Common Alpes-Maritimes, on a rocky spur at 760 meters above sea level, Gourdon takes place on the heights of the Loup valley, about forty kilometers from Nice and its famous Promenade des Anglais. Ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, the village is located about ten kilometers from the Mediterranean coast, not far from Cipières, Cabris and Grasse, the world capital of perfume.
Located in a strategic position, the village of Gourdon is from its origins an important place of defense. Many remains of this military past can still be admired on site. Populated since the Gallo-Roman era, the territory developed over the centuries, passing from hands to hands.
Full of charm, this city in the south of France continues to attract visitors with its architectural heritage and breathtaking landscapes that offer a panorama spanning over 80 km of the Côte d'Azur. Its specialties and craftsmanship are also famous for its art glass, perfume, soap, honey, nougat and gingerbread.
While strolling in the village, you will be able to admire the alleys full of animation, the Provençal houses, the fortified gate or the workshops of the numerous artisans still present on the spot. So many buildings that allowed it to be ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.
12th century feudal building, the castle of Gourdon is a site now listed as a Historical Monument. Former property of the Counts of Provence, it takes place on the remains of a first fortress of the ninth. Open to the public in the 1950s, it now belongs to a family that has closed access to the main home. There are still visible today some remains of the fortress of origin, the stronghold of the twelfth century, and finally the current castle built in the sixteenth century by the Lombard family. It is thus possible to access the medieval museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts, and especially the classical gardens originally designed by Le Nôtre. Do not miss the Apothecary Garden, which was refurbished in the 1970s with a sundial in the center and a boxwood border inspired by the mosaics of Antiquity.
Gourdon has an impressive religious heritage including the Church of Our Lady, an old chapel of the 12th century became church in the eighteenth century, the chapel of Saint Vincent of the 11th and 12th centuries with frescoes by André Torre, the chapel Saint -Pons restored in the twentieth, or the ruins of the chapel Saint-Ambroise.
If you want to enjoy the surroundings and the sun, you can discover the many marked trails, like the path of Paradise, an old mule track up on Bar-sur-Loup and unveiling the viaduct of the old railway or the GR51. Gourdon is also known for its paragliding sites.
