Mediterranean Alps Extreme (4SA2603)

Today we set off on our adventure. 280 km of dream roads lie ahead of us, and we’ll visit some of the most beautiful gorges in southern France. We leave Vence in glorious weather and head west toward today’s first gorge, the Gorges du Loup. We’ll then continue along small roads with countless curves toward today’s highlight: the famous Gorges du Verdon. Not only is the scenery absolutely breathtaking, but it also features motorcycle roads that couldn’t be any better. After an exciting morning, we’ve earned a break and stop for lunch at a nice little French restaurant. In the afternoon, we’ll ride through the Gorges de Daluis, which is quite unique with its red rock walls. Today’s destination is Valberg, a small ski resort at about 1,700 meters in the middle of the mountains. After nearly 300 km of exciting roads today, we’re sure to sleep like babies here tonight.

Another great day in France is behind us. 200 km might sound like a leisurely ride, but these 200 km were no walk in the park. Countless small roads and endless curves really pushed us to our limits today, but it was also a ton of fun. Happy and exhausted, we arrived at our hotel in Roquebillière today. Tomorrow we’ll continue on toward Italy.

After two wonderful days in France, we’re heading toward Italy today. But before we set off toward the Col de la Lombarde and leave France behind, we’re making a quick detour south. Not far from our hotel, the famous Col de Turini awaits us. It’s known to insiders as part of the legendary Monte Carlo Rally, and it’s an absolute dream to ride on a motorcycle.

Today we continued eastward, always following the Ligurian coast. We made our way to Genoa on the narrowest of back roads, driving all day through the beautiful hilly countryside. Since summer is already over and fall has set in here as well, the trees have already changed color, and we were able to enjoy the vibrant display of colors along the road.

Today we had a rest day planned in the small coastal town of Rapallo. Even though there was plenty to see here, we didn’t want to leave our bikes idle the whole time, so we decided to explore the area east of Rapallo for at least a few hours. During our first coffee break, we spontaneously decided to stay out a little longer and take a detour to Cinque Terre.

So far on our trip, we’ve been heading east the whole time. But since our trip is now drawing to a close, today it’s time to change direction and slowly make our way back toward France. Still, there are countless great roads between us and our final destination in Vence. After leaving Rapallo, we headed straight up Monte Fasce. From there, you have a fantastic view of the coast all the way down to Genoa. We took the highway around Genoa so we could get back to exploring the hilly countryside on small mountain roads as quickly as possible. The highlight of the day was definitely the Passo del Faiallo. Although it’s only a little over 1,000 meters high, the road is in perfect condition and almost feels like a racetrack. We then continued on to Finale Ligure, a picturesque town on the coast, where we’ll round off the day with one last Italian dinner.

No matter how long a tour is, the last day always seems to come too quickly. And so today it’s time for us to head back to our starting point in Vence. But at least we had a good final day of riding. After leaving Finale Ligure behind, we headed straight into the mountains. There, we made our way further and further toward France on winding roads. After a coffee break in the picturesque town of Zuccarello, we headed down to the coast, where we drove a few kilometers on the highway and crossed the border into France. Of course, we took the opportunity to stop in Monaco to catch a glimpse of the yachts of the rich and famous. After another coffee break, we continued on to our starting point in Vence, where our tour came to an end. The last seven days were a ton of fun. Thanks to all the participants, and hopefully we’ll see each other again on another tour. Daniel