Le Mounta cala de Menton

Park near the Menton bus station.

(S/E) Go to the roundabout and take a narrow lane on the right called Chemin du Rosaire, which you will follow to the top, where you will find the Monastery of the Annunciation. You will reach some steps.

(1) Take the stairs and climb the long steps, following the Chemin du Rosaire signs all the way. You will reach the André Tardieu corniche.

(2) Cross it carefully and continue straight ahead. The staircase returns to its original form and becomes a paved slanting street before reaching the foot of the Monastery of the Annunciation.

(3) Take the paved slanting street to the left of the private road sign to reach the monastery esplanade. At the end of the visit, walk along the right-hand side of the building to find a road below. Return to the crossroads at the foot of the monastery.

(3) Take the Chemin du Rosaire in the opposite direction until you reach the Corniche André Tardieu crossroads.

(2) Take the Route de l'Annonciade on the left and proceed with caution. Continue downhill on this road, taking a hairpin bend to the right. Ignore the^first set of steps and continue to^{the second set}.

(4) Leave the road here 50 metres before the hairpin bend and take the steps on the left to avoid all the sharp bends. Join the Route de Sospel and cross it carefully at the pedestrian crossing. Then find the Chemin de Cagendries.

(5) Take it opposite, it quickly turns into stairs, first cemented, then beautifully carved into the rock, in a beautiful forest area. Continue along the path that follows it. Turn left at the cemented building to join and follow Route de Ciappes Castellar for about a hundred metres. Reach a hairpin bend.

(6) Turn right and follow the Ciappes path. This is also a descending staircase that winds its way between new and old houses. At the end of the stairs, you will find the Route de Ciappes Castellar.

(7) Turn left, then right onto Chemin de Rigaudis , taking care. Join Rue Henri Greville, turn left and then immediately left onto Boulevard du Fossan, which is much quieter than the previous avenue. You will come to another set of steps, which is Traverse du Palmier.

(8) Take the stairs on the right to reach Promenade du Val de Menton. Be careful here, as there is no pavement on this road. Turn right, walk 200 metres, then turn left onto Rue du Palmier, which quickly becomes a narrow alleyway as it enters old Menton.

(9) Turn left onto the brick staircase at the foot of the Chapelle de la Conception to find the Montée du Souvenir. Follow it on the left until you reach the entrance to the Vieux Château cemetery.

(10) At the entrance to the old cemetery, there are two options:
- Option 1: Some hikers may wish to pay tribute to William Webb Ellis, a British student who invented rugby in 1823 with an unconventional gesture. To reach his grave, covered with rugby jerseys and balls, follow the left-hand path from the entrance, go down a few steps, and continue along the path until you reach a large Orthodox grave. Turn right and walk about 20 metres; the grave is below three cypress trees.

(11) Turn around and return to the cemetery entrance.

(10) Option 2: Continue the walk along the east wall of the cemetery. This alley, called Rue du Vieux Château, is extended by the Traverse du Château to cross the historic centre. From Saint Michel Church, take the majestic staircase down to the sea. Cross Quai Bonaparte.

(12) Take Quai Impératrice Eugénie and walk along the harbour.

(13) This is the ideal spot to take a break and admire the city from the sea. Return along the quay in the opposite direction to the previous crossroads.

(12) Walk along the old port and the bastion dating from 1636. Turn right at the plaque on the ground marking the arrival of the GR®52-GTA Grandes Traversée des Alpes and head for the covered market dating from 1882. Take Rue des Marins on the right, then turn left onto the alleyway Traverse de la Rue Bréa. After passing under the house, turn left onto Rue Bréa. You will arrive at the Promenade du Val de Menton, opposite the Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs.

(14) Turn right into this street and continue for a few metres, then turn left down the Léopold Bernstamm steps. Continue along Rue Magenta, which leads to Rue Henri Greville.

(15) Cross and pass under the railway bridge. Immediately turn left. After about 100 metres, take the Rigaudis staircase on the right. At the top of the stairs, turn right and you will come to a cairn. Turn left onto a dirt path lined with succulents and wild mimosas. At the road, a sign indicates Aire Saint-Michel. Turn left towards the nearby campsite. Cross it from one side to the other, then turn right onto a flat section for about 100 metres. Take the Orangers staircase on the left with its very short turns. At the bottom of the steps, turn right towards Allée de Namur, then turn right again to return to the bus station (S/E).

Toilets and water at the rear of the monastery

Monastery and Rosary Oratory built around 1860, rebuilt around 1930.
Basilica of Saint Michael.
Seaside. Cocteau Museum