Taxi Nice — Barcelonnette

Barcelonnette is one of the most singular towns in the French Alps. Nestled at 1,135 metres altitude in the Ubaye Valley, it surprises visitors with its sumptuous Mexican-style villas, testimony to a remarkable emigration in the 19th century. Between 1850 and 1950, hundreds of Barcelonnettes left to seek their fortune in Mexico's textile trade, founding companies like the Palacio de Hierro and Puerto de Liverpool, today among the country's largest retailers. Returning wealthy, they built extravagant villas in their native valley, blending Alpine architecture with Mexican neo-classical accents. The Valley Museum traces this fascinating saga. But Barcelonnette also means skiing: the resorts of Pra-Loup and Le Sauze together offer over 180 km of runs in an unspoilt natural setting. In summer, the valley is a hiking paradise with access to the Mercantour and crystal-clear altitude lakes. The journey from Nice follows spectacular mountain roads, crossing the Col de la Cayolle at 2,326 metres, one of the highest road passes in the Southern Alps, offering breathtaking panoramas of snowy peaks and flowering alpine pastures.