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Created in 1979, this vast national park covers seven alpine valleys and a total area of 685 sq km. Pocked by deep valleys and spiked with jagged peaks, and dominated by the Cime du Gélas (3143m), the third-highest mountain in the Alps-Maritimes, it’s a haven for outdoor activities: skiing and snowboarding in winter, hiking and biking in summer, and pretty much everything else besides.
It’s also celebrated for its flora and fauna, including rare species such as the ibex, the mouflon, the golden eagle and wild grey wolves, which you can see at the excellent Alpha wolf park near the mountain village of St-Martin-Vésubie. The park is currently at the forefront over the debate of the return of the wild wolf to France: after more than a century of absence, wolf numbers are increasing – a cause of celebration for conservationists, and of deep anger for local farmers.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Parc National du Mercantour.
Canyon
This stunning network of scarlet gorges looks for all the world like it's been collected from Arizona and plonked down in Haute-Provence. Carved out over the millennia by the Var River, it runs for 6km between Guillaumes and Daluis, twisting high above the river past towering sandstone cliffs, weird rock formations and plunging waterfalls. It's best seen in a northbound direction on the D902/D2202, as tunnels on the southbound lane obscure most of the views.
Natural Feature
Wedged between the Vésubie and Roya valleys, this narrow, remote canyon is famous for its amazing Bronze Age petroglyphs – ancient pictures carved into rock. In total, the valley contains more than 36,000 prehistoric carvings of figures, symbols and animals, thought to have been etched by members of a Ligurian cult between 1800 and 1500 BC. Most can only be seen on foot.
Natural Feature
For an arresting insight into the forces of nature, a hike up to these massive, fractured stone blocks above the town of Annot is well worth the effort. Caused by volcanic activity around 35 million years ago, they've been sculpted into all kinds of weird and wondrous forms by millennia of erosion. In total, the site covers an area of around 150 hectares criss-crossed by several hiking trails.
Wildlife Reserve
The grey wolf was hunted to extinction in France by 1930, but in 1992 two 'funny-looking dogs' were spotted near Utelle, presumably having loped across the Italian border. Since then, the animals have made a comeback in the French Alps, and though they're hard to spot in the wild, you'll have a good chance of a sighting at this fascinating wolf reserve, where three packs live in semi-freedom.
Church
At an altitude of 1904m, this impressively situated hilltop church was supposedly founded on the site where a local villager had a vision of the Virgin Mary; twice a year, on 15 August and 8 September, there's a solemn procession to commemorate the event. The statue of Mary inside is thought to have been carved from a Lebanese cedar in the 14th century. It's at the end of a winding 10km road leading east of St-Martin-Vésubie; look out for signs.
Gardens
This alpine garden is probably the last thing you'd expect in tiny Roure. It's a pet project of Monaco's Prince Rainier, who's covered 15 steep-sided hectares (ranging in altitude from 1200m to 1700m) with mountain trees and flora, interspersed with sculptures by Niçois artists. If you're really lucky, you might even spot an eagle or vulture wheeling over the garden terraces.
Nature Reserve
It's hard to believe, but millions of years ago the Alps sat at the bottom of a vast temperate sea, leaving behind millions of fossils pressed into the rock – including ammonites, trilobites and even the footprints of prehistoric birds. Spread across 18 sites collectively known as the Réserve Géologique de Haute-Provence, they offer a fascinating window into the Alps' ancient past – but you'll need a car (and the official map, available at tourist offices) to find them.
Village
With its towers, turrets and ramparts, this medieval village looks like a relic from a Monty Python film set. In the late 14th century, the valleys around Allos and Barcelonnette to the north were given to the Duchy of Savoy, and Colmars became an important border town, which meant it also required fortification. Despite some additions by the military architect Vauban in the 18th century, the village looks largely as it would have during medieval times.
Ruins
Originally built to protect the French border from invasion, and later used as part of the Maginot Line during WWII, this hillside fortress 18km northeast of Barcelonnette provides an evocative reminder of just how close you are to the French frontier here. Guided visits explore the fortifications, including gun batteries, casements and dugouts. There are several more military ruins to visit around the valley.