Beuil Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Alpes-Maritimes (06470) Population: 330 Altitude: 1454 m Nearby: [ Roubion | Roure | Valberg | Gorges du Cians ] Photos: The village in the snow (25 k) A house and cabin in the snow (16 k) A snow scene with the mountains (16 k) Below: [ History | Dates | Hiking | Sports ] Beuil is a mountain village known as a ski and sports center. The village is located at the northern end of the Gorges du Cians, 6 km east of Valberg and 24 km west of St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée. The village houses are steep-roofed alpine style, grouped tightly around the 17th-century church, and there is a small museum in the village. History First record, 13th century: Castrum de Bellio; 1570: Bueilh. Beuil was originally a Roman village, and during medieval times the village followed the history of the Grimaldis. Dates Fête: first Sunday following: 24 June; 26 July; 15 Aug. Foire: 9 Sept; 3 Oct. Market: Sunday Hiking Maps: IGN 3441 ouest (1:25,000); Didier Richard #9 (1:50,000). There's plenty of good hiking here. The GR52A [GR] passes through the village, going northwest through Péone and Châteauuef-d'Entraunes and east to Roubion, Roure and St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée. A 5-km hike north up the upper Cians river will take you to the GR5 trail that crosses east-west through the Parc National du Mercantour. Many other trails in the mountains closely around Beuil offer opportunities for loop hikes through beautiful larch forests. There are a couple of dozen peaks higher than 2000 m, and many deep valleys carved by swift mountain streams, so the hiking isn't easy. Mt. Mounier (2817 m), about 10 km north, is inside the boundaries of the Parc du Mercantour, and a hike up there from Beuil would be memorable. Sports Beuil is especially popular for winter sports, including cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and even a ski jump. With all the rivers in the area, Beuil is also a good starting point for fishing.