St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Alpes-Maritimes (06420) Population: 337 Altitude: 497 m Nearby: [ Vallée de la Tinée | Rimplas | Roubion | Roure ] Photos: St.Sauveur and a hazy Vallée de la Tinée Below: [ Hiking | Camping ] St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée is in the geographical center of the Vallée de Tinée, 25 km up the D2205 after it branches north off the N202, 32 km north of Nice. The town sits astride the route to the upper valley and the ski stations of Isola and Auron. As you approach St. Sauveur from the south, you'll see Roure perched high on the side of the mountain to the left. This is a true mountain town, with the buildings grouped tightly together down in the valley, where two east-west valleys join: the Vionène river valley to the west and the Vallon de Rocaille to the east, below the cliffs of Roccagia. The bell tower, visible across the tiled roofs of the houses, was built in the 15th century and restored in 1532. Above a side door to the church is a marble statue of Saint Paul dating from 1455. Hiking The grande randonnée GR5-51A crosses through St. Sauveur. To the east it passes Rimplas and Valdeblore/St.Dalmas, where the GR52 goes on to St.Martin-Vésubie. To the west, the GR52A climbs steeply up to Roure (1132 m) and then crosses the Col de la Couillole at 1678 m before continuing on west. Several loop hikes are possible from St. Sauveur: One loop to the east circles the Pointe de Campanier peak (1070 m), but you don't climb all the way to the top. Another loop to the south circles the "Ruinas", a series of rocky valleys on the side of the mountain. The trail climbs to about 1000 m before starting back north. To the east, a trail goes up to the Nôtre-Dame-du-Villars chapel, at 1040 m. It's about 3 hours up and back. The chapel is stone, built in 1974-76. Camping Municipal - tel: (33) 493 02 03 20; 15 jun - 15 Sept