Gourdon, French Riviera, France
Gourdon - a small medieval town, but with a great location and stunning views of the many places of the Côte d'Azur. It is situated high in the mountains of the Maritime Alps. This unusual town emanates the medieval era. A stroll in Gourdon is a time well spent - apart from the interesting buildings there is a lot of restaurants, shops and galleries. The town is a little similar to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, but much less commercial.
Access and parking in Gourdon
If you like some adrenaline, driving to the village is an attraction in itself. We were driving from Grasse on road D2085 and then turned on D3 (Route de Gourdon), which led us to the town. The views along the way are great, all the time we climb higher and higher, driving sometimes on the edge of a precipice. The road is however very well maintained, and the traffic is not too big. But if you are afraid of heights, try first to get acquainted with the route by using the StreetView on Google Maps. We think that during nice weather this route should not be dangerous, and the prize for the journey will be beautiful town of Gourdon. There are several large and free parking lots (eg. 1; GPS: 43.720822, 6.976804 or 2; GPS: 43.721419, 6.977413), so there is no problem with the car.
Visiting the town
After leaving the parking lot we walk about 100 meters the street (A) slightly uphill to the town. We stroll the town in a standard way - walking narrow and winding streets with shops of manufacturers of soap and perfume. The buildings themselves are nicely renovated and colorfully decorated. However, the biggest attraction is the square Victoria (B; GPS: 43.719446, 6.978057), where a post office is located. Built on the precipice, it offers really amazing views from three sides. If you visit the town on a beautiful sunny day, you can see many places clearly in the distance, for example Antibes, Nice, Mandelieu, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Juan-les-Pins. On closer plan you will see the town of Bar-sur-Loup or one of the many bridges. Local shops offer good artistic products, souvenirs, spices and delicious pastries, and their owners are always polite to tourists.
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