Gilette sits on a rocky spur above the Var river, reached from Nice by a flat, largely traffic-free cycle path that runs along the river's western bank into the arrière-pays — the quiet hinterland behind the coast.
From the village, the road continues up Mont Vial, a substantial climb of nearly 25 kilometres and 1,400 metres of ascent to a summit at 1,522 metres — one of the longer, lesser-known climbs of the Alpes-Maritimes, its first eighteen kilometres gentle enough for conversation before the gradient firms up toward the top.
The regional cycling calendar has deep roots nearby: the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var traces its history to 1969, when its first edition was won by Raymond Poulidor, with Joop Zoetemelk, Bernard Thévenet, and Sean Kelly among the historic winners who followed.
For a short outing from Nice, Gilette and neighbouring Bonson make a natural target: café stop in the village square, views over the snow-capped hinterland peaks, and a flat return path along the river — an easy contrast to the harder climbing waiting further into the valleys beyond.
