Peering down over the French Riviera is a forbidding barrier of light grey rock. Rising to over 3000m from the shore, the Maritime Alps straddle the international French-Italian border for 190km. Soaring peaks, glittering lakes and picturesque stone villages await the walker, along 600km of mapped pathways, through two national parks. This is a wonderful area even for novice walkers, with clear waymarking and maps, worlds away from the hustle and bustle and crowds of the coast and this book offers a wide selection of routes throughout the area. . 18 graded day hikes are described, on both the French and the Italian sides, from 6km to 20km in length . 6 long-distance hikes, including a 5-day traverse of the Parc National du Mercantour and a 7-day traverse of the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime . Full information is given regarding accommodation down in the valleys and up in the mountains