A rich heritage
The villages and hamlets of the highlands have managed to retain their beauty and architectural harmony, appearing as pretty splashes of pastel colours against a backdrop of finest green.
Castles and citadels, remnants of ancient walls, medieval ruins, cobbled alleyways, chapels and churches reveal a rich history and demonstrate the intensity of life at the southernmost end of the Alps over the centuries.
The village of Puget Théniers, founded in Roman times, became a border town between Provence and the future county of Nice in 1388. With 1,500 inhabitants, a charming fountain, plane trees and its “nude” statue by Aristide Maillol, this is the real Provence, midway between the Mediterranean and the Mercantour National Park.
Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps…
With its striking contrasts between the Mediterranean coast and the high peaks of the Alps, this region is the ideal place to explore ‘Naturist tourism’. It has the peace, beauty and authenticity that make for a true holiday. With its breathtaking landscapes, towering peaks and rich, varied vegetation, the region offers both the joys of the Mediterranean and the impressive beauty of the Alps.
Provence smells so good
The Alpes-Maritime region offers exceptional plant life, with its cultivated terraces clinging to hillsides, the beautiful scents of Mediterranean flowers and the heady cocktail of lavender, thyme and rosemary lingering in the air. Marvel at the lush forests of pine, eucalyptus, larch, acacias, firs, sumachs and oak trees: along with its tropical vegetation such as palm trees and cacti, which other French region can pride itself on having such a variety and contrast of plant life ?
Worth visiting near Origan Village
• Entrevaux, a medieval town fortified by Vauban, 7km away
• The Daluis Gorges, their red shale and 150 m deep canyons
• Mercantour National Park, its nature reserve (marmots, ibex, 36,000 prehistoric engravings, wild animals, unique plant life in Europe)
• Allos Lake, the highest in Europe, fed by water from the glaciers
• The Roudoule Valley and its Ecomuseum
• Pottery from Valauris
• The Vallée des Merveilles – Hang-gliding in Saint-André les Alpes
• The Grasse Perfumery
• Glassworks in Biot
• The Wolf Scenoparc in St Martin Vesubie
• Parc Phoenix in Nice
• Monaco : Jacques Cousteau oceanographic museum.