You have to go quite a long way from the coast to come across the beautiful treasures nestling in the valleys, or on spectacular rocky outcrops, at the end of lovely roads. FR2DAY takes you on a journey from East to West to go in search of the smallest and finest villages across the Riviera.

In the Roya, at the extreme east of the Riviera, the villages have Italian sounding names. Piene-haute has tiled roofs, a baroque church, and an eleventh century castle looking over the valley. The hamlets at Berghe, nestling in the folds of mauve schist and chestnut trees are halfway between Mediterranean and Alpine style. You can find the same style in Granile, before arriving at Casterino, the gateway to the Vallée des Merveilles, which is a true mountain-style town.

At the southern end of the Vésubie valley, to the west, little hamlets almost buried in greenery overlook the river: Le Cros d'Utelle, Pélasque, Saint Colomban, or Villars.

Higher up, the village of Berthemont, with its sulphur water is said to have been a spa since the Roman times. Following the road to the west, on the hills overlooking the Tinée, you can find some fine medieval houses with painted chapels, halfway between the Alpes and the Mediterranean. Try La Tour, Bairols, Clans, Marie, Ilonse, Roure, while further north the village of Roya is deep in a conifer forest.

In the beautiful red Gorges of Cians are the villages of Rigaud, Lieuche, Pierlas. The rock here is the home to villages like Puget-Rostang, Auvare, St Léger, La Croix, that possess medieval and religious monuments you would never have imagined. You can also investigate the mining tradition in the Musée de la Mine at Léouvé and the l'Ecomusée at Puget-Rostang.

Next we move to the Var. Here, even more than in the others, the villages have kept the mountain style. Sauze-le-Vieux, Bouchanières, Châteauneuf d'Entraunes, Estenc - they all seem so far from the hustle and bustle of the coast.

Further south, on either side of the Esteron river, you can visit the dramatic and beautiful village of Gilette, or pass through Amirat or Aiglun on your way to Saint-Auban. Here again you find fascinating architecture well out of the tourist tracks.

Finally, further south still, you can go the countryside up behind Grasse and visit Valderoure, Séranon, Cipières, Saint Barnabé, and Courmes.

There are countless lovely villages in the hinterland of the Riviera, and even if they are off the beaten track, they are well worth taking the time to explore.

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