In the tyre-treads of the Monte Carlo Rally through the Col de Turini from Sospel to La Bollène–Vésubie
The title of this article is far from unique. It’s sinister application refers to a pivotal moment in the ascendancy of Adolph Hitler, but in its slightly more benign application it refers to an exciting stage in the world’s most famous car rally. It also leads us into an exploration of the some of the magnificent mountain scenery, and villages in the back country of the Riviera.
In a few weeks time, between the 20th and the 24th January the 77th Monte Carlo Rally will supercharge its way across southern France, and part of the course will be routed through the famous Col de Turini between the towns of Sospel and La Bollène-Vésubie, and this is where we come to that somewhat ambiguous title “Night of the Long Knives”.
The Col de Turini is a switchback mountain road, traditionally driven at night, and the name refers to the blades of light from the headlights piercing into the sky as the cars wind their way at speed through the mountain pass. Frequently the road has a covering of snow, which all adds to the excitement of the sector. But this isn’t a story about the rally, it’s a road trip through this spectacular and easily accessible part of the region.Our journey begins in Menton on the border with Italy, one of the most beautiful of the Cote d’Azur resorts.
The town deserves a chapter of its own, but that will have to wait, because it’s place in this story is as the starting point for our journey into the mountains. This is a journey which can easily be accomplished in a day, and during the Summer can be a very invigorating respite from the heat and humidity of the coast.
You also don’t need a souped up rally car, a point amply demonstrated as we urged our nearly 20 year old Honda from Menton’s Bord de la Mer up alongside the casino, and then along Avenue de Verdun past the Jardins Boivés. As you pass under the railway bridge and past the Gare Routier and the fruit and flower market this becomes the Avenue de Sospel.
The signs also direct you to the A8 autoroute (La Provencale), and after following the Avenue de Sospel for a short distance through the 20th century suburbs of Menton, you reach a roundabout which takes you up to the A8. Take the road towards the autoroute, but before you reach the top turn off to the right which is signposted D2566 to Castillion and Sospel.
Our route takes us first to Castillon, 15 minutes from the sea. Then to Sospel, where the “road trip” really begins, through to the town of Moulinet, and then along the winding road to the Col de Turini and on to the village of La Bollène-Vésubie. A distance of some 60 kilometres.
On the way to Castillon, you will pass what seems to be a semi circular viaduct. This is the Viaduct of Caramel, constructed in 1910 and it is what remains of a tram line that ran between Menton and Sospel and on to Cuneo in Italy. The line was inaugurated in 1912, and finally closed in 1931. Little remains of the line except this impressive structure.
When you reach Castillon, 10 kms from Menton, if you have the time, turn off the main highway into the village. There is a medium sized parking area, facing La Bergerie (the village hotel) and parking is also available on the entrance road.
What strikes you about the village is its relative “newness”. In fact the village in its present incarnation was built following World War 2, but it has had a long and tragic history.
Castillon first made its entrance onto the map in the 12th century as a fortification for Sospel against the Saracens. It takes its name from the Italian “Castiglione", meaning a small castle. What remained of the original walls were destroyed during the French Revolution. Then on February 23, 1887, the village was destroyed by an earthquake and subsequently rebuilt on the same site. It was again destroyed, this time by Allied bombardment, in 1944.
Following the war the decision was made not to tempt fate any further, and the remains were abandoned. In 1951 the new village of Castillon was built some distance away. In 1988 more buildings were added to complete what you see today. Castillon is now a centre for the Arts.
A further 5 kms and we reach the town of Sospel. Ignore the road to the Col de Castillon and take the more direct route through the nearly 800 metre long Tunnel de Castillon.
Sospel really is a town and not a village, with a population of 2800, situated in the Brevera Valley at the confluence of the rivers Brevera and Merlanson, and this strategic position resulted in wealth, and a few problems. As you enter the town, turn left at the river and head along avenue Jean Médecin. It’s worth popping into the Tourist Centre on the left just past the Pont de la Liberation (Liberation Bridge), to pick up a map, They are a mine of information (and speak English) but are closed from 12 till 2pm. 
Sospel emerged onto the pages of history around the 5th century, as a tiny Christian community known as an Evêché. At that time it was known as "Cespitellum" or "a small lump of green earth”. In 1388 it came under the control of the Counts of Savoy, and its future wealth and security was assured. In 1370 Sospel had sided with the Pope of Avignon against the Roman authorities and in recognition its church became the Cathedral of St Michel.
When you walk the medieval streets of Sospel, the history is quite literally written on the walls. Directly opposite the cathedral is the rue Saint Pierre, and about halfway along on the left is the former Hotel de la Gabelle. Above its ancient door is an intricately carved seal. This was home to the “Viguere”, the authority who collected the “salt tax” in the 13th century when the town was an important river crossing on the Salt Road from Nice to Cuneo in Italy (salt was shipped by boat from the Camargue to Nice). The Pont Vieux (Old Bridge) across the Brevera was the toll point, and its there we now head on this brief visit.
