Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée walks

A hike to discover the Ténibres valley from both sides as well as the architecture of the region.

This first stage will take you to the Rabuons refuge, on the shores of the largest lake in the Alpes Maritimes. The landscape is very rocky. You will meet many Italians, as there are several refuges just across the border offering beautiful routes via the nearby Pas de l'Ischiator.

A long and demanding circular in the Mercantour National Park that will first take you to Lac de Rabuons, the largest lake in the Alpes-Maritimes, which is worth the detour in itself, before climbing Mont Ténibre, the highest peak in the Tinée at 3,031 metres. You are in the Mercantour National Park, where there are regulations to be observed, with fines of up to €1,500 for non-compliance. See practical information. Read the reviews before committing.

First stage of a two-day hike in the Haute-Tinée. Ascent to the magnificent Lacs de Vens and the small pass of Tortisse via the Claï valley and Lac des Babarottes. Plenty of marmots and chamois around the Lacs de Vens and below the small pass of Tortisse.

This route, with no significant elevation gain, takes you around Mont Auron, with its easily accessible summit, and back and forth to Cîme de la Bercha, starting from Auron.

A mix of (somewhat) wild and tamed mountain terrain. This route, which takes in both ski runs and off-piste areas, allows you to appreciate the full extent of the Auron ski area.

A long but beautiful stage combining the austere landscape of Mont Mounier with the green mountain pastures of Longon.Look up to watch the vultures.A gentle finish at the Vacherie de Longon, surrounded by animals.

From the Tinée Valley, a challenging round trip to the Italian border and a magnificent viewpoint on the northern slope of Mont Mounier.

This is a variation on the traditional hikes to the magnificent lakes of Vens. Although the last section on tarmac between Le Pra and the car park at the start is not the most attractive, this circular route takes you through both the Vens and Tortisse valleys, with a more pleasant climb along the torrent and a breathtaking descent from the Col de Fer.

Thisthird and final stage of the Tour du Mont Aiga starts from the Refuge de Vens and crosses a balcony below the slopes of the Aiguilles de Tortisse to the north-east of the Lacs de Vens. After passing the Crête de la Côte and descending to the Maisons Forestières de Tortisse, you will walk along a balcony path beneath the slopes of the Tête des Mourres to reach the Morgon plateau and climb back up to Laussets and finally to the Lacs de Morgon. At the large Morgon lake, you will descend eastwards into Salso Moréno to rejoin the path of thefirst stage and Camp des Fourches. It is possible to see chamois early in the morning and, of course, marmots throughout the day.

A very beautiful hike in the little-visited Roya valley, then, as you climb higher, panoramic views of the surrounding high peaks, the northern ridge of Mounier and Mont Rougnous. The first part of the hike allows you to explore the Roya valley as far as Trou de Corneilles, a natural bridge under which the torrent flows and where many corvids nest. At the end of September, you can enjoy the sound of deer bellowing in the nearby forest. The rest of the hike follows the Baudric route, which alternates between passages under the cliffs and paths along former farmland and barns. A final climb takes you to the Croix du Small Pass and its beautiful panorama. On the way back, the return to the village is from marker 13b along a stony path running alongside old barns.

This trail allows you to discover a little-visited valley in the Mercantour: you can see marmots and chamois here. The landscape is very varied, alternating between coniferous forests, meadows and ridges which, in good weather, offer views of the peaks of the Mercantour, Queyras and Écrins.

The military structure built at Col de Crous provided passage between the Tuébi and Péone valley to the south and the Roya (Tinée) valley to the north.The small structure was built between 1932 and 1939 by military labour (MOM), more specifically by a detachment from the27th Algerian Rifle Regiment under the supervision of personnel from the7th Engineer Regiment.The support structures were built underground, dug several metres into the rock, while the combat structures, scattered across the surface in the form of blocks, were protected by thick steel armour plating and layers of reinforced concrete. The underground facilities housed barracks for the crew.High-altitude climatic conditions, a lack of resources and the non-priority nature of the project delayed progress. In June 1940, fighting against the Italians cancelled all work planned for the summer season.

Starting from Roya, a hike through a wild valley to Mont Riounet, which overlooks the resort of Auron and offers a beautiful panorama of the surrounding area (the Tinée peaks, the Mounier chain, the Mercantour-Argentera massif) and other more distant peaks to the north (Col de la Bonette, Aiguille and Brec de Chambeyron, Tête de Moïse, Pics de la Font Sancte, Mont Viso, etc.). Ideal in autumn, to admire the colours and, with a little luck, to hear and see the deer bellowing.

This walk is accessible to most people thanks to the very even gradient along the route. The trail is entirely located within the Mercantour National Park and takes us through the little-visited mountain pastures around the hamlet of Roya.

An iconic peak in the Mercantour National Park, the Mounier is accessible from several starting points. From the hamlet of Roya, the hike is quite long with a significant elevation gain, but the panoramic views are well worth the effort, particularly the crossing of the Salevieille valley where you’re likely to come across goats and sheep.

A magnificent hike in the Haute-Tinée offering varied panoramas and one of the most beautiful series of lakes in the Mercantour! The climb from Le Pra is gradual and easy, with the Cime de la Bonnette behind you. You then pass under the strange Aiguilles de Tortisse before arriving at the Col du Fer (view of Mont Viso). After the Collet de Tortisse, you arrive at the arch, where you can enjoy a splendid panorama of the Lacs de Vens and the peaks of the Trou de l'Âne!