Gourdon

An “eagle’s nest” on a cliff with a view of the whole coast

Local name: Gourdon — place Victoria

Collection: Around Grasse · France · Open in OpenStreetMap

The story

Before you is Gourdon, a village on the edge of a cliff about 760 meters above the sea. It is nicknamed the “Eagle’s Nest.” From here you can see the coast, and on a clear day the Lérins Islands and the Estérel. Below, in the gorge, flows the Loup river. Gourdon is one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France.” Its name first appears in 1035. The castle above the square stands on foundations from the ninth and tenth centuries. In the twelfth century the counts of Provence rebuilt it, and later it belonged to the de Grasse and Villeneuve families. In 1598 Louis de Lombard bought the castle and rebuilt it from 1610. During the Revolution the keep, the main tower, was demolished and the other towers were lowered. In 1918 an American, Miss Norris, bought the castle and restored it. The terraced gardens, according to tradition, were laid out to a plan by Le Nôtre, the gardener of Louis the Fourteenth. Since 1972 the façades and gardens have been protected as a historic monument. The castle is private, and visitors are not allowed inside. From the village an old mule track, the “Chemin du Paradis,” leads down to Le Bar-sur-Loup.

Visiting

The village is pedestrian; free parking at the entrance. The castle and gardens are closed to visitors. In the village there are glassblowers’, potters’ and soapmakers’ workshops. More on cotedazurfrance.fr.

Photos

Sources

• Côte d’Azur France — Gourdon
• Ministère de la Culture, base Mérimée — Château de Gourdon (PA00080725)
• Wikipédia (FR) — Gourdon (Alpes-Maritimes)

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