Alpes-Maritimes

The easternmost department of Provence, where the Maritime Alps descend steeply to the Mediterranean coast, creating dramatic vertical relief within a few kilometres of the shoreline. The arrière-pays villages of the Roya and Vésubie valleys — including Saorge, Lucéram, and La Brigue — preserve intact medieval perched settlements surrounded by chestnut forests and mountain pastures. The Mercantour National Park forms the department's inland spine, encompassing the Vallée des Merveilles with its Bronze Age rock engravings.