Saint-Paul
(1.30hrs walking distance)
Starting from the Place du Grand Jardin, take the Avenue de la Résistance to the Place Maréchal Juin. Turn left, take the Boulevard Emmanuel Maurel (along the car park), walk to the Sainte Anne Chapel, which is located on the right, at the corner of the Chemin du Baric. Go down this road straight on till the small bridge on the Malvan. After the stream , climb in the woods of la Sine area ; here the path is paved again.
You are on the Chemin des Messugues. On your left hand side, there is another path, the Chemin des Cades, it is more direct but also steeper. These two roads connect the tarred road of la Sine which you take on your left.
After a pleasant walk on this road edged with pine trees and holm oaks, a road sign directs you to leave the road and turn left on to the path of the water-course. This water-course carries to Saint Paul, the water from the source of the Malvan, near the castle of that name, better known as the château de la Reine Jeanne.
According to the popular tradition, in the XIVth century , Jeanne Queen of Naples granted a right to this water to the people of St Paul, the spring-head being on her lands. This channel still supplies today several fountains in the village. Walking among the trees and plants alongside the path, you will discover the village of Saint Paul. On the left, the road ends with a mill whose wheel was formerly powered by the water of the channel.
THE BAOU DES BLANCS
(2h30 for the return walk)
From the tourist Office, follow the avenue Isnard to the end of the avenue des Poilus. You arrive at a small roundabout, turn right and cross the bridge. After the bridge, turn left. About 100 m take the Chemin Saint Martin, on the right. After climbing for some 200 m you reach the chemin du Riou. Continue straight on and you will reach the road leading to the Col de Vence.
This road climbs with several bends, allowing numerous views over Vence and the Pays Vençois, among which, on the left, the ruins of the Abbey of the Templars, within the walls of the Domaine St Martin. These ruins date from the end of the 12th century. The Order of the Templars was abolished by the Pope in 1312 after an intervention by the King of France, Philippe le Bel.
The road drops into the Lubiane valley, and into an area of quarries. A very steep little path starts on the right before the quarry, near a plaque in memory of victims of Nazi mines. Leave behind this difficult path and continue past the quarry and the last house to another, easier, path with a small parking area.
This path which leads off on the right, opposite the old quarry on the left of the road, passing behind the sheepfold and joins the ‘EDF’ path.
From the top of the Baou you have an exceptional panorama. To the East, on the other side of the Var valley, lies the village of Aspremont, between Mont Cima (880 m) and Mont Chauve (854 m). Opposite overlooking the Var, the slopes which produce the famous Bellet wine. Behind, Mont Angel (1150 m), which overlooks Monte Carlo, and the Tête de Chien (556 m) to the South of La Turbie, then in the background, the last foothills of the Alps. Cap Ferrat stands out against the Mediterrenean, and, nearer, Mont Boron (178 m ) marks the entrance to the port of Nice. Then Nice airport.
To the South, the whole coast, from Cagnes sur Mer to the Cap d’Antibes, and, in the background, the Lérins Islands.
Nearer, the village of Saint Paul perched on its rocky spur, the wooded massifs which surround La Colle sur Loup, and farther away, the woods of Valbonne. Super Cannes on one side, and the massif of the Esterel on the other, with various summits amongst which the Pic de l’Ours, recognisable by its TV mast, frame the Bay of Cannes and the Gulf of La Napoule.
To the West, on the other side of the Malvan valley, the summit of the Malvan (1023 m), the Puy de Tourrettes on the right (1267 m) and the Pic des Courmettes on the left (1248 m).
On the other side of the Loup Valley, the Haut Montet (1335 m), which overlooks the rocky plain Caussols, and in the background the Montagne de Thiey (1552 m) and the Montagne de l’audibergue (1642 m). To the North the Cheiron range, which rises to 1777 m and on which you can see the heads of ski-lifts from the resort of Gréolières les Neiges.
Finally, on the two sides of the Cagnes valley, the Baou des Noirs (680 m) and the Baou de Saint Jeannet (800 m) merge with the Baou de la Gaude (same height). Return to Vence by the same route.
