Top 10 Huts and Cabins around Parc national du Mercantour (cœur)

Magnificent trekking, also worth doing with the family, even if you are a little trained. We went with two girls aged 6 and 7. Stunning landscapes and acceptable altitude difference.

In the town of Saint-Etienne de Tinée, in the heart of the Mercantour National Park, the Vens Lakes refuge offers a mountain setting typical of the Maritime Alps. The Vens refuge is located in one of the most prestigious places in the Mercantour Park. It is located in an environment of natural lakes, waterfalls in an old glacial cirque, rich alpine meadows and varied fauna (mountain sheep, chamois, eagles, etc.).

The refuge is located on the banks of the upper Long lake, in the heart of the rock engravings of the Vallée des Merveilles, surrounded by numerous lakes and peaks: Bégo, Grand Capelet, Cime du Diable... The refuge is located in an open-air museum. This exceptional archaeological site, classified as a historical monument, extends between two valleys around Mont Bégo. There are 40,000 rock engravings dating from -4000 to -2000 BC, which are marks of pastoral occupation. When you cross the Vallée des Merveilles on the GR, you feel an almost mystical and very unusual side.

Refuge overlooking the Vens lakes

First time visitors should be warned this is a refuge, not a hotel. As such don’t go expecting anything more than basic facilities. If you want a shower then it will be with cold water taken and filtered directly from the nearby lake. Without exception, we found the staff to be very friendly, as were all the hikers we spoke to. No matter if you arrive alone or with a group, everyone is staying at the refuge for the same reason as you, and this makes starting a conversation with someone you don’t know very easy. The advantages you get from staying in such a refuge is knowing you’ll be given somewhere dry and warm to sleep, plus something hot to eat. When it came close to having dinner everyone helped move all the rectangle tables into one long one, where we all then sat and enjoyed an amazing hot stew with bread. After dinner it was a quick cold shower. After which we relaxed outside for a while before kipping down for the night. Breakfast here was available, as was a packed lunch to take on our onward journey. All of course at extra cost. Like all refuges around the world, there is a limit to the amount of hikers each can accommodate at any one time. Because of this you’ll need to book a place well in advance of your trip. Arriving on the day looking for a place is unlikely to be successful unless a booking goes unfilled, which wouldn’t be noticeable until well after sunset. You can camp outside near the refuge but you’ll need to get permission first.

Prices a bit above average, but that's how it is in refuges, the views are top top

A friendly place thanks to the owners and the magical place

The team at the hut was well organized in view of the large crowd and managed well when it came to food and drink. Our mountain guide had an upset stomach afterwards, but that could also be for another reason, as everyone else was fine. But what really bothered me is the fact that the top floor of the accommodation was massively infested with mold and you sleep in bunk beds directly below. No question, you are happy about the accommodation and you could also camp outside if necessary, but then the weight to be carried would have been completely different for a week-long hut trekking. We also noticed hygienic deficits in other accommodations in the area. It may be that it is not always easy to get the moisture under control...