A historic road winds north from Golfe-Juan, a sandy cove nudging Cannes on the Mediterranean coast, over the Alpes Maritime to Grenoble in the southern Pre-Alpes. The panoramic "Route Napoleon" (D6085 Route Nationale 85) was opened in 1932 and runs for 325km through strikingly beautiful French countryside.
The start is commemorated by a column with a mosaic plaque - set on the pebbles of the glistening shoreline and the entire route is marked along the way by the flying, golden eagles of France. (Inspired by Napoleon's quip: "The eagle will fly from steeple to steeple until he reaches the towers of Notre-Dame.")
Today, hikers can walk the celebrated trail from the French Riviera, through the Natural Park of the Gorges of Verdon (the European Grand Canyon) to the snow-clad Alps; and the verdant path is perfect for camping, cycling, caravanning, cultural tours and for lovers of superb cuisine. It is also one of Europe's great motor-cycling roads.
After escaping from exile on the island of Elba in 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte, in his sailboat, landed secretly in France with a few hundred followers and began a perilous, overland push towards Paris where he hoped to gain the support of the army and depose Louis XVIII.
Detection spelt almost certain death and the then treacherous, wild track over rocky terrain and sloping hillsides was ill-marked and dangerous; yet the record-breaking march from Cannes to Grenoble was completed in only six days.
Every year on the anniversary of the famous landing, the scene is re-enacted by costumed actors to the crashing of cymbals and the rousing strains of La Marseillaise. The pageant attracts local devotees, foreign visitors and Napoleonic enthusiasts. The star of the show, hands clasped behind his back, struts along the sands - a stocky, ghost-like figure wearing a distinctive, bicorne hat and clad in a long, grey greatcoat. The author Victor Hugo was so moved after witnessing such a spectacle that he wrote: "One could actually feel the presence of Napoleon."
Following in the footsteps of the emperor, we spent a first night near the beautiful, tree-lined resort of Cannes, where the Le Moulin de Mougins is a rare find. In a picturesque, shady setting just moments away from the fashionable Promenade de la Croisette and the Carlton and Martinez hotels, is the 16th-century restored mill: a gem in the Relais & Chateaux chain. Each character-filled room is uniquely decorated and the gourmet menus owe their inspiration to former owner and legendary chef Roger Vergé.
From the old village of Mougins the road wriggles north, through the sloping hills of the arrière-pays countryside beyond Cannes, towards the green fields of the perfume capital Grasse. This wonderfully apt name conjures up an image of new-green shoots and sweet-smelling meadows filled with myrtle, jasmine, lavender, wild orange and mimosa.
The atmospheric vielle ville (old town) features ochre-coloured houses with characteristic Provencal facades and a star sight is the 12th-century Ancienne Cathédrale Notre-Dame-du-Puy.
A wonderful 18th-century country house framed by cypress and olive and now a luxury hotel, La Bastide Saint-Antoine, offers superb accommodation and a Michelin-star restaurant.
Grasse affords a panoramic view over the hills to the Coté d'Azur and then, following the old mule tracks, the spellbinding road zigzags across the rocky landscape, through St-Vallier-de-Thiey and Escragnolles towards Séranon, where Napoleon spent a second night.
Twenty-four kilometres further up the road is the pleasant little town of Castellane, boasting a picturesque, tree-lined square surrounded by boutiques, cafés, and small hotels. The D85 then becomes even more spectacular as it threads its way through the Natural Park of the Gorges of Verdon, past Clue de Taulanne and Senez, to Barreme - the site chosen for the emperor's third overnight stay.
We drove on to Digne-les-Bains - a spa town since Roman times - where, on his epic journey north, Napoleon lunched at the Hotel du Petit Paris. Digne is the capital of the region known as the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and colourfully styles itself the "Capitale de la Lavende". A band played in one of the attractive, tree-shaded boulevards; a grande fontaine gushed over 19th-century stones and an enchanting walled garden, the Jardin Botanique des Cordeliers, completed the picture.
