Gréolières sits at around 800 metres on a rocky spur, its houses stacked tight against the hillside in the way of villages that were built to be defended rather than admired. The streets are narrow, often stepped, and paved with worn stone; a few fountains and wash houses survive from when this was a working agricultural community rather than a quiet backwater. In summer the place is genuinely cool compared to the coast, and the views west toward the limestone massifs and south toward Vence and the sea are worth the detour alone.
The village is small enough to walk entirely in an hour, but it repays slow exploration. Look for the remnants of the old fortifications on the upper edge and the ruins of the castle that once gave the Grimaldi family a commanding position over the valley. There is no admission charge or visitor centre — Gréolières is simply a place to walk through and sit in, which is much of its appeal.