 EXPLORING THE ENVIRONS page 2
TOURRETTES-SUR-LOUP: 5 km west of Vence.
The cliff-side village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, five kilometres west of Vence, became a virtual ghost town after World War Two, but was brought back to life by the artisans who settled here. It is now one of the leading handicrafts villages of The Côte d'Azur and well renowned for its mixture of quality and ambience. The countryside around Tourrettes is a major producer of violets and, during the Fête des Violettes in March, all the houses are decked with the flowers.
GOURDON: 40 km from Vence.
This old Saracen stronghold sits on a rocky spur 500mts above the gorges of the Loup Rlver and offers a vast panorama of the valley, the coast and the mountains. The major tourist attraction is the thirteenth century Château, built on the foundations of the original Saracen fortress, the architectural features of which have been retained. There is an Historical Museum on the ground floor with a disturbing collection of ancient weapons and a prison with a torture table. Seven rooms on the second floor contain the Museum of Naive Painting, with a fine collection of naive art by international artists from the period 1925-1970. The Chateau has three levels of terraced gardens by Le Notre, the designer of Versailles's gardens, and from the top level you get the same grand panorama as from the square by the church.
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