6 days and 5 nights
Durée
3
Niveau
Tende
Lieux
From 12
Age
June to October
Saison

Only 30 kilometers from the sea and the French Riviera but the contrast is huge ! 6 days visiting this astonishing area, protected as an historical monument since 1989, part of Mercantour National Park. Wildflowers, fauna and 40 000 ancient rock carvings with their myths and legends are waiting for you.

 

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Accompagnied refuge
630 €
Accompagnied comfort 685 €
Inclus 6 hiking days.
Guiding by a professional mountain guide, groups of 15 persons maximum
Transfer of luggage between the gite and the Lake of Mesches
Technical gear
Security gear
Professional civil liability insurances
Picnics from D2 to D5
Half-board in refuge and gîte
Entries to the Museum of Merveilles
Non inclus Transportation to the meeting point*
Personal drinks and food
Wine in gîte and refuge
Picnics for Day 1 and D6
Personal civil liability insurances
Cancellation insurances
Everything that is not indicated in ’WHAT THE PRICE INCLUDES”
*we can organize your flight and your transfer to the meeting point

Les points forts

  • Varied and stunning landscapes of the mountains
  • Wild fauna and flora
  • 5000 years of history
  • Archaeological visits
1

Day 1 The Vallauria Mine


Starting from the Lac des Mesches, a real entrance gate to the Valley of Marvels, a trail in the forest will bring us to the Hameau de la Minière, a renowned mining village that will be our base-camp for the entire trip. Pickup of your luggage and the hike starts off through the different ages… you will discover the local flowers and the landscapes designed by the ice of the glaciers. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to see the « Gias », a protohistoric shelter..
Duration of effective walking:  1-4 hours
Elevation gain: 200-500 m.  Elevation loss: 60-300 m.
Accommodation: Gîte Neige et Merveilles

Bar, library, movies on the Valley of Marvels during evenings

2

Day 2 Plan tendasque and Fontanalba


At the foot of Mount Bégo, divinity of the site of Marvels, you will find the prairies suspendues du plan tendasque an important place for the pastoralism at the gate of the Valley of Marvels. We will walk on an unmarked trail to get as close as possible to the chamois and the traces of wolfs before arriving to the refuge of Fontanalba.

Duration of effective walking:  5h00
Elevation gain: 750 m.  Elevation loss: 400 m.
Accommodation: Refuge de Fontanalbe

3

Day 3 Discover the protohistoric engravings of Fontanalba

This hike is a pure delight! On the edges of the glacial lakes, you will discover the protohistoric engravings with a guide licenced by the National Park of Mercantour, in the heart of a natural botanical garden of the « Fountain of the Dawn », surrounded by chamois, ibex, marmots. By crossing the col de Vallauretta, we return to the mining valley where we will spend the night.

Duration of effective walking: 4h30 + 2h00 archaeological visit
Elevation gain: 450 m.  Elevation loss: 960 m.
Accommodation: Gîte Neige et Merveilles, room with bathroom

4

Day 4 The Val d’enfer and the protohistoric shelters


Departure for the refuge des Merveilles heading along the Vallon de la Minière, and in the afternoon a visit of the first engravings in the archaeological areas. You will admire the natural shelters « Les Gias » that gave refuge to the first humans and to the shepherds during the anger of the God of thunderstorms.
Duration of effective walking: 3.5 h   Elevation gain: 650 m.
Accommodation: Refuge des Merveilles
5

Day 5 Visit of the Valley of Marvels


Full visit of the site of Marvels via the restricted area of Arpette. Discovery of the most famous engravings (Tribe chief, the wizard, the man with the zigzag arms etc…). Return to the gîte Neige et Merveilles in the afternoon.

Duration of effective walking: 5.5h
Elevation gain: 500 m.  Elevation loss: 1000 m

Accommodation: Gîte Neige et Merveilles, room with bathroom

6

Day 6 Tende and the Museum of Marvels

Transfer by car to reach the capital of the high Roya, Tende (30 min), visit of the village, its basilica and its baroque churches. You then go to visit the magnificent Museum of Marvels to review everything you have learned during the hikes and to look closely on the tools and weapons of the protohistoric men.

Duration of effective walking: 1h
Elevation gain: 100 m.  Elevation loss: 100 m

End of the stay late morning.

Attention : The order of the hikes can be modified by your guide in order to adapt to the weather forecasts or other parameters.

Gite and Moutain refuge

Gite Neige et Merveilles

Vallée des Merveilles
Vallée des Merveilles
Faune Bouquetin
Faune vautour fauve
Vallée des Merveilles - Gravures
Vallée des Merveilles
Merveilles gravures
Merveilles gravures
Merveilles gravures
Merveilles gravures
Vallée des Merveilles
Merveilles gravures
Merveilles Lac Long
Refuge Merveilles
Merveilles
Merveilles Chef de Tribu
Vallée des Merveilles - Sorcier
630,00685,00