Roubion walks

A short hike at the foot of the Falcon rock faces, in a varied landscape: climb through a sparse forest of spruce and Scots pine, enjoy beautiful views of the valley from the Falcon ridge, then descend among the sheepfolds and hamlets of Falcon and Les Vallons. This hike is featured in the short guidebook "Rando Passion" published by the Roubion tourist office. The elevation gain is lower than that indicated by Visorando, at around 400 metres.

This is a magnificent hike that starts in the picturesque medieval village of Roubion, with part of the trail already described on Visorando. Partly shaded by the forest, it will guide you through the Bois du Falcon and the meadows to the foot of Mont Buissière, at the Col de la Couillole, then to the Pin Pourri, where you can admire the Tête de Giarons and its vast meadows. The return journey will take you through the charming hamlet of Villars.

Starting from the charming village of Roubion – well worth a visit for its painted doors – you’ll head up towards Les Buisses via the Chapel of Saint-Sébastien (with its remarkable frescoes). After climbing Le Puy, you’ll descend through the forest to the Vallon de Saint-Sébastion, passing through some impressive and surprising natural arches. Finally, a final climb will offer you another view of the village.

This mountain hike is accessible to people who are prone to vertigo. As you walk along the Ars ridge, you will have a 360° view of Mont Brussière and the summit of Le Content. In summer, you may be lucky enough to see a golden eagle and a rich variety of mountain flora, with many different butterflies fluttering overhead. You may also encounter cows, sheep and goats, but please take care not to disturb them.

Étape de la traversée des Alpes avec un départ de Roure jusqu'à Saint Dalmas de Valdeblore. Randonnée allant de la vallée de la Tinée à l'arrière pays niçois.

A challenging hike. Ascent through the superb larch forest of La Fracha. Most of the route is through forest, except for the climb to Autcellier and Pervoux.

The hike through the Fracha Forest, starting from the village of Roure, follows a well-marked trail that gradually winds its way up through the larch trees. The route, which is not particularly difficult, offers a moderate elevation gain and regular passages through the undergrowth, ideal for warming up. The viewpoints over the valley allow you to appreciate the Cime de Roubion and the neighbouring ridges, before returning via a comfortable and perfectly marked circular route.

A very beautiful walk/hike that begins with a crossing of the beautiful Couillole valley. The Ibac de Frache is a magnificent coniferous forest. The descent through the mountain pasture areas from Pin Pourri is still used for transhumance.

This route begins in woodland where wild strawberries grow, followed by an unusual, little-used canal, before joining the GR®5. The beautiful village of Roure is well worth a visit: original wash house, fountains, a wealth of renowned local heritage.

This nineteenth stage continues the long traverse of the Mercantour. From the Refuge de Longon, the path descends the Vallon du Longon diagonally across the slope to the hamlet of Rougios, before following the Fracha forest road and then taking a shortcut to the pretty Provençal village of Roure. Via a stony descent, it cuts across the hairpin bends of the M130 and M30 roads and reaches Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, which it passes through before climbing up to the Chapelle Saint-Roch. Running along the hillside, it crosses the Vallon du Romarinier, passes through the hamlet of Roubinastre, crosses the Ravin de l’Esclosé and arrives at Rimplas. The GR®5 descends gently towards the small pass of Ragias and crosses the Vallon Gros, before climbing back up to the ridge on that side of the slope and then skirting the hamlet of La Bolline. From there, it climbs to the hamlet of La Roche and then ascends the ridge of the Vallon de Bramafam to reach Saint-Dalmas Valdeblore.

A very lovely walk, sometimes through woodland, sometimes across alpine pastures, offering a stunning 360° panorama from the summit of the Tête de Pommier.

This hike, starting from the Gorges du Cians road, takes you up Les Cluots, a mountain located in a steppe area above the red pelite of the Cians. Set back from the Mercantour massif, the summit offers a superb 360° panorama of the Alpes-Maritimes.

A unique walk through the landscape of the Gorges du Cians. The Cians, a small alpine torrent that is sometimes dry and sometimes raging during the snowmelt, flows into the Var upstream of Touët-sur-Var after carving out a 23-kilometre, acrobatic course, winding its way through the red rock via deep, narrow gorges. Although I have classified this walk as difficult, this is only due to its distance and the sections exposed to the wind and sun (depending on the season). Nevertheless, apart from a few short sections that may prove tricky, it presents no technical difficulties.

A very beautiful hike starting from the Tinée Valley to discover the lost hamlet of Mollières. It is a bit long but has a very gradual climb, making it easily accessible. Temporary ban in 2023, see notices.

Set in the Mercantour, this hike offers superb views throughout the ascent and even more so at the summit of Mont Gravières, with a breathtaking 360° panorama. Crossing several streams is very pleasant, and the village of Vignols is rather unusual. The walk is in open country for its entire length. There are two options for this route: either a return trip via the same path, or a circular route descending to the Refuge de Longon. The route map shown here is for the circular version; for those who ‘like to go off the beaten track’, the route will be a little rough around the edges on the descent to the refuge, as there are no official signposts. For those who prefer a conventional route: returning via the same route as the outward journey is recommended.