The beautiful village known as ‘French Tibet’ is more like Nimbin

3 months ago 31

“Is that, what I think it is?” I ask my partner, as a whiff of something herbal drifts across Saorge’s main square. It’s early and not much is open, but somewhere in this tiny medieval village, someone is getting high.

Perhaps it’s purely for medicinal use – the only kind that is legal in France – but it fits with the reputation Saorge has for doing things a little differently.

Saorge, perched in the Roya Valley in France’s south-eastern Alpes-Maritime region, is nicknamed a “French Tibet”.

A tiny village of around 400 inhabitants high in the Roya Valley in France’s south-eastern Alpes-Maritime region, Saorge is one of five medieval villages that cling to the side of the rugged mountain range that divides Italy and France. It has been nicknamed the French Tibet for its narrow twisting roads and imposing landscape, complete with a Franciscan monastery.

It may seem like a world away from modern civilisation, but it’s only an hour from the French and Italian rivieras by bus or train. To drive there is possible, but the route is terrifying. On one trip to the village our bus driver suddenly slams on the brakes, puts his head out the window and starts waving his hands and shouting. A small car is coming up the road, blocking the way. Instead of moving into the shoulder, the driver decides to reverse down the winding road, the perilous cliff just centimetres from the side of their car. The bus passengers shake their heads in disbelief. I can’t watch.

Few of the tourists who crowd into Nice, an hour away, find their way to Saorge. We’ve been based in the valley for weeks, and each time we come here it’s blissfully quiet. Those visitors who do wander the rabbit warren of narrow streets, once part of the critical 16th and 17th century salt route from the coast to the north, find not much more than one or two shops, a cafe and a wine bar. But they will also discover intact medieval architecture, views and the village’s long and fascinating history.

As well as being one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages (most beautiful villages), one of its attractions is the 15th-century parish church of Saint-Sauveur, a baroque masterpiece whose salmon-pink exterior glows against the bright blue summer sky. If your timing is right, you might even hear its bells. The church’s master bell-ringer uses a traditional style using both hands and feet.

Above the village is the Saorge monastery, home to Franciscan monks for centuries. You can visit the monastery museum to view frescoes, the cloister, the dining room and chapel, or simply wander the sublime working garden that looks out across the peaks and valley. The monastery’s other spaces are home to a writers retreat.

A baroque masterpiece ... Saint-Sauveur in Saorge.

It’s not immediately obvious, but the Roya Valley with its idyllic location and inexpensive housing has become a haven those seeking an alternative lifestyle. We catch a glimpse of this scene at the farmers’ markets. People seem to arrive from nowhere, as they hike down to the town from their mountain homes to listen to music in the square and buy organic fruit and vegetables, local cheeses, sausages and second-hand clothes. There are posters and brochures for yoga, reiki and other natural therapies and I browse locally made soaps and candles.

The valley has become a haven those seeking an alternative lifestyle.

We walk from the neighbouring village of Tende over the mountain and down to La Brigue, hiking past timber-and-stone homes nestled in alpine meadows. As one local tells me, it’s as far away from the pressure of life in Paris as you can get. “I won’t ever go back,” she says.

This part of France has always been a bit different. Not only has the border moved several times – flipping Saorge between Italy and France, until it was finally ceded from Piedmont in 1860 – it has its own dialect. Royasc is the linguistic bridge between French and Italian common to much of the Roya Valley.

This remote “Tibet” may become busier with the reopening of The Tende tunnel.

It’s also a progressive and independent enclave in France’s fiercely conservative south where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party has strong support. During the refugee crisis of 2015, asylum seekers transited through the area from Ventigmilgia in Italy trying to head north. When authorities began monitoring the borders, local people took a stand, offering food and shelter to the migrants. It’s no wonder new people looking for alternative lifestyles feel welcome here.

Saorge’s laid-back atmosphere may soon be challenged. The Tende tunnel, which links the valley to Italy, has finally reopened after being closed for major renovations. Then this remote “Tibet” in France may not seem so far away after all.

The details

Visit
Saorge can be reached by train and bus from Nice, France, or Ventimiglia, Italy.

Fly
Singapore Airlines operates daily flights from Australia to Milan and Paris. From Paris, catch the train or fly to Nice. From Milan catch the train to the north via Turin or via the coast to Ventimiglia.

Stay
In neighbouring La Brigue (30 minutes by bus), the Auberge Saint Martin is a charming hotel and restaurant in the heart of the village. Rooms from €45 ($80). See hotel-la-brigue.fr

More
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The writer travelled at her own expense.

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