The region's turbulent history explains why its inhabitants tended to band themselves together in sites that were virtually inaccessible, giving rise to the Riviera's very picturesque "perched villages" and the inhabitants' desire to take refuge behind the ramparts of fortified towns. Seen from a distance, some of these "eagle's nests" are really quite striking: the façades of their tall houses, closely packed one next to the other, form a rampart that follows the natural contours of the site. Once inside the village, the visitor gets delightfully lost in a maze of narrow streets, stairways and covered passageways. Many fortified villages were built in the Middle Ages on the ruins of ancient oppida, themselves strategically positioned for observation and communication with other strongholds. Through the ages, the constant need to defend and protect themselves explains the surprising profusion of small townships in a highly exposed region between the Mediterranean and the Alps. There are over 120 "perched" or fortified villages scattered all over the Côte d'Azur. Each one has its own particular charm, waiting to be discovered. THE "ROUTE DU SEL" - In the 16th century, refurbished under the sovereignty of the House of Savoy, a new route for transporting salt was opened between Nice and Turin through the mountain-pass known as Le Col de Tende. When it took over the County of Nice, Savoy, a state hemmed in by the Alps, thus obtained direct access to the Mediterranean world. The natural harbour of Villefranche became a free port where the salt trade was an important activity. Used to preserve food, for the needs of cattle and in leather manufacturing, salt came from the marshes of Hyères and Toulon. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the villages along the "route du sel" enjoyed a golden age thanks to the incessant passage of mule-trains numbering no less than 30,000 each year. THE "ROUTE NAPOLEON" (From Golfe Juan to Grenoble) - "Heroic and mythical, it incarnates the fantastic 100-Day March". The Route Napoléon, starting from Golfe-Juan, traces the historic path of the Emperor on his return from the island of Elba in 1815. The route passes through the region around Grasse, then takes the Route Nationale 85 across the Alps as far as Digne and Grenoble. Information service spots indicate the main stages as one travels through superb Provençal scenery: Cannes, Grasse, Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, Escragnolles, Séranon, Le Logis du Pin, Castellane... Laffrey and Grenoble.
