Vallée des Merveilles

Top choice


Wedged between the Vésubie and Roya valleys, this narrow, remote canyon is famous for its amazing Bronze Age petroglyphs – ancient pictures carved into rock. In total, the valley contains more than 36,000 prehistoric carvings of figures, symbols and animals, thought to have been etched by members of a Ligurian cult between 1800 and 1500 BC.

Most can only be seen on foot.

Access to the valley from the south is on the D171 from the Vallée de la Vésubie, or from the west on the D91 from the Vallée de la Roya via Casterino. Trails remain snow-covered into late spring; the best time is June to October. Access is restricted without a guide, which you can arrange through the Parc National du Mercantour visitor centres or the Bureau des Guides du Mercantour.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. La Madone de Fenestres

4.2 MILES

At an altitude of 1904m, this impressively situated hilltop church was supposedly founded on the site where a local villager had a vision of the Virgin…

2. Lac des Mesches

4.48 MILES

From St-Dalmas-de-Tende, the D91 winds 10km west to this alpine lake (1390m), where trails lead into the valley (plan on eight hours' hiking, round-trip)…

3. Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime

6.02 MILES

Piedmont's largest park is home to spectacular landscapes, encompassing wildflower-filled grasslands, topaz lakes, shimmering glaciers and jagged mountain…

4. Alpha

7.74 MILES

The grey wolf was hunted to extinction in France by 1930, but in 1992 two 'funny-looking dogs' were spotted near Utelle, presumably having loped across…

5. Maison du Miel et de l’Abeille

7.87 MILES

This little museum celebrates the craft of local honey-makers. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities to taste the goods – this is France,…

6. Musée des Merveilles

7.88 MILES

In Tende, this museum provides useful context if you're visiting the prehistoric carvings of the Vallée des Merveilles. Inside the striking modern…

7. Monastère de Saorge

8.71 MILES

Situated 9km north of Breil-sur-Roya, the dramatic Gorges de Saorge lead to the fortified village of Saorge (elevation 520m). Perched on sheer cliffs, the…

8. Sanctuaire Notre Dame des Fontaines

10.87 MILES

Dubbed the Sistine Chapel of the Southern Alps, this church is famous for its wall-to-wall 15th-century frescoes, created by Piedmontese painters Jean…