Berre-Les-Alpes
The view from the Balcony in the bedroom and living room
Berre-les-Alpes - meaning perched village, offers a remarkable panorama which embraces the chain of the sea, Mont Agel, the massive Authion, Mount Bego, Col de Braus at the bottom and at the top, the Franco-Italian alpes.
Is the village famous? Yes…In 1978, British rock band Queen recorded part of their album Jazz, including the hit single “Don’t Stop Me Now“, at Super Bear recording studios in Berre-les-Alpes. It also hosted Pink Floyd, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Police, and Van Morrison to name a few.
The Baroque style church was established in 1368 so you get a feel for the period. The village is a labyrinth of narrow streets which weave their way around this limestone hill onto which properties cling in topsy turvy style. It is well placed for exploring by car, foot or bicycle. This link shows you places to visit and their distance from Contes.
A great guide: http://www.francethisway.com/places/a/contes-alpes-maritimes.php
There are fabulous walks or bike rides, on road and off road, through the hills to adjacent villages. I have included some pictures of one of many routes I have taken by bike. The coast line, Italian or French Riviera are great rides. Massive choices.
Only 2 hours drive away is the magnificent Gorges du Verdon, Europe’s finest river valley and its equivalent of the Grand Canyon. It is 25km long and 700m deep. You can white water raft, kayak, canoe, swim, walk, cycle, climb or simply relax. See this great link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdon_Gorge
The impressive Dolomites are close as they border France. I’ve had some amazing journeys through them and if you love mountain ranges and beautiful Italian towns and villages on the route, you should make the journey.
The adjacent village of L’escarene has a railway station with regular trains to Nice and also up through the mountains into Italy to one of the country’s oldest ski resorts of Limone Piemonte which is fabulous in summer or winter. It really is a beautiful town and worth the visit. See this website: http://www.limonepiemonte.it/turistico/index.php?option=com_limone&view=sezione&idSezione=6&Itemid=56&lang=en
There are several ski resorts within 2.5 hours drive.
The village below Berre is Contes (approx 10 mins by car). This is a thriving community and has everything you could want from ATM machines, florist, fruit and vegetable store, patisserie, charcuterie, café/tobacconist, pharmacy, opticians, a small market and restaurants. 5 mins further down the road is Drap with more facilities including a larger super market and then La Trinite which has a hypermarket/shopping complex.
Go on line and see how accessible the coast line is with fabulous beaches at Monaco, Villefranche which is famed for being one of the top 5 bays in the world, Antibes, Beaulieu, Cannes, and St. Tropez. There are beaches and restaurants along the Promenade Des Anglais in Nice. Italy is only 40 mins away – take the motorway and walk or hire a bike and cycle along the coast around beautiful Sanremo or further as you have the entire coastline with hundreds of km to choose.
This website is useful and features Berres http://mynicevilla.com/things-to-do/
Do you realise how accessible the beautiful islands of Corsica and Sardinia are? A ferry from Nice (book on line) takes you there with your car, or walk, bike, take a tent or book some accommodation and explore – it is very exciting and easy http://www.visit-corsica.com/en/ or http://www.corsicatravelguide.com/towns.php or http://www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/sardinia.html
Using the internet, you can plan a very memorable holiday or weekend away. Flights to Nice are provided by BA, Easyjet, Norwegian, Flybe and others.
The Hotel Beau Séjour in the village is run by a charming couple, Philippe and Virginie, and opens early for coffee, newspapers, breakfast and during the day serves all sorts including beer, wine, sweets and ice cream. They close on Wednesdays but serve delicious food most days, home cooked by Virginie. There is a shop selling all the normal provisions including fresh bread. It closes though on a Monday.
The house comes fully equipped with everything you will require including linen, towels and beach towels. It is a great hideaway and perfect for day excursions and island hopping. It will sleep 5 comfortably in the 2 double bedrooms (one with bunks beds as well as a double bed). The furniture and furnishings are high quality. It was extended and partly renovated in 2020 to include a new kitchen.
If you want more information email me jg@jgreatrix.com or call me on +44 7711 638026.
A key box on the wall will give you the key once I advise of the code. My neighbours care for the house and will clean it and wash laundry on your departure. There is a charge for this of Euro 50.00 payable to them. To book, please go to https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4886474?s=ZPOH as this is fully automated and simple.
