Back

Plan a route here Plan similar route

recommended route Scenic Route · France

Route Napoléon

No ratings (yet)

Responsible for this content
Outdooractive Editors

Grenoble
Photo: CC0, pixabay.com

Selected alternatives for you

A journey through southeastern France in the footsteps of probably the most impressive military leader in the country. The route combines coastal views with mountain panoramas and historic towns.

Distance 323.4 km

5:01 h

4,267 m

4,048 m

1,256 m

5 m

On this legendary route, the French emperor marched to Grenoble to regain his power after his exile to Elba in 1815. The grand road runs over approximately 330 km from the coastal town of Antibes to Grenoble in the high Alps. It passes splendid towns like Cannes and Grasse and offers fascinating views of the azure coast. It crosses six passes in total, goes through the Asse valley, to the Grand Canyon du Verdon, and past the Roc de Castellane rock pinnacle directly to Grenoble, the capital of the Alps and Dauphiné.

Author’s recommendation

The impressive Verdon Gorge is a must-see. Here, the gorge can be explored on several hiking trails.

Author

Wolfgang Paulus

Responsible for this content
Outdooractive Editors

Experience

Landscape

Highest point

1,256 m

Lowest point

5 m

Best time of year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Track types

Asphalt

5.3 km

Dirt road

215 m

Forested/wild trail

779 m

Road

317.1 km

Show elevation profile

Safety information

The route runs mostly on Route Nationale 85. It features few curves. However, the stages between Grasse and Barrême as well as the northern section up to Col Bayard require special caution.

Roadbook

From the center of the coastal town of Antibes, we leave the town heading south and follow the D 6107 southwest. After about 5 km, we pass through Golfe-Juan and continue south on the D 6007 to Pointe Croisette. After another 11 km, we reach Cannes and continue on the D6285, 6185, and 6085 to Grasse. Via the D 6085, we reach Saint-Vallier-de Thirey and now head steadily northwards. After a total of approximately 126 km, we see the mountain pass Col de Corobin rising on our right. We now continue north on the N 85 (D 1085), pass through Gap after about 234 km, and after another 80 km, reach Laffrey (a few kilometers after Praire de la Rencontre), and finally reach Grenoble after about 330 km via Le Pont de Claix, the destination of our route.

Rest stop

Tip

Nearby

Top Partner

Waypoint

Start point

End point

Low point

High point

Forecast

Today {low} to {high} and {precipitation} of {precipitation_type}

show {x} more

Photo

Video

Cannes
Castellane
Col de Corobin
Prairie de la Rencontre
La Porte de France
Jardin des Dauphins
Parc Guy Pape
Fort de la Bastille

Public transport

Public-transport-friendly

From Nice Airport ("Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur", NCE), take bus line 23 (St Laurent du Var Gare) to the final stop, then take train connection 86024 towards Cannes-la-Bocca to Gare d'Antibes (total duration: approx. 40 min).

Get Timetable to destination

Route Napoléon

Directions

From Nice Airport ("Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur", NCE) head south via the A8 to the coastal town of Antibes about 22 km away.

Parking

Signposted parking options along the route in towns, villages, and at points of interest.

Coordinates

43.584901, 7.118679

DMS

43°35'05.6"N 7°07'07.2"E

UTM

32T 348117 4827489

w3w

///experienced.bridegroom.luxury

Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!

Equipment

Well-broken-in shoes with good tread and sufficient fluids for the stops.

Localization

Parts of this content were machine translated from German.

User Questions

Don't see what you need here?

Ask a question and get an answer from the author, the official DMO or the community.

No ratings (yet)

Be the first to leave a rating or write a review!

Share your experiences and advice to help millions of people find and plan their next outdoor adventure.

Write a review

Rating submitted

Distance

323.4 km

Duration

5:01 h

Ascent

4,267 m

Descent

4,048 m

Highest point

1,256 m

Lowest point

5 m

Public-transport-friendly Scenic Cultural/historical interest Geological highlights

Weather at the starting point

10-day forecast

Statistics

Waypoints

Tips

My Map
Content
Show images Hide images

Features

Maps and trails

8 Waypoints

Nothing selected - click and drag in the elevation profile to zoom

Distance

Duration

Ascent

Descent

Elevation profile