Coaraze

Coaraze (Coarasa; Coarazza) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Geography
Coaraze is a small village in the Nice hinterland, in the valley of the River Paillon. The closest town is Contes, 8 km away.

The village itself is built on a sandstone mount at the foot of Mount Férion (1,414 metres or 4660 ft high).

History
Erected as a baronnie in 1629, Coaraze was under Spanish administration from 1744 to 1748. In the nineteenth century the old trail was replaced by a road.

Population
Its inhabitants are called Coaraziens in French.

Tourism
Coaraze is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the Route des Villages Perchés (Route of Perched Villages). The others are: Aspremont, Carros, Castagniers, Colomars, Duranus, Èze, Falicon, La Gaude, Lantosque, Levens, La Roquette-sur-Var, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet, Tourrette-Levens and Utelle.

Coaraze is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France) association.

Personalities

 * Jean Cocteau
 * Jules Engel
 * Paul Vérola: poète, écrivain, cousin du Tsar par alliance