Tourettes-sur-Loup by the Cambreniers and the Virettes
(2 hrs walking distance)
From the Tourist Office, go to the Avenue Rhin et Danube, after the Floréal Hotel, take the Ancienne Route de Tourrettes. After the bridge over the Malvan, go up to the Chemin des Colles which you follow steeply for about 100 metres. You just need to cross the road Vence-Grasse to find yourself at the foot of the Chemin des Cambreniers.
This tarmaced road goes up quite steeply between numerous properties. The road ends at the forest, but before going further, turn back to admire the landscape. Walking into the forest, several paths attract the walker. As far as our route is concerned, you just need to follow the signs near the reservoir of the Malvan to walk on a lovely uphill road of about 200 metres, then becoming flat or slightly dowhill. After about 1 km, cross the Vallon Notre Dame.
The Claret cistern serves as the boundary between Vence and Tourrettes sur Loup. Two hundred metres ahead, you leave the forest, you can see on your left a wall in a circular shape enclosing a hillock, and measuring 2 to 3 metres high with a thickness of 3 to 4 metres.
Once more, the road is tarred, you are on the Route des Virettes. You will see on your right one of the first fields of violets, the cultivation of which is a speciality of the village of Tourrettes. You will reach then the “Nouvelle Aurore” where the Chemin des Virettes completely changes direction to the left and where downward the slope is more pronounced. You will be on the Route de la Madeleine at the level of the oratory Sainte Anne. Taking this last road to the right, you will find yourself 500 metres ahead from the town centre of Tourrettes. Because of the important difference in altitude the view is obviously well worth looking at.
Chateau of Queen Jeanne
(3 hours for the return walk)
Jeanne I, called la Reine Jeanne (1326-1382), sovereign of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem, countess of Provence, Forcalquier and Piemont. Married for reasons of state, at the age of eight, to her cousin Andrew of Hungary, aged seven.
Jeanne was to be accused of the murder of her husband, assassinated as a result of a plot, of which Louis of Taranto was the head. A widow at the age of nineteen, the young queen married Louis of Taranto, a violent and cruel man, who died at the age of forty two.
Still beautiful and insatiable for the pleasures of love, Jeanne married again James III of Mallorca, her cousin, twelve years younger than her, and at his death, Otto of Brunswick, a German prince who was devoted to her.
Endlessly pursued by her enemies, including Louis of Hungary, brother of Andrew, Jeanne was strangled, in the sombre castle of Muro, in the Apennines.
Queen Jeanne bequaethed Provence to one of her nephews, Louis I of Anjou. She left in Naples the memory of a superficial queen, of little consequence, ‘with very little dignity and incapable of governing’.
In contrast, in Provence, she appears as a queen of legend, the incarnation of a dream, a living symbol of beauty and poetry. Queen Jeanne came to Provence only once, to Avignon, but appeared there in all her beauty. We are not surprised that there still remain so many castles, chapels, palaces, gardens and roads which carry the name of Queen Jeanne, and most frequently in places where she doubtless never visited.
Leaving the Place du Grand Jardin, follow the avenue de la Résistance. Having reached the carrefour du Maréchal Juin, keep straight on, along the Avenue du Maréchal Foch and the Avenue Humbert Ricolfi. Take the second road on the right, the Chemin des Aspras. Then follow the Chemin de l’Ormée and the sentier de Rolland, which leads on to the chemin des Salles. There you cross a large shady open space, then a little path which snakes through the garrigue to bring you facing another path which climbs up the hills. You keep to the left and cross the Guet du Malvan, a little stream.
Above you, on a rocky spur, is the château de la Reine Jeanne, the real name of which is the château du Malvan. You pass in front of the chapel of St Raphaël, and the path leads you to the ruins of the château, the origins of which are very old. From the Xth century this spot served as a refuge for the habitants of Vence, as did the site of the Baou des Blancs. It was in 1747, during the retreat of the Imperial forces, that the château was destroyed.
The return walk follows the Chemin des Cambreniers, then passing under a viaduct, along the chemin des Combattants en AFN, reaching Vence by the Avenue Humbert Ricolfi and the Avenue de la Résistance.
