Spring break in Gilette (Alpes-Maritimes) from 18 to 25 April 2015
Presentation
The 2015 spring break will take place from 18 to 25 April at Domaine de l'Olivaie, a UVLF (Union Loisirs Vacances Familles) holiday centre in Gilette, a small village in the hinterland of Nice perched on a hill (459 m) overlooking the Var and Estéron valleys.
This village of 1,500 souls is located 35 km from Nice and 30 km from the Mercantour National Park, created in 1979. The Mercantour National Park is part of the "Alpes de la Mer" project, associated with other cross-border protected areas, and is in the process of classifying its territory as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The village of Gilette is dominated by the Château de l'Aiguille, built in the 12th century by Alphonse I on the heights to escape the Saracens, as in many villages in the region. It was the scene of historic events, including the betrayal of the House of Savoy by the Grimaldi de Bueil family (authors of the deed of surrender of the County of Nice) in 1526 and the French Revolution in 1793.
Tours
The cycle routes (road and MOUNTAIN BIKE) will take you from Mediterranean landscapes with olive groves, palm trees and flowers to Alpine landscapes. Indeed, the Barrot and Argentera massifs date from the same geological era as the Alpine massif. The Pays d'Azur starts at sea level and reaches the Pic du Gélas at 3143 m and the Restefond, Bonette and Tende passes (Route Royale du Sel). There are no fewer than 644 passes in the Alpes-Maritimes département, 213 of which are over 2000m high. Most of these are located in the Mercantour National Park, but outside the park there are plenty of authorised roads, tracks and trails to satisfy all mountain biking enthusiasts. More details will be provided here in due course.
Driving course
A mountain bike driving course is available for participants. It can be combined with one of the planned routes. Further information is available on the registration form for this course.
Hosting
Le Domaine de l'Olivaie is situated at the entrance to the village in the middle of a 400-year-old olive grove and offers 83 rooms.
Registration
To register, download the PDF registration form and follow the instructions therein.
Photo credits
The photos are by Jean-Philippe Chevreau, taken from a magnificent slideshow on Gilette. Including a sign that will probably interest more than one Cent-Cols...
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