Only a couple of miles away from the coast, we are in the middle of serious mountains. Enjoy the beauty of Southern France. Each day will offer different riding through varying landscapes.

The Gorge du Verdon is considered to be Europe's most beautiful canyon. It is about 15.5 miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green color, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics. The most impressive stretch lies between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, where the river has cut a ravine through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon river flows into the reservoir of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon. The limestone walls, which are several hundred feet high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered to be an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars, and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 65 to 1,300 ft.

The town is famous for three reasons: a huge silver mine, that was used in the 12th and 13th century and that is being recovered until today; the winter Olympics of 1968, when the bobsleigh events were hosted in Alpe d’Huez; and of course for the Tour de France, which regularly finishes one of its Alpine stages up here at 1850m.

From the vista point of this pass at 2,642 m (8,688 ft.), you have a superb panoramic view of all the peaks reaching up to 3,000 m (13,000 ft) and more. The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911. The first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, together with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou, were the only cyclists not to push their bicycles up the mountain. The original summit was at 2,556 m ( 8,385 ft) but with the closing of the tunnel in 1976, the tour route now goes over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2,645 m (8,677 ft). At the south portal of the tunnel, at the edge of the road, there is a memorial to Henri Desgrange, initiator and first director of the Tour de France. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" is awarded to the first rider, who crosses the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 31 times by the Tour de France.

The Maritime Alps are the southernmost Alps and form the border between the Italian regions Piedmont and Liguria with the French region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. With eight peeks over 3.000m and several passes over 2.500m are a paradise for every motorcyclist.

The Apennine Mountains stretch from Liguria in the northwest all the way through Italy until they end in Calabria, at Italy's southern tip. The total length is 750 miles, the highest elevation is 9,554 ft. (Corno Grande). It is said, that Hannibal went over Passo della Collina (also known as Passo della Porretta) during the Second Punic War just before the battle at the Lago Trasimeno in 217 BC against the Romans with his elefants (just one survived from 37 elefants).

Cinque Terre is a rugged stretch of coastline on the Italian Riviera. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains, and boats connect the villages, and by car, the villages can only be reached from above. The Cinque Terre area is a top-rated tourist destination. The variation of house colors is due to the fact that while fishermen were doing their jobs offshore, they wanted to be able to spot their houses easily. This way, they could make sure their wives were still home doing the housework. Most of the families in the five villages made their living by catching fish and selling them in the small ports.