Travel Guide Lucéram

At the source of the Paillon, the commune of Lucéram-Peïra-Cava comprises the medieval village of Lucéram, and 14 km from it, via a beautiful winding road, you reach the high-altitude resort of Peïra-Cava: two characters that complement each other and define a strong identity for this renowned old village.Lucéram was a prosperous medieval town, thanks to its location on the salt route. Situated 27 km from Nice and dominating the Paillon valley from its rocky outcrop, the village is today renowned for its historical and cultural heritage: medieval architecture, chapels of Saint-Jean des Pénitents Blancs and Saint-Pierre des Pénitents Noirs, the church of Sainte-Marguerite-et-Sainte-Rosalie, fortifications, as well as its famous crib circuit. Every year since Christmas 1998, nativity scenes have been set up in the streets, on balconies, in chapels and in private homes. This circuit of 300 cribs attracts many visitors who throng the streets of the village during the festive season.The Peïra-Cava site offers a forest plateau at an altitude of 1,580 m, where spruces, larches and beeches take pride of place. A hamlet once occupied by shepherds in summer, it became a military barracks in 1876, designed to keep watch over the three valleys (Vésubie, Bévéra and Paillon) and the Italian border. In the early 20th century, it became the department's first winter resort, then a high-altitude resort offering all-season outdoor activities.