Bonson walks

A very beautiful and varied hike on the outskirts of Nice, with a less frequented first section on paved slanting street paths. The climb up the small pass of Saint-André offers magnificent 360° panoramic views. A bountiful natural environment in every season and a cultural heritage waiting to be discovered.

Gilette and La Clue. From the village of Gillette, perched on a rocky outcrop, this walk takes you to the medieval bridge of La Cerise (scenes from the film "The Hunchback" were shot here in 1997) and then winds through the Estéron gorges.

A fairly easy circular with a variety of views over the Vésubie and Var valleys and far beyond...

This circular hike, starting from the Pont de l'Estéron, takes you along this pretty river with its turquoise waters before climbing into the forest alongside a small stream and joining small isolated roads towards the Chapelle Sainte-Marguerite (17th century). The descent is via a pretty path overlooking the Estéron, offering some beautiful views towards the Plaine du Var at the end. This circuit can also be done in the opposite direction, ending with the section along the river.

A beautiful climb through the forest to reach the summit of Mont Vial, with magnificent views of several peaks in the Alpes Maritimes. You will pass through three small, little-known but charming and peaceful villages: Revest-les-Roches, Toudon and Tourette-du-Château.

The ascent of Mont Férion from Levens offers a superb panorama of the coast and the peaks of the Estéron. When you reach the ridge, you will pass by the surprising Chapelle Saint-Michel-des-Cèdres in the heart of a small conifer forest. The summit offers views of the Paillons landscape and the peaks of the Mercantour between two trees.

A circular hike starting from the charming village of Le Broc. A steep climb through the forest leads to the buried Gravière canal, which you follow along a track through the woods before reaching a clear view of Mont Vial and the Mercantour near the hamlet of Les Combes. The climb up the Mouton d'Anou via a track and then a narrow path offers a beautiful 360° panorama from Cap d'Antibes to Mercantour. The descent is via a pleasant path through the woods.

This hike starts in the hilltop village of Le Broc and takes you to the Monséguise plateau, which offers a rare view of the Alpes-Maritimes. After a gradual climb through the Vallon de la Sine, you reach the plateau via a short climb along the "piste du gaz". At the top, you can see the Mediterranean, from the Estérel to nearby Nice, and the peaks of the Nice hinterland as far as the Mercantour! On the descent, there are numerous views of the hilltop villages of the Nice hinterland.

Forgotten on its rocky ridge, the main attraction of this hike is a visit to Fort Charvet. But it is also an opportunity to imagine, for a few minutes, what it was like for the soldiers who were tasked with observing the Var and Tinée valleys at the end of the 18th century in order to protect against a possible Piedmontese invasion. Let us not forget that this area has been French since 1860.

A circular forest hike passing by the old Eguisse Mine, with a return trip to the Saint-Michel Chapel and the ruins of Rocca Sparvièra.

This circular hike starting from the village of Toudon provides access to one of the main peaks of the Mont Vial massif between Var and Estéron. On the menu for this hike: pine forests and broom scrub, grassy terraces of abandoned countryside, a slightly steep passage at the foot of a limestone cliff, panoramic views of Cheiron, the Var valley, Mercantour... and even Nice and the sea on a clear day.

A loop starting from Utelle, a charming village perched in the Vésubie Valley. The first part is wild and rocky on a ledge above the Vésubie, followed by a gentle climb through an amazing forest of terraced fields. The final climb, steeper up to the Crête de la Madone d'Utelle, offers a 360° view of the coastline, the Var Valley, the peaks of the Mercantour and the Nice hinterland. Finally, the descent offers numerous views of the village of Utelle.

Ruins of the hamlet of Rocca Sparvièra ("Rock of the Sparrowhawks") perched at an altitude of 1,100 metres overlooking the Paillon Valley to the east and the Vésubie Gorges to the west. It is hard to believe that this hamlet, abandoned during the 17th century, once had up to 350 inhabitants and that this community had an administration, a seigniory, a notary, a priest... This hamlet is linked to the legend of Queen Jeanne.

A pleasant hike with no major difficulties, featuring a superb ridge walk and, as a reward, a visit to Fort Charvet. Built between 1883 and 1890, this fort occupies a rocky promontory overlooking the confluence of the Tinée and Var rivers.

Short, easy walk in the limestone Pre-Alps with a climb to the summit of Mouton d'Anou for a remarkable view.

A few kilometres from Nice, Mont Chauve d'Aspremont and its neighbour Mont Chauve de Tourette offer magnificent views to the south: Nice, the Baie des Anges and the Mediterranean, but also to the north with the Alps and the Mercantour.

A short hike in the Nice hinterland offering beautiful views of the mountains and the coastline. A route that is not too steep and suitable for trail running.

A very pretty little hike. Walk through beautiful undergrowth, descend into a deep valley, discover the remains of an old mine, cross a river and reach a magnificent waterfall.