Why go
The route gives a historical thread to a drive from the Riviera into the southern Pre-Alps. Grasse, Castellane, Sisteron and Gap mark a clear south-to-north progression, while Imperial Eagle markers recall the campaign that led to the Hundred Days. Its length calls for selective stops rather than a rushed checklist.
The full story
Napoleon landed at Golfe-Juan on 1 March 1815 after leaving Elba. His march north began the Hundred Days, the brief return to power that ended after Waterloo. The later road called Route Napoléon traces that return from the French Riviera toward Grenoble. It is described as a 325-kilometre stretch of the N85, with Imperial Eagle markers along the way. For a traveler, the route’s value is its change of setting. It leaves the coast near Golfe-Juan and Antibes, passes Grasse and Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, then continues through Castellane and Digne into the southern Pre-Alps. Sisteron and Gap lead toward Col Bayard, Corps, La Mure and Laffrey before Grenoble. This is a sequence for a road trip with chosen stops, not a continuous sightseeing walk. Decide which towns or viewpoints matter most before setting out; the historical line is long enough that stopping everywhere would change the pace substantially.