merveilles. The Vallée des Merveilles At an altitude of over 2000 m, this valley of glacier-polished schist slabs is home to a veritable open-air museum of prehistory. Nearly 40,000 rock engravings dating from the Copper and Bronze Ages (2,500-1,200 years ago) have been recorded, testifying to the sacred rites practised by the people who inhabited this area. The entire site is listed as a Historic Monument. Access to the Vallée des Merveilles from the Gordolasque is by foot only. Within the protected area, it is recommended to be accompanied by an accredited "Merveilles "* guide to gain access to the entire protected sector and benefit from a wealth of information about the site. However, hikers are free to follow the authorized paths and interpretation trails where some of the engravings are located.