Gourdon

Gourdon is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (France).

The village is a member of the association – “The most beautiful villages of France“.

In the distant past, this isolated rock was used as a place of refuge and defence. Gourdon, as it appears to us today, gives a good example of a Feudal village. It is built on a peak with impressive slopes down to the river Loup. There is only one entrance, from which you can access the main street. In former times, it was defended by a simple and harmonious Roman gate, that had been demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. Thick, high ramparts close off the North side, which is the only point from which the village can be approached.

Tourism and main attractions

• The Château de Gourdon, a 9th century feudal castle which includes a medieval museum, a Museum of Decorative Arts and classical gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. Private domain, today neither the garden nor the castle are accessible to the public.

• The Chemin du Paradis, an old mule track, which goes up from Bar-sur-Loup to Gourdon, over a 500 meter difference in altitude.
• The fortress, an ancient dwelling located on the Cavillore plateau overlooking Gourdon.
• The historical museum and naive painting.

• The fountain at the entrance to the village, dating from 1852. It is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Louis Cavalier who bequeathed 20,000 francs for the construction of a public fountain in his will of July 18, 1847.
• The Notre-Dame church, a former Romanesque castle chapel from the 12th century, which became a parish church in 1610. It was only consecrated on May 5, 1792.

• The Saint-Vincent chapel. It was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. There are remains of dwellings around. Frescoes were painted in 1960 by André Torre, a Grasse painter.

• The small Saint-Pons chapel which was restored at the beginning of the 20th century and blessed in 1926.
• The Saint-Ambroise chapel which would have been part of a priory. All that remains are ruins.

How to get to?

From Paris: 9 hr 38 min (928 km) via A6 and A7

From Marseille: 2 hr 26 min (196 km) via A8

From Nice: 1 hr 5 min (40.1 km) via D2085

From Toulouse: 5 hr 37 min (558 km) via A8

From Monaco: 1 hr 15 min (63.0 km) via A8

From Andorra: 7 hr 23 min (648 km) via A8

From Madrid: 13 hr 13 min (1,261 km) via A-2

From Moscow: 36 hr (3,102 km) via E30/M1

From Belgrade: 14 hr 44 min (1,366 km) via E70

From Istanbul: 26 hr (2,315 km) via E70

From Bern: 7 hr 35 min (583 km) via A1

Main information

Area: 22,53 km2

Population: 368

Coordinates: 43°43′16″N 6°58′45″E

Language: French

Currency: Euro

Visa: Schengen

Time: Central European UTC +1