Travel Guide Gréolières

Gréolières blossoms on the southern slopes of the Cheiron mountain. At an altitude of 836 m, the village, one of the highest in the region, overlooks the Loup valley. Surrounded by vegetation and with the rocky mass of Cheiron in the background, Gréolières appears as an oasis of life in the midst of a mineral world. Against this backdrop, this village of 600 inhabitants more than lives up to its slogan "Breathe the fresh air". Originally, it developed around two sites. Gréolières-Basses (today's village) and Gréolières-Hautes, abandoned in the 17th century, which occupied a rocky outcrop. That's why there were two castles, now in ruins. The village is criss-crossed by narrow streets lined with stone houses, typical of the Provencal mountains. Also typical of the region are the colorful shuttered facades, the tiled roofs and the bell tower topped by an elegant wrought-iron campanile. The village is the starting point for many activities: hiking, canyoning, paragliding... In winter, activities move to Gréolières 1400, the closest ski resort to the Côte d'Azur. From its highest point, the view stretches from Monaco to l'Estérel. A little history. Since prehistoric times, the upper Loup valley has been an important communication route between the coast and the Alps. The Gréolières area was very busy. An oppidum is thought to have existed on the Baou de St-Jean. Later, the Roman road linking Vence to Castellane passed through Gréolières, helping to make the site a place of passage and residence. In the 11th century, the name Graulieras appears in the cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille. During the Wars of Religion, between the 16th and 17th centuries, the castles of Hautes and Basses Gréolières were attacked in turn by Protestants and Catholics, due to their particular position in the defense of the country, post-border with Piedmont. Until the 19th century, the territory changed hands several times, as battles and alliances changed. In 1838, the château was sold to local resident Jacques Flory for 17,000 francs in gold coins.