Eze Office du Tourisme - Haute Corniche Departemental Park

Discovery of the medieval village , history, map, pictures

Office deTourisme
Place du Gl de Gaulle
06360 Eze France
Tel : 33 (0) 4 93 41 26 00
Fax : 33 (0) 4 93 41 04 80

	*La Grande Corniche the Departemental Park*
		*Parks of Revere, Justice and MtBastide*

The Justice Tableland

The walkers of all ages and levels will find on this tablelanda sylvester sports path 1400 m,
where in the past rised the gallows of the Lords of Eze.

The Oppidum esplanade and the Bastide hill

On this exceptional place, a panorama on the coast and also on the Paillon in Nice.
You can find an amphitheatre recalling the archeological site of the Mont Bastide
situated above it. Fore some people, it was inhabited as early as Neolitics. Changed into spur, at more than 560 m high in front of Mediterranean Sea, it was hardly pregnable. Towards 200 BC, Ligurians erected a castellaras, a town surrounded by walls to protect shepherds and animals.
In the first century, it became an Oppidum, maybe a strategic place to observe the roman way linking Rome to Spain, but it was more an important place for living and craft.
Mont Bastide, obviously called Avisio on this roman time, will be occupied till the end of the third century, when roman troups left it for Cemeleum or Cimiez in the current city of Nice.

More information about Mont Bastide and Oppidum

The Revère Park

A military vocation permitted to preserve a natural aspect which offers a circular panorama on the county. The whole Park spreading over chalky plateau edged with cliffs called " baous". It's one of the last area having a typical vegetation of ecosystems of Alps maritim. We cont 450 vegetal species. Destroyed by a terrible fire in 1986, it benefited of important actions of reforrestation.
It's also an observation place for animals. we can see bird of prey (like eagles, owl, grands ducs...), or boars, rabbits, badgers or foxes.
Tables and banches were installed on the beginning and along the Forna way, for fun of visitors.

Main points of the park:

• Fortresses of Revère and Drète

In XIXth century, militaries decided to raise defensive fortress because the strategic place of the site. Fortresses of Revère and Drète were built in 1870 to protect Nice, with dressed stone from the ancient ligurian fortifications.
Armed with mighty artillery cannon, they owned a lot of powder magazine scattered on the plateau. If the task of Drete fortress was to control the Paillon and Col de Tende' invasion way, there was 16 cannons in 1910. The Revère Fortress, on the crest of Mont Campi, has a double view, on the sea and the valley of Laguet and Paillon. There was 16 cannons and 4 mortars, while 3 annex batteries depend on the fortress, like Calanca where is nowadays Astrorama.

More information about Fortresses

A spectacular escape

• The orientation table

Situated at the top of a genovese reconstituated tower,
it shows the privileged geographical situation of the park.
Access : at the beginning of Forna path, take the way going up to your left.
La Revère, this natural belveder give you an unique viewpoint
from the coast to the summits of Mercantour.

• The nature house

A permanent exhibition is dedicated to geology and mediterranean ecology.
This exhibitions come from the Natural History Museum contest of Nice.

Open on wednesdays and
on request for the other days
Information: 04.93.41.24.36

• Nature path

An hour walking along the nature path, you will discover the mediterranean flora and different form of the chalky geology. We find about fifty plants with their pannels. Some illustrated plate describes the main geological interests. The Nature path go through a mineral environment where water sculpted very hardly the rock and some caracteristic forms appeared: gulf, sink-hole, lapiaz. You could observe and understand nature on place thanks to detailed tables.
This walking, pleasent all along the year, change with the passing seasons.

• Gulf of Simboula
Close to the Nature House, the Simboula gulf, digged by water infiltration, is 60m deep. On this step, it's not possible to see very clearly the underground river, but you can discover a succession of narrow part and large well. Speleology on this gulf is only with a special club.

•Fauna and Camp of birdmigration of the Revère fortress

A lot of bird species live in the parc, obviously bird of prey which benefit from the ascending currents of the coastal relief: owe, grands ducs, eagles...
We also can meet migratory birds like harriers, circaetes, falcons, pigeons ramiers. The best periods are between the beginning of march and end of may, then between mi-september and mi-november.We recorded, for example, nearly 40000 pigeons ramiers on one day in october. An animator of the ligua for bird protection welcome individual people and ornithologist during special periods. This park is one of the observation center of the region. Some rare insect species are counted, so like boars, badgers or foxes. It's also one of the rare site in Europe where you can find the ocellus lizard.

Agenda organised by the LPO

• Association planète Sciences

Discovery of the environment in the park. Ateliers of discovery, where an animator explain
the secrets of nature through experiences, games and observations, with special equipment.
Your whole sens will be on the alert during an hour with this guided tour,
for discovery of the various and rich ecosystem.
You have also thematic and technical visits, during two hours,
for improving your knowledges about ground, water, mushrooms, insects, birds.

tel.04.92.60.78.78
fax 04.93.36.56.79
www.planete-sciences.org/mediterranee

Next events

Bibliography :
Geist (Henri), "Le camps retranché de la Semboula (1744) de la guerre de la Succession d'Autriche", Archéam, n°8, 2000/01, pp pp28-38.
Ortholan (Henri), "Le système Séré de Rivières en 1914", 14-18, n°17, déc-janv2004, pp38-45.

A permanent exhibition is dedicated to geology and mediterranean ecology. This exhibitions come from the Natural History Museum contest of Nice.

A permanent exhibition is dedicated to geology and mediterranean ecology.
This exhibitions come from the Natural History Museum contest of Nice.