Route Napoléon
Following the route Napoleon took in 1815 when he returned from Elba to Paris, this road runs from Golfe-Juan on the Côte d'Azur north through the Alps to Grenoble.
The Route Napoléon was named in 1932 after the path Napoleon took in March 1815, when he escaped from Elba, landed at Golfe-Juan and marched north toward Paris. It largely follows National Road 85 (some sections are now the departmental road D6085), covering about 325 km from the Côte d'Azur to Grenoble, with commemorative markers bearing a spread-winged eagle along the way. The route starts at Golfe-Juan and Cannes, passes through Grasse, the perfume capital, and climbs into the Pre-Alps of Provence. At Castellane you can turn into the Verdon Gorge. The road continues through the spa town of Digne-les-Bains, the Sisteron Citadel guarding the Durance valley, and Gap, the capital of Upper Provence. It then crosses the Col de Bayard (about 1,246 m) and passes the Meadow of the Encounter (Pré de la Rencontre) at Laffrey, where Napoleon persuaded the troops sent to intercept him to switch sides, before ending at Grenoble. The road is made up mostly of wide, sweeping bends and is popular with motorcyclists and sports-car enthusiasts. The full trip takes 2–4 days and can be combined with the Verdon Gorge and the lavender fields of Valensole (June–July). In winter, mountain sections may be snow-covered, so snow tires are needed.
Along the route
- Nice & Côte d'Azur
- Golfe-Juan
- Nice & Côte d'Azur
- Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey
- Valensole Plateau & Gorges du Verdon
- Valensole Plateau & Gorges du Verdon
- Digne-les-Bains
- Sisteron
- Gap
- Col Bayard
- Laffrey
- Grenoble