On the left just past the Hotel de la Gabelle, turn into rue du Pont Vieux and cross onto the bridge itself. Built in the 13th century there are two arches separated by a tower which was the toll bar. Only the lower story of the tower has survived from the Middle Ages. The bridge was partly rebuilt in the 17th century, and then the two arches were destroyed by the retreating German army in late 1944. Liberated by American airborne troops after 51 days of fighting, the town was awarded the Croix de Guerre. There is a memorial on the Liberation Bridge, and the Pont Vieux was rebuilt in 1951 using the original stones found on the river bed.
Sospel is worth a day to itself, and probably the best is a Thursday when the weekly market is in full swing. Sospel has developed a reputation as a centre for fine organic produce, and the stalls of Sospel growers are one of the joys of the local coastal markets.
Of course the other option is to visit in January when the Monte Carlo Rally cars begin their Night of the Long Knives from the centre of town, but in the meantime, we’ll continue our gentle amble along the route, and so back to the car and out along avenue Jean Medecin, the continuation of the D2566, and at the edge of town take a right turn under the railway in the direction of Moulinet and the Col de Turini.
From now on the towns get smaller, and not far out of Sospel we begin to drive along the edge of the alpine Mercantour National Park, home to many unique alpine species, including reintroduced wolves, wild boar and deer. With an area of over 2100 square kms, the park is partnered with the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime on the Italian side of the border. 
Now the road starts to climb dramatically in a series of switchbacks, as it hugs the side of the valley. Just 3 kms before you reach Moulinet, you will see what from a distance resembles an Aztec temple, with narrow stairs crossing the road and leading up to a small chapel. This is Notre Dame de la Menour, a 12th century chapel and a classified monument. The site on a sharp promontory was first occupied by the Vibères one of the alpine Ligurian tribes populating the region, then by the Romans who built a chapel and finally by the local medieval community. There is a tiny parking area just before the steps.
Three kms further on and we reach the village of Moulinet, which at 800 metres above sea level is midway to the Col.
The village dates from the 12th century. In 1360 it was recognised as a hamlet of Sospel, and the village took its name from a flour mill set up by local farmers (a moulinetto in the local dialect). In 1500 the village became the parish of St Bernard.
The village now has a permanent population of 250, and I have to say it isn’t the most inspiring village in the area, but it boasts a couple of restaurants, the Restaurant de Paris, a café with a long history, opposite the Mairie as you enter the village proper, and Le Grain de Sel in the rue de la République, opposite the Église de St. Bernard. Neither will set you back a fortune if you choose to pause before you tackle the winding road up to the Col.
It’s as you rise in altitude from Moulinet that you begin to weave through the pine trees of the Foret de Turini, which lines the road until you almost reach the end of the route at La Bollène-Vésubie. In summer this is a beautiful drive, although in Winter it is perhaps at its most spectacular, as the trees droop over you with their mantle of snow.
At times you will break out of the forests onto a stretch of road that visibly switches back on itself with high rock walls on one side and a precipitous drop on the other.
Our next stop is Col de Turini itself. Little more than a crossroad, at 1603 metres, this is the most popular viewing position for the Rally as the cars speed (and spin) through the tiny “village”. Together with nearby Camp d’Argent it is a ski centre with several simple runs, but on our road trip it’s at this point that you leave the D2566, and travel on the D27 which points in only one direction, 12 kms to the end of our journey, La Bollène–Vésubie.
La Bollène–Vésubie is a charming mountain village, with cobbled lanes opening into tiny squares, all surrounded by an Alpine backdrop. With a permanent population of just over 400, the village made it’s entry into the world in the 12th century as a settlement linked to Nice, although the name La Bollène didn’t appear until the 14th century.
Obviously with such a tiny population, there is limited opportunity to eat, but there are still 3 cafes and a hotel/restaurant, there is also an épicerie/boulangerie. Be aware that in Winter especially not all the cafes are open, although the bar/tabac (Café de la Paix) can offer the usual fare.
The 18th century baroque church of St Laurent at the top of the village, with 3 polychromes from the 15th and 16th centuries, is worth a visit, and in Summer the Butterfly Museum is open most days.
We mustn’t forget the other claim to fame for the village, the water, or more specifically the La Source du Praï, 9 kms from the village at the base of Mt Authion, whose waters are said to cleanse both the liver and the bowel. So not to be missed! Details from the tourist office in the Media Centre opposite the Mairie.
And that brings us to the end of our road trip in the tyre treads of the Monte Carlo Rally, and having recently driven it in the snow, my admiration for the crews who navigate the route often in snow, at night and at high speed, knows no bounds! We began the trip in Menton, although you can also access the area from Nice.
By car the round trip with stops is an easy one day, in daylight, even in Winter.
Some details:
Monte Carlo Rally – Col de Turini sector Sospel to La Bollène–Vésubie:
Friday 23rd January. www.acm.mc
Tourist Office Sospel (also for Moulinet and Notre Dame de la Menour site):
19 Avenue Jean Médecin, 04 93.04.15.80
Tourist Office La Bollène–Vésubie (also for Col de Turini and Camp d’Argent): Multimedia Centre, Place General de Gaulle, 04.93.03.60.54
© John Fitzgerald
