Route Napoleon: Following the Napoleon Route through the South of France by Daphne Beames
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La Bastide Saint-Antoine
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A historic road winds north from Golfe-Juan: a sandy cove nudging Cannes on the Mediterranean coast, over the Alpes Maritime to Grenoble in the southern Pre-Alpes. The panoramic ‘Route Napoleon’ (D6085 Route Nationale 85) was officially opened in 1932 and runs for 325kms through strikingly beautiful French countryside.
The start is commemorated by a column with a mosaic plaque - set on the pebbles of the glistening shoreline - and the entire route is marked along the way by the flying, golden eagles of France (inspired by Napoleon’s quip, “The eagle will fly from steeple to steeple until he reaches the towers of Notre-Dame”.)
Today, hikers can walk the celebrated trail from the French Riviera, through the Natural Park of the Gorges of Verdon (the European Grand Canyon) to the snow-clad Alps; and the verdant path is perfect for camping, cycling, caravanning, cultural tours and for lovers of superb cuisine. It is also one of Europe’s great motor-cycling roads.
After escaping from exile on the island of Elba in 1815: the year of the Battle of Waterloo - Napoleon Bonaparte, in his sailboat, the ‘Inconstant’, landed secretly in France with a few hundred followers and began a perilous, overland push towards Paris where he hoped to gain the support of the army and depose Louis XVIII.
Detection spelt almost certain death and the then treacherous, wild track (often little more than a mule trail) over rocky terrain and sloping hillsides, was ill-marked and dangerous; yet the record-breaking march from Cannes to Grenoble was completed in only six days.
Every year on the anniversary of the famous landing, the scene is re-enacted by costumed actors - to the crashing of cymbals and the rousing strains of ‘La Marseillaise’ played by a military band. The pageant attracts local devotees, foreign visitors and crowds of Napoleonic enthusiasts.
The star of the show, hands clasped behind his back, struts along the sands – a stocky figure wearing a distinctive, bicorne hat and clad in a long, grey greatcoat. The popular author, Victor Hugo, was so moved after witnessing such a spectacle that he wrote, “One could actually feel the presence of Napoleon”.
Following in the footsteps of the emperor (but not opting for a mean bivouac on damp, Provençal sands) we spent a first night near the beautiful, tree-lined resort of Cannes - where the Le Moulin de Mougins is a rare find.
In a picturesque, tree-shaded setting just moments away from the fashionable Promenade de la Croisette and the luxurious Carlton and Martinez Hotels - connoisseurs will find this 16th-century restored mill: a little gem in the Relais & Chateaux chain. Each character-filled room is uniquely decorated and the gourmet menus owe their inspiration to former owner and legendary French chef: Roger Vergé.
From the old village of Mougins the road wriggles north, through the sloping hills of the arrière-pays countryside beyond Cannes, towards the green fields of the perfume capital: Grasse.
This wonderfully apt name conjures up an image of new-green shoots and sweet-smelling meadows filled with myrtle, jasmine, lavender, wild orange and mimosa (although, today, most of the flowers for the perfume industry are imported, the Jasmine Festival is still a highlight of the first weekend in August, and a visit to the Fragonard Parfumerie is a ‘must’.) The atmospheric vieille ville features ochre-coloured houses with characteristic, Provençal façades and a star sight is the 12th-century Ancienne Cathédrale Notre-Dame-du-Puy.
A wonderful 18th-century country house framed by cypress and olive and now a luxury hotel: La Bastide Saint-Antoine - offers superb accommodation and a Michelin-star restaurant.
Grasse affords a panoramic view over the hills to the Côté d’Azur and then, following the old mule tracks, the spellbinding road zigzags across the rocky landscape, through St-Vallier-de-Thiey and Escragnolles towards Séranon (where, Napoleon spent a second night on March 2, 1815).
24kms further up the road is the pleasant, little town of Castellane - boasting a picturesque, tree-lined square surrounded by boutiques, cafés, and small hotels. The D85 then becomes even more spectacular as it threads its way through the Natural Park of the Gorges of Verdon, past Clue de Taulanne and Senez, to Barrême – the site chosen for the emperor’s third overnight stay.
We drove on to Digne-les-Bains - a spa town since Roman times – where Napoleon lunched at the Hotel du Petit Paris on his epic journey north. Digne is the capital of the region known as the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and colourfully styles itself the ‘Capitale de la Lavende’. A band played in one of the attractive tree-lined boulevards, a Grande Fontaine gushed over 19th-century stones and an enchanting walled garden: the Jardin Botanique des Cordeliers, completed the picture.
Beyond Digne the road doubles back and snakes along the River Bléone to Malijai where a plaque on an impressive, pre-revolutionary Chateau marks the spot where the little corporal spent a fourth night. As this castle does not offer accommodation we drove 6kms further to ‘Le Bonne Etape’ at Château-Arnoux.
For countless generations the Gleize family has presided over this honey-coloured stone, green-shuttered, 18th-century post house (which must certainly have witnessed Bonaparte’s progress) and their hospitality will not disappoint. The seven-course Michelin-star menu on offer in the charming dining-room, adorned with Aubusson tapestries, included: delicate zucchini flowers, soft green crab and herb-flavoured Sisteron lamb. The hotel is a proud member of the Relais & Chateaux chain.
Nothing can detract from the scenery's splendour as the next magical kms wind towards the citadel at Sisteron – a fortified stronghold since the first millennium. Sheer limestone crags, crowned by a fortress, tower impossibly over the banks of the Durance River and the view from their dizzy heights rewards the steep climb.
At Sisteron Napoleon was in luck: the arsenal was empty and he entered the town without incident - a plaque on Rue Saunerie commemorates the event.
The N85 continues past rolling hills, lovely towns and villages, olive groves and forests of deciduous trees - all set against a backdrop of the Alps, towards Gap - where the emperor spent a fifth night. Everywhere, signs in the hedgerows announce: ‘Napoleon Camping’ and invite the tourist to explore. The highway then winds breathtakingly over Col Bayard (1264m) to Corps, 40kms further, where two white eagles on a gold board make their own announcement and where the imperial party spent a sixth night on Monday March 6, 1815.
On the 7th day after landing, Napoleon’s party entered the stunning world of the Hautes-Alpes: a world of plateaux, pine trees and Parcs Naturel. After the town of Le Mure the road winds on to Laffrey where the first confrontation occurred. Here, an evocative statue in a field depicts Bonaparte on horseback and a wall plaque asserts, “Know me, I am your Emperor”.
The Fifth Regiment of the Line, led by Marshal Ney, had been sent by King Louis XVIII to arrest the fugitive from Elba. Napoleon approached the regiment alone and on foot, shouting, “If any man would shoot his emperor you may do so now”. The soldiers cheered and responded, “Vive L’Empereur!”. His band of followers swelled and his reception in Paris was assured.
From Laffrey the road climbs to Champs-sur-Drac and then, emerging from a forest frame, we found ourselves literally on top of a mountain and obliged to embark on a spectacular plunge to the city of Grenoble far below. It was a ‘grand entry’ indeed and dinner, à la Napoleon, in Grenoble's historic Auberge Napoleon proved the best way to end the day.
We selected a charming hotel in the beautiful countryside of this noble Dauphiné valley: ‘Le Château’, a turreted, 18th-century castle complete with helipad and private golf course. You will want to linger and perhaps that is exactly what the great Napoleon should have done?
Looking for a stunning place to stay along the Route Napoleon? Check out our luxury hotels on the Riviera Cote D'Azur.