A purpose built resort high in the Mercantour, and the closest snow to Nice, which is around ninety minutes away. Skiing in the morning and the Mediterranean in the afternoon is genuinely possible from here. The altitude is what makes it work. The base sits at 1800 metres and the runs climb to 2600, which gives a snow record far better than the latitude suggests and a long season for the southern Alps.

The terrain is open and treeless with a broad range of intermediate runs and wide beginner areas, and there is a strong local following from the coast. The base is functional rather than pretty, but prices are moderate and the surrounding Mercantour national park is protected wilderness.