Alternative stage Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée / Saint-Martin Vésubie Route des Grandes Alpes à Vélo

From Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée to Saint-Martin-Vésubie via the Col Saint-Martin

Route North / South

From Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, the route leads you along a cycle path beside the Tinée up to Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée. Scarcely 5km further on, turn left towards Saint-Martin-Vésubie, going via the Col Saint-Martin pass (1503m), beside which stands the small mountain resort of La Colmiane. Along the way, you cross the beautiful villages of La Bolline and Saint-Dalmas. Following the damage caused by the terrible storms of autumn 2020, check before heading out that this route is open to cyclists.

Route South / North

From Saint-Martin-Vésubie, you can climb fairly fast to the little mountain resort of La Colmiane, located around the Col Saint-Martin pass (1503m). Then you cross the beautiful villages of La Bolline and Saint-Dalmas before reaching the bottom of the Tinée Valley. From Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, head on to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée riding along the cycle path beside the Tinée River. Following the damage caused by the terrible storms of autumn 2020, check before heading out that this route is open to cyclists.

Don’t miss

• The Tinée Valley: between the Mercantour and the Mediterranean, the Tinée River has cut a path through steep cliffs topped by forests and mountain pastures. Some very picturesque villages have found a foothold in these wild natural surrounds. 
• The Vésubie Valley: a natural gem, with a rich cultural heritage, set on the edge of Mercantour National Park and close to the Vallée des Merveilles, famed for its prehistoric rock engravings. 
• Mercantour National Park: one of 11 French national parks and one of the most unspoilt – since 1992, wolves have crossed from Italy and settled in these parts. The park straddles the French counties of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and presents a very wide variety of landscapes, including Alpine mountains and Mediterranean touches.
• Vesubia Mountain Parc: an indoor temple for mountain activities at Saint-Martin-Vésubie! Here, you can swim, climb, jump, tackle a high walk, descend a canyon, test your balance and go wandering underground.