Peillon

Peillon is a small hilltop village in Alpes-Maritimes‎, Provence, France.

Understand
Perched on top of a small hill at an altitude of 400 metres, Peillon is a picturesque village with around one hundred permanent residents. The village is completely pedestrianised, with cobbled alleyways, steep narrow steps and spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. There are no shops (food or souvenirs) at all in the village. Peillon commune (1,482 inhabitants as of 2012) also includes Sainte-Thècle in the valley below.

By car
Peillon is easily reached by car (20 minutes from Nice, 30 minutes from Monaco), although parking close to the village might be a problem in high season.

By train
From Nice (Nice Ville or Nice Pont Michel), take the train heading towards Tende and get off at Peillon-Sainte-Thècle. The station lies in Sainte-Thècle. From here, it's 4 kilometres to the village, with an altitude difference of around 200 metres, so walking upwards can be a strain. You can either follow the road and hope to hitch a ride up, or choose the path up through the forest. Downhill is easier and takes around 30-40 minutes.



By foot
From Monaco, it's possible to hike the R161 of the Via Alpina via La Turbie to end up in Peillon. The hike is around 13.5 km with lots of ups and downs. Estimated time from Peillon to Monaco (which is at a much lower altitude) is 2h50min.

Get around
The village is very small and walking around it takes a few minutes. It is absolutely not wheelchair accessible.

See
The Chapel of Penitents-Blancs contains 15th century frescoes by Jean Canavesio. The village is in itself an attraction, and the view from the village is very spectacular.

Do
There are possibilities to hike around in the area.

Buy
Nothing. Shops are not allowed in the village.

Eat
Auberge de la Madone is a Provençal restaurant just outside the village. It's in the Guide Michelin, and supper prices range from €20-25 for the meal of the day up to prix fixe menus (drinks not included) for €40-65 (April 2015).

Drink
The Auberge is also the only place to drink. The wine starts at €28 for a bottle, €8 for a glass (April 2015).

Sleep
Again, Auberge de la Madone, the only hotel close by. The rates starts at €100, although cheaper deals may be found in low season (April 2015).

Go next
Nice and Monaco are obvious places to go next.