Things To Do in Train-des-Pignes

The Train des Pignes shudders out of Nice's Gare du Sud station three to four times each day. This tiny gare is a 10-minute walk north of the main Nice-Ville train station. The scenery gets interesting after the first few stops, as the River Var forms a gorgelike tunnel around the tracks.

Travelers may alight anywhere, but we recommend Puget-Théniers for a first stop. Its pretty old town is studded with shops and ringed by hiking trails that run into the forests beyond. Entrevaux, some 20 minutes further on, is even more enchanting. With its fortified town walls, it looks like a Disney castle, protected from intruders with a drawbridge over a rushing river. The highlight is the 17th-century battlements above town. A 3€ entrance ticket grants you access to the 156m (512 ft.) of steps up to the top. The Mediterranean and the Alpes-Maritimes mountains can be glimpsed in every direction.

Tunnels, loops, bridges, and switchbacks mark the route's next 30 minutes. Le Fugeret and Méailles are just two of the effortlessly cute towns en-route. Take note of the River Verdon at Saint André-les-Alpes station; it flows on from here into the Gorges du Verdon. The village of Barrème—a center for hiking, biking, and kayaking—is up next.

Digne-les-Bains finally appears as the Train des Pignes leaps along a mountain plateau. In winter expect snow; in summer wild flowers carpet the countryside around the tracks. Digne’s hearty restaurants serve up local game and mountain lamb all year round.