Châteauneuf-d'Entraunes walks

Starting from Châteauneuf-d'Entraunes (near Valberg), this hike offers plenty to discover: a picturesque village, an old wheat mill (open to visitors in summer), impressive gorges... Sounds good, doesn't it?

A beautiful hike through woodland, featuring a monumental arch some fifteen metres high, a testament to a distant geological past, and Sauze, a small, isolated 13th-century mountain village, the outskirts of which are still farmed by a few die-hard farmers. The chapel at Sauze Vieux and its wooden table make a lovely spot for a lunch break, facing Mont Saint-Honorat.

A beautiful, long hike overlooking the Var valley, starting from Guillaumes. Difficult due to its length, it includes a very difficult section that is only suitable for experienced hikers who are not afraid to use their hands to climb over rocks. It is possible to avoid this section; see the Practical Information section. I recommend this hike in autumn to enjoy the beautiful colours of the vegetation.

A varied route, alternating between wooded sections and views of the Saint-Martin-d’Entraunes valley. The Pointe de la Figuilière, a stone’s throw from the Aiguilles de Pelens, offers an exceptional 360° panorama.

A lesser-known and less-frequented secondary summit of the Mercantour, located above the pretty village of Péone, the Tête de Méric nevertheless offers a magnificent panorama stretching from the Tours du Lac d'Allos to the peaks of the Vallée des Merveilles, via the Val d'Entraunes and the Gorges de Daluis. The final ridge allows you to gradually discover this panorama.

This is a very pleasant hike which, after a covered climb, offers breathtaking views of the Daluis Gorges. The landscapes are magnificent, combining red, green vegetation and blue stone. Swimming in the Clue d'Amen is a very pleasant experience in summer. The abandoned hamlet of Amen is a major tourist attraction as it was a completely self-sufficient community for decades, with no other access routes than the hiking trails.

A short, moderately challenging hike offering beautiful views of the Var, the Gorges du Daluis and the Pont de la Mariée. The route, which is rarely used, passes through a pine forest before reaching the natural arch at La Roche Trouée, a true natural treasure. On your return to Pont des Roberts, visit the village of Guillaumes, a charming village nestled in the heart of the Upper Var Valley.

A beautiful forest trail that begins with an ascent up the Vallon de Cante and three river crossings. The views of the gorges and the Alpine massif are countless. The passage beneath the natural arch of La Roche Trouée, a stone monument some fifteen metres high and a testament to a distant geological past, leaves all hikers speechless.The Saint-Joseph Chapel in Sauze-Vieux and its picnic area make for a popular spot for a lunch break, facing Mont Saint-Honorat.

A route at the bottom of the superb Daluis Gorges! A water hike to be undertaken only in good weather, ideal in summer during hot weather. A hike accessible to children who can swim. Closed shoes are essential. This hike crosses a protected natural site that is subject to regulations. See practical information.

Ideal for learning to ride a mountain bike, this ride, high above the resort, takes you to the hamlet of La Colle, the starting point for the walk to the marmot site, home to the Alps’ iconic animals. The route begins on a tarmac road and continues along a dirt track.

This is a long but very beautiful hike starting from Entraunes, taking you through two wild valleys and offering magnificent views of the peaks of the Haut Var and Haut Verdon, as well as the valley leading up to the Col de la Cayolle. This hike is particularly recommended in early summer when the flowers are in full bloom.

The military structure built at Col de Crous provided passage between the Tuébi and Péone valley to the south and the Roya (Tinée) valley to the north.The small structure was built between 1932 and 1939 by military labour (MOM), more specifically by a detachment from the27th Algerian Rifle Regiment under the supervision of personnel from the7th Engineer Regiment.The support structures were built underground, dug several metres into the rock, while the combat structures, scattered across the surface in the form of blocks, were protected by thick steel armour plating and layers of reinforced concrete. The underground facilities housed barracks for the crew.High-altitude climatic conditions, a lack of resources and the non-priority nature of the project delayed progress. In June 1940, fighting against the Italians cancelled all work planned for the summer season.

This trail allows you to discover a little-visited valley in the Mercantour: you can see marmots and chamois here. The landscape is very varied, alternating between coniferous forests, meadows and ridges which, in good weather, offer views of the peaks of the Mercantour, Queyras and Écrins.

A very beautiful hike in the little-visited Roya valley, then, as you climb higher, panoramic views of the surrounding high peaks, the northern ridge of Mounier and Mont Rougnous. The first part of the hike allows you to explore the Roya valley as far as Trou de Corneilles, a natural bridge under which the torrent flows and where many corvids nest. At the end of September, you can enjoy the sound of deer bellowing in the nearby forest. The rest of the hike follows the Baudric route, which alternates between passages under the cliffs and paths along former farmland and barns. A final climb takes you to the Croix du Small Pass and its beautiful panorama. On the way back, the return to the village is from marker 13b along a stony path running alongside old barns.

Starting from Roya, a hike through a wild valley to Mont Riounet, which overlooks the resort of Auron and offers a beautiful panorama of the surrounding area (the Tinée peaks, the Mounier chain, the Mercantour-Argentera massif) and other more distant peaks to the north (Col de la Bonette, Aiguille and Brec de Chambeyron, Tête de Moïse, Pics de la Font Sancte, Mont Viso, etc.). Ideal in autumn, to admire the colours and, with a little luck, to hear and see the deer bellowing.

Starting from the Pont de Berthéon, this circular hike in the Gorges de Daluis allows you to discover the superb and characteristic landscape of the Upper Var Valley. After a gentle climb through red pelite, you will reach a sublime spot offering a sensational view over the gorges. You will then climb back up the gorges to complete a loop via the Colla and Saussette plateaus, which offer some beautiful views of the mountains in this valley.

A beautiful climb to the Point Sublime viewpoint for a magnificent view of the Daluis Gorges and their red pelites.

An iconic peak in the Mercantour National Park, the Mounier is accessible from several starting points. From the hamlet of Roya, the hike is quite long with a significant elevation gain, but the panoramic views are well worth the effort, particularly the crossing of the Salevieille valley where you’re likely to come across goats and sheep.

This walk is accessible to most people thanks to the very even gradient along the route. The trail is entirely located within the Mercantour National Park and takes us through the little-visited mountain pastures around the hamlet of Roya.

A short hike that follows the Var river sources and takes you to the foot of the Aiglière waterfall.

A very beautiful hike where the Col de Roua proves to be a ‘vegetation boundary’: the dominant green of the wooded and alpine areas contrasts with the reddish hues, offering a spectacular display of colours.

A mix of (somewhat) wild and tamed mountain terrain. This route, which takes in both ski runs and off-piste areas, allows you to appreciate the full extent of the Auron ski area.