Gourdon is classed as one of the ‘plus beaux villages de France’ and being just 20 minutes away from Roquefort les Pins, we figured we’d check it out one Sunday afternoon in January.
The drive up there offers stunning views over the region, especially down into the green Gorges du Loup valley surrounding the Loup River directly below. As the village is yet another medieval village perched on a rocky outcrop at the edge of a mountain, there is only one entrance to the village. The roman gate which was once part of the village’s extensive defense system was demolished many years so. But this does mean there is only really one main street into the village.
The town is very quaint and visually attractive, though very small. Its takes only 15 minutes to walk around everywhere, unless you stop and peruse one of the many little stores and boutiques that offer anything from homemade gingerbread and confiture to souvenir ceramics, artwork and candy. There was even a slightly alternative store, selling Green Day and other band t-shirts. Strangely there was a post office-cum-bank-cum-tourist office that seemed to be open all day on Sundays – amazing! And although there are some reasonably priced cafes etc, there was no boulangerie etc. This for France is amazing!
The château originated as a Saracen fortress in the 9th-12th centuries that evolved into a 13th-century château, and was completely rebuilt in 1610. The beautiful lavoir, just down from the château, is from the 19th century. However, we didn’t want to pay admission into the chateaux, so only saw it from the outside. I’m sure it’s just as lovely inside, with 9th Century architecture, and magnificent gardens designed by André Le Nôtre 
The view from the edge of Gourdon is the town’s main highlight, being one of the most impressive I’ve seen so far from the region. Despite it being quite a hazy day, as the sun was beginning to set a little, we could see right to the coastline, with the western edge of Nice just visible before the mountain obscured the view. We could see the 3 pyramid shaped monstrosities of Villeneuve Loubet, Antibes, and even further west all the way to the Esterel. We could even see what the sign claimed to be Corsica, which looked amazingly large, so I’m not sure if that’s right! The Gorges du Loup below is beautiful, with the tall stone pillars from the old, destroyed railway bridge.
We walked along the Chemin du Paradis for a while, before taking a Kit Kat break sitting on a rock just starting out at the view. One thing we noticed was the different vegetation here – there were ferns, and grass, and proper style trees, none of the usual Mediterranean foliage we normally see. This appeared to be very different from the vegetation on the hills facing us – possibly due to sun/shade ratios. On the drive back, we pulled up at the roadside for the classic postcard shot of Gourdon, with its chateaux and arches fully visible. Apparently there are some great views of Gourdon, and a few other lovely sites of the French Riviera, in Hitchcock's 1955 "To Catch a Thief" with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
