Ferres

Towns and Villages - by Provence Beyond

Villages > Ferres

 | 5 km | 5 km | 16 km | Gilette 36 km | Grasse 50 km | Nice 71 km | Pierrefeu 30 km | Puget-Theniers 40 km | Roquesteron 15 km | Sigale 20 km | Vence 32 km |

Below: | History | Dates | Hiking | Dining | Lodging Hotels |

From the exterior, its perched tighly on the side of the hill, and the shape of the village is well defined by the walled houses circling the front. The surroundings are all green forests, with some olive-grove terraces to the right. Les Ferres sits on the flanc of Mont St Michel (792 m), with access across a sort of land bridge across the small valley.

Entrance into the village is through a long vaulted passage-way, into a lovely area of small streets and village squares. With a bit of exploration you'll discover a second ring of defensively walled houses, with more little streets and many more deeply vaulted passages. There's a mixture of renovated village houses with a few abandonded old stone houses adding some extra character.

In the main square is a low fountain with double spigots, marked 1831. There's a long square in front of the church, with convenient stone benches built all along both sides. The church is 18th century, and "disoriented".

History

Name
First record, 12th century Castrum de Ferris

Medieval: In 1388 the village was transferred from Provence to the Comté de Nice. In the 18th century it was joined with France, as part of the the 1760 treaty.
In 1856, the village population was 302.

Dates

Every Feb - Fete patronale
Every June - Fete, Feux de la St Jean
1st Sun Aug - Fete communale

Hiking

Maps:

IGN (1/25,000) #3642 ET "Vallée de l'Estéron"

Didier Richard (1/50,000) #26 "Pay d'Azur"

A yellow-marked PR (petit randonnée) trail goes up throught the village, and into the hills beyond.

Dining

The Auberge St Michel is a modern Bar-restaurant, open all year.

Lodging - Hotels