Graus ridge

de fr

This short hike in the hills near Nice will take you to the foot of Mont Chauve d'Aspremont for a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea, Nice and its surroundings.

Ideal for a short trail run... or for walking the dogs (there are many in this area).

Details

n°1446568
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.01 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 252 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 252 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 615 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 363 m
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Photos

Olive grove
Nice
Window on the sea
Château Renard

Description of the walk

Parking is available at the end of Chemin de Châteaurenard. Accessible by bus (line 35, Aire Saint-Michel stop).

(S/E) Go up into the woods following the GR®.

(1) As soon as you leave the small pine forest, theGR® trail branches off to the right. Continue straight ahead on an unmarked path.
Follow this flat path through the low vegetation and pass a high-voltage power line. A few hundred metres further on, the path climbs up to the right.

(2) Turn left and descend towards the second high-voltage power line, pass the gas pipeline and then this high-voltage power line until you approach a beautiful house with a swimming pool.

(3) Leave the main path and climb up to the right towards the Crête de Graus. After a few bends and a fairly steep climb, you will rejoin theGR® which runs along the ridge on its western side.

(4) Descend to the right, following theGR® to quickly return to the crossroads of the circular.

(1) Continue on theGR® to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 363 m - Chemin de Châteaurenard
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 386 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.68 - alt. 430 m - Turn left towards the second overhead power line.
  4. 3 : km 2.43 - alt. 430 m - Right towards the Crête de Graus
  5. 4 : km 3.19 - alt. 614 m - Graus ridge
  6. S/E : km 6.01 - alt. 363 m - Chemin de Châteaurenard

Notes

There is a fountain on the path near the start/finish point.

Worth a visit

Possible extension to Mont-Chauve d'Aspremont.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 27645816

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk on the outskirts of town, with a nice climb.
Not recommended in the height of summer as almost the entire route is in direct sunlight

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User 20148534

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
The route follows the trails closely, so you won't stray too far off course.
The circuit is quite busy with dog walkers, trail runners, mountain bikers and hikers.
There is a significant elevation gain just before the ridge... but I took it easy!
This hike has the advantage of being a nature retreat on the outskirts of Nice .

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randonneurintrépide
randonneurintrépide

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy hike. The final climb before the ridge is quite steep. Not recommended for those who are not fit.

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moniquoletta
moniquoletta

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A wonderful discovery, this route on the outskirts of Nice is a peaceful green area with hills and beautiful views of the sea and the hinterland.
No description is needed; simply follow the GR trail towards Aspremont, a wooded route, and turn right onto one of the many paths that climb up the ridge, which is always visible. The numerous paths leave room for improvisation...

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

Good evening, Rosemary,

Thank you for your comment and for letting me know about the bus route. It is now route 35. I will make the change.

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Romarin2006
Romarin2006

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
Being from Nice, we did this beautiful hike again. Indeed, several paths can lead to confusion. But since the ridge is on the right, all paths lead there. I wonder why there are so many different paths.
We were treated to a magnificent view over Nice. One small downside: it was supposed to be 6 km or so, but we ended up doing about 10 km, just saying ;-) Although we are seniors, we can handle it.
Thank you, Osiris, for suggesting such beautiful walks.
PS: Line 26 no longer exists. You have to take another line.

Rosemary from
Nice

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Qoissi
Qoissi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,

As it is quite easy to get lost on this route because it is full of junctions with no signs, I think it is useful to point out that the GR® is well marked with the standard red and white lines, and that the so-called "unmarked" path is in fact very clearly marked with yellow and red lines (GR® de pays). It is therefore important to stay on these markings, otherwise you may find yourself somewhere unexpected.

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

Hello Sonia,

It's true that the Vieux-Chemin de Gairaut is narrow and has no pavement... which can be dangerous with two-way traffic!

The easiest way to get there from the city if you don't have a car is to take the bus (line 25) to Aire Saint-Michel, either from Le Rouret (near the Henri Sappia terminus of tram line 1) or from Vauban.

Unfortunately, there is no satisfactory solution for those travelling on foot...

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SoniaVM
SoniaVM
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I tried to hike from Nice following the GR5, but there are certain parts of the Old Gairaut Path that are difficult to navigate (narrow roads with speeding cars, especially after the Gairaut Canal). Is there an alternative route that avoids traffic as much as possible?

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AlexRandoNice
AlexRandoNice

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you, Osiris, for this lovely hike around Crête de Graus, a very pleasant, natural and wild area just outside Nice-Nord (Gairaut).

I wanted to extend the hike a little and take the GR trail that starts in Nice. So I got off the tram at Gorbella, walked along the tennis courts on Rue Paul Bounin, then followed the Vieux Chemin de Gairaut to the starting point (S/E) that you indicated.

Then at (4) I continued north to go around Mont Chauve to Aspremont, following the GR5. Then I finished the circular route via Baisse de Guigo (a nice spot). I then climbed up to Fort du Mont-Chauve, which isn't particularly interesting in itself, but offers superb views of the entire coastline and as far as Corsica. It also allows you to admire the Crête de Graus, which you descend following your route from (4).

All in all, it was a 22km hike with ~1000m of elevation gain, and the pan bangna from the market... pure bliss!

All the best,
Alex

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Shinsei
Shinsei

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The climb is a bit steep for a hike described as "easy"!

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gigidu06
gigidu06

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Easy hike in good weather... the climb is a bit steep but the views of the villages and surrounding mountains are breathtaking... magnificent!!

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daniel.villar@laposte.net
daniel.villar@laposte.net

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

You can even go as far as Mont Chauve and, from up there, see Corsica if the sky is clear.
And also, at the start, take a detour to the Falicon pyramid and the Ratapignata cave.

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