Taxi Nice — Entrevaux

Entrevaux is one of the hidden gems of the Nice hinterland, a fortified town listed among France's Most Beautiful Detours, which seems to spring straight from the Middle Ages. Set on the banks of the Var, at the foot of a rocky spur crowned by an impregnable citadel fortified by Vauban in 1693, the small town has preserved its ramparts, watchtowers and still-functioning drawbridge — one of the few remaining in France — in their entirety. You enter the town through a fortified gate spanning the Var on a two-arched bridge, then discover a maze of narrow lanes, shaded squares and tall houses with painted shutters. The climb to the citadel via the zigzag path (20 minutes' walk, 135 metres of elevation gain) offers an extraordinary view of the confluence of the Var and Chalvagne rivers, the surrounding mountains and the old-town rooftops below. The former Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, dating from the 17th century, houses a remarkable baroque organ and gilded altarpieces. Entrevaux is a stop on the Train des Pignes, allowing you to combine train and taxi for a memorable day trip. The Motorcycle Museum, housed in the citadel's casemates, surprises with its collection of vintage motorcycles. The journey from Nice ascends the Var valley, one of the most magnificent landscapes in the Alpes-Maritimes.