Beyond Digne the road doubles back and snakes along the River Bléone to Malijai where a plaque on an impressive, pre-revolutionary Chateau marks the spot where the little corporal spent a fourth night.
As this castle does not offer accommodation we drove 6km further to Le Bonne Etape at Château-Arnoux. For countless generations the Gleize family has presided over this honey-coloured stone, green-shuttered, 18th-century post house and their hospitality will not disappoint. The seven-course Michelin-star menu on offer in the charming dining-room adorned with Aubusson tapestries, included delicate zucchini flowers, soft green crab and herb-flavoured Sisteron lamb. The hotel is a proud member of the Relais & Chateaux chain.
Nothing can detract from the scenery's splendour as the next magical kilometres wind towards the citadel at Sisteron - a fortified stronghold since the first millennium. Sheer limestone crags, crowned by a fortress, tower impossibly over the banks of the Durance River and the view from their dizzy heights rewards the steep climb. At Sisteron, Napoleon was in luck: the arsenal was empty and he entered the town without incident. A plaque on Rue Saunerie commemorates the event. (Transport up to the citadel is available - open April to mid-November daily.)
The N85 continues past rolling hills, lovely towns and villages, olive groves and forests of deciduous trees - all set against a backdrop of the Alps - towards Gap, where the emperor spent a fifth night. Everywhere, signs in the hedgerows announce "Napoleon Camping" and invite the tourist to explore. The highway then winds breathtakingly over Col Bayard (1 264m) to Corps, 40km away, where two white eagles on a gold board make their own announcement and where the imperial party spent a sixth night.
On the seventh day after landing the emperor's party entered the stunning world of the Hautes-Alpes: a world of plateaux, pine trees and Parcs Naturel.
After the town of Le Mure the Route Napoleon winds on to Laffrey where a confrontation occurred. Here, an evocative statue in a field depicts Bonaparte on horseback and a wall plaque asserts: "Know me, I am your Emperor". The Fifth Regiment of the Line, led by Marshal Ney, had been sent by King Louis XVIII to arrest the fugitive from Elba. Napoleon approached the regiment alone and on foot, shouting: "If any man would shoot his emperor you may do so now."
The soldiers cheered and responded, "Vive L'Empereur!". His band of followers swelled: his reception in Paris was assured.
From Laffrey the road climbs to Champs-sur-Drac and then, emerging from a forest frame, we found ourselves on top of a mountain and obliged to embark on a spectacular plunge to the city of Grenoble far below. It was a "grand entry" indeed and dinner, a la Napoleon, in Grenoble's historic Auberge Napoleon proved the best way to end the day.
We selected a charming hotel in the beautiful countryside of this noble Dauphiné valley, Le Château, a turreted, 18th-century castle complete with helipad and private golf course. You will want to linger and perhaps that is exactly what the great Napoleon should have done.
If you go
Visa requirements: South African citizens require a Schengen visa for France.
Getting There: Fly Air France to Paris and connect to Nice. Alternatively, fly Emirates to Dubai and connect to Nice. British Airways and Air France have frequent flights from London to Nice.
Weather: The weather is warm and sunny from May to September but August is crowded.
Suggested Hotels: Le Mougin des Mougins - Mougins near Cannes Relais & Châteaux www.moulindemougins.com
Saint-Antoine - Grasse Relais & Châteaux ww.relaischateaux.com/saintantoine
Le Bonne Etape - Château-Arnoux near Sisteron Relais & Chateaux www.bonneetape.com
Le Chateau - Faverges-de-la-Tour near Grenoble The Castle Hotel contact@chateauform.com http://www.chateauform.com
Suggested Restaurants: Le Mougin des Mougins - Mougins near Cannes Relais & Châteaux www.moulindemougins.com
Saint-Antoine - Grasse Relais & Châteaux www.relaischateaux.com/saintantoine
Le Bonne Etape - Château-Arnoux near Sisteron Relais & Chateaux www.bonneetape.com
Auberge Napoleon 7 Rue Montorge - Grenoble www.auberge-napoleon.fr
