Entrevaux, French Riviera, France
Entrevaux is a very picturesque town located on a mountain slope in a bend of the river Var, in the south-eastern France, about 60 km from Nice. This medieval town with interesting ramparts lies in the shadow of famous citadel located above it. When you walk the shaded and narrow streets of the town, you will feel like you've been moved to the Middle Ages.
Parking in Entrevaux
You can arrive to the town by the main road D4202 (Route de Grenoble). But if you like a challenge, you can also (as we did) use local roads through the mountains (D610 or D911) - we ensure beautiful views and extreme driving experience on narrow and winding roads ;). Alongside the road, just next to the train station (here stops the Train des Pignes), there is large free parking (P; GPS: 43.948848, 6.811991), where you can leave your car.
Strolling the town
After leaving the parking lot we pass the railway tracks and shortly go the narrow path along the embankment wall, where the main road is located. We go up the stairs (GPS: 43.948987, 6.811744), go across the road and then we can see the beautiful skyline of the town and the citadel.
The town is separated from us by the river Var. There is however a bridge on this river, which is also an entrance gate (A; GPS: 43.949325, 6.810107). We walk the bridge and then we are already in the town. On the right side we find the generic scene - the nineteenth-century municipal official keeps an eye on a prisoner in the jail. There are more such scenes in the town - for example, we saw old chamber prepared for baking the bread.
Walking the streets in the eastern direction we reach the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption (B; GPS: 43.9503919, 6.8121558) - this is a one-nave church from the seventeenth century. Finally we come to the east gate (C; GPS: 43.9506933, 6.8126761): Porte d'Italie - Gate of Italy. The name comes from the fact that Entrevaux was once a town on the border of France and Italy, and this gate was the closest one to the Italian border. Today, after walking out of the town through this gate, you can go farther for a pleasant stroll among the olive trees on the road that once led straight to Italy.
It is also worth climbing the citadel (D; GPS: 43.952399, 6.813592). The ticket price is 3€, but you must have the coins that you put into the machine and then in return you receive a token that allows you to enter the gate. The path is steep and tiring, but the sacrifice is worth for the gorgeous views. It is also good to bring a bottle of mineral water! The fortress itself can also be visited in the ticket price.
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