Snuggling in a beautiful natural environment of oaks, olive trees and pines, lemon trees and perfume flowers, La Colle sur Loup is a very pleasant health and tourist resort located 20 minutes from Nice, and less than an hour from the ski resorts of Gréolières and Auron.
La Colle-sur-Loup was a seigneury in the 16th century and formerly a medieval community and stronghold of Gaudelet. From its past, there remains a castle in good condition as well as a 12th century priory now converted into a restaurant (L’Abbaye) which still has a fortified gateway, corner towers, cloisters and a listed Romanesque chapel.
Walk through the Canadel gate to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and visit the historic centre with its lively shopping streets and old narrow alleyways where you can admire shady little squares, fountains and wonderful carved doors. For many years La Colle sur Loup was the capital of the perfume rose. Today, it is renowned for its antique dealers and decorators, and also for its fine restaurants.
La Colle-sur-Loup has always attracted artists such as Yves Klein, the founder of the New Realists who is buried here, Jacques Ferrandez the well-known cartoon strip artist, the architect Yves Bayard, and Raoul Giordan, another cartoon strip artist and creator of Space Gordon!
As for the natural side of things, the river “Loup” is one of La Colle sur Loup’s main attractions. Its banks are a true oasis of coolness, its peaceful murmuring waters are very popular during the hottest summer periods and they are also renowned for the trout which can be caught here.
On the banks of the Loup, in the summertime you’ll find two municipal parks (La Guérinière and Roubert) where there are health trails, playgrounds and even a pony club.
Hotels in La Colle-sur-Loup
Chateau de Montfort
St Jacques Church – 1726 with Renaissance façade, (square belltower from 1666, campanile portal, 19th century stained glass windows by Gesta from Toulouse).
16th century Château de Montfort
16th century hunting lodge of François Ist known as “Le Gaudelet” (beautiful Renaissance façade, trophy room with joist ceiling).
Canadel Priory (currently the Abbaye restaurant) and its Romanesque chapel (12th century, single nave, semi-circular arches, pointed barrel vault, apse with vaulted hemicycle in semi-dome, cloisters).
Saint-Donnat Mill, called Pagnol’s mill.
Tower with engraved plaque “Concordia et labore 1623”.
Chapels of the white penitents, Saint Donat (17th century) and Saint-Roch (well-restored classical façade).
Neolithic grave cave (Bronze Age) and Bianchi Cave, partly destroyed (late Neolithic and Bronze Age graves).
Office de Tourisme
OFFICE DE TOURISME LA-COLLE-SUR-LOUP
28, rue Maréchal Foch
06480 LA COLLE-SUR-LOUP
Téléphone : 04.93.32.68.36
Télécopie : 04.93.32.05.07
infos@ot-lacollesurloup.com
Website : www.ot-lacollesurloup.com