The French Riviera is a beautiful place but no one could say it was undeveloped and empty. Its very beauty has attracted holidaymakers, second homeowners and new residents for more than a century resulting in enormous amounts of construction. Recently I had guests in the gite who hadn’t been to the Côte d’Azur for 50 years and they couldn’t believe the change. This didn’t stop them from loving it though as the natural beauty, climate and glowing light are something special that I defy anyone not to be touched by. And that’s just the start, there’s so much to love about this part of the world, but within the urban sprawl can there really be secret places left? Villages that the tourist masses haven’t discovered and yet lie only a few kilometres from Nice. The answer is yes.
Let me take you on a short stroll through the pretty village of La Colle sur Loup. It’s not on the tourist map but it’s far from being off the beaten path, in fact it’s equidistant from Nice and Grasse, two of the biggest and most visited towns around and right next to Cagnes sur Mer. It’s not so spectacular that if you’re only in the area for a few days you must visit it, no I’m certainly not saying that. What I am saying though is that if you’re here for a while then it’s definitely worth taking the time to stroll along its pedestrianised central street, enjoying the peace and quiet of a charming authentic village. 
La Colle sur Loup is a village where ordinary people live their lives, there are a few shops and businesses, a handful of restaurants, even a public swimming pool but no crowds. Take the time to stop and look and I think you’ll be charmed in the few minutes you dedicate to it.
The name La Colle sur Loup is composed of two parts colle and loup. Colle comes from the Occitan word cὸla meaning mountain or hill and loup means wolf, but in this case it’s the name of the river that runs along the edge of the commune (so named because the area used to be home to many wild wolves). Colle in modern French means glue and when we first moved to this area our then-toddler used to think the town was called “glue on the wolf” which meant, in obvious toddler logic, it became known as “sticky wolf” and as they have a tendency to do, this baby name stuck (pun intended!)
Visiting “sticky wolf” on a regular day, particularly a weekday, you’ll be struck by how empty and calm it is. Wander along the main central street, rue Clemenceau, and you’re unlikely to see many people, unless you visit on a fête day. La Colle sur Loup holds two regular festivals, one in May dedicated to the rose (photo above) and one in September all about past trades when the village goes back in time. (I’ve written about it before, photo below). During the summer months it also has regular outdoor concerts in the central square.
Many of the buildings in the centre of the village are built of white stone, or rendered in white, and accessorised with pale green shutters, quite different to the red, ochre and yellow tones of many of the surrounding towns (particularly Nice and Grasse).
Pop down the side alleys and you’ll find artists’ workshops and plenty of flowers. Stop for a cake chez Bruce (the name may be as un-French as you can imagine but the patisseries are very much local) or lunch at the Auberge Provençale.
At the far eastern end of the street just after the church you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous view of St Paul de Vence (photo below) across the valley.
And that’s it really. It doesn’t take long to visit La Colle sur Loup but you’ll feel like you’ve stepped out of the rush of the Côte d’Azur into an oasis of enchanting pale colours and calm.
If you want to continue this feeling of being far from the rush of the coast then head out of town towards Roquefort les Pins and very shortly you’ll come to some traffic lights with a kayak on its end (on the left). Turn left here for one of our favourite walks along the Loup river.
What do you think? Would you like to visit “sticky wolf”?
Here’s a PIN for later!
Hi Ollie, probably the best thing you can do is to join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/cotedazurliving/ where you can ask lots of questions
I will also send you an email with some info
Hi Phoebe and the rest of you wonderful people
We are thinking of moving to the area – very close to La Colle sir Loup . We have an 8 year old and looking into the local schools. Do you have any information about the schools nearby?
Would be super helpful if you could share any tips/local knowledge
Merci!
Ollie
Rosie I can show you plenty of places to avoid the crowds 🙂
Hi Cheryl, take a look at this post it might help you choose which other hill village to focus on. Eze and St Paul are both stunning but very busy. There are some in this list which are much quieter. https://loumessugo.com/13-of-the-best-hill-villages-near-nice-france
I had a peak at your blog and see you also write about France. You might be interested to link up to my monthly linky every first Thursday of the month #AllAboutFrance. I saw that Jill Barth had commented on your blog, she links up regularly. You’ll find the details in the sidebar if you click on the badge or #AllABoutFrance, you can’t miss it, it’s some bleu blanc rouge lips!
Thank you for such a wonderful, helpful post! We will be staying in the Luberon region but want to drive over toward the Riviera and stay one night in a B&B. We plan to stop at Gourdon and le Bar sur loup on our way over the first day. Do you think we should concentrate on St. Paul de Vence for the second day or perhaps Saint Jean Cap Ferrat or Eze the second day before driving back to the Luberon? Or any other must see village? We love peace and stunning beauty and charm. We realize the Riviera will be busy but still wanted to see some. Thank you so much!
I am not good with crowds so I think I’d be heading straight to somewhere like this should I make it down to Provence! I love the old road sign too.
Thanks for visiting my blog Patricia 🙂
We love this area … great hiking and authentic living! Thanks for the post!
Next time you’re over here I’ll take you!
If you’re ever over this way do get in touch Di.
It’s the privilege of being a resident…we get to really know a place. I love seeking out these sorts of places on my travels too and find that bloggers are good at sharing this sort of stuff – guidebooks don’t mention them, luckily or they’d be over run.
My pleasure Swags, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t want to visit this place, I want to LIVE here!!! Love sleepy little villages like these and miss stumbling upon gems like this in France!! Thanks for this lovely little walk, Phoebe!
I loved reading about this little village. It sounds just like the sort of place I’m always looking for when I travel and so good to know you can still find those secret places in busy touristy areas. #allaboutfrance
I love “off the beaten path”, definitely on my “to see” list, thanks Phoebe.
Hi Phoebe: La Colle sur Loup is certainly on my Provencal bucket list now! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos.
I think you’ll like Bruce Catherine!
I hope you come this way soon Allane!
I already want to visit it! I love towns like these, especially if it’s in the French Riviera.
It’s been a long time since I went there, I hope to change that soon. I would love to take my dog along to the sea and to explore these pretty towns.
Happy to have you on #MondayEscapes:D
We certainly will visit in May and Bruce is a must.
There are still plenty of places to escape to crowds in this area thankfully, you just have to know where to look and being resident helps with that!
…hopefully!
The thing is there are just so many beautiful places to visit in this area that a visitor staying for only a few days will only just scratch the surface. I do hope you can come back again one day Jess.
Thanks Tanja.
Sorry about that (not!) I’m happy you’re finding new places to visit Lisa, you’ll just have to spend more time over here to get them all off the list!
You are so funny Richard! 😉
We’re coming in May, so we must make a point of visiting Sticky Wolf then. We mustn’t let this ambition come unstuck (pun also intended).
Thank you Phoebe, Sticky Wolf looks charming and I shall certainly put it on my ‘places to go to’ list. Mind you, with not a little thanks to you and you blog, my “list” is increasing at an alarming rate even though some places “come off the top” but many more go on “the bottom”!
charming! #weekend wanderlust
I loved Nice, I have such great memories from there, but we never made it away from all the typical tourist stops. Looks like I’ll have to make a trip back soon. Your photos are beautiful, definitely brightened up my morning!
Sigh…..someday….
Sticky Wolf looks delightful, and I’m really glad to see we are not the only family that has pet names for various places. Of course I blame this completely on the children! Joking aside, thank you for the tour it’s always good to hear of places that are not heaving with people in the summer months in Provence. Weather is warming up nicely, hope you have a lovely weekend, x