Sitting less than two miles from Nice is Villefranche-sur-Mer, a mere walk away. Since this little port town is also part of the Côte d’Azur SNCF train system, we decided to do just that, one sunny day. We took a walk over the Mont Boron and took the train back.
Walking From Nice
If you are lucky enough to visit this quaint little town on the sea while no cruise ship is in the bay, then you would be as lucky as we were the day we decided to walk there from Nice. A frequent stop of cruise ships Villefranche-sur-Mer is the most used cruise ship docking port in France. Luckily we were spared both the site and the influx of tourists that accompanies such an ocurrence.
From the old city of Nice, we ascended Mont Boron, which I must say is much higher on the side of Fort du Mont Alban than we experienced on Castle Hill, Mont Boron’s smaller cousin. However, there are very good paths that switchbacks all the way up to help you with the ascent.
Fort du Mont Alban
The fort from the outside appears to be a four-sided bastion fort. Made entirely of stone, it stands impressively on top of the mountain. Unfortunately, entrance cannot be gained and it appears to be closed. There are no indications that it has ever been opened to the public.
With the exception of walking up the front stairs to the main door, there appear to be no other entrances on the other sides.
After getting our fill of the view from this vantage point, our walk to Villefranche-sur-Mer continued by finding the path to the town about a hundred meters to the left, leaving the fort. On your map, this path may be called the Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban.
The path starts off easily without much slope, but it progressively gets steeper and less developed the further down you go, until you finally hit the town itself. So, care should be taken.
The Town On The Sea
From the path you will exit via a walkway to the Avenue du Fort. Since we were thirsty and starting to get hungry, we followed our noses down and finally found the Avenue du Marechal Foch. We found a cafe there for a quick drink. Then it was off to find a restaurant. Ericka found one overlooking the water called Mayssa Beach. A good pick, great service, excellent view and good food at a reasonable price.
After haven eaten and relaxed a bit, we decided to walk the Quai de l’Amiral Courbet. The town is actually quite small and has very narrow streets. Enjoy the following photographs from this little gem on the coast.
