Gorbio

A medieval village of 300 souls above Menton, with its old fountains and an elm planted in 1713 still standing on the main square.

With only 300 residents in the village itself, Gorbio remains one of the most low-key spots in the Menton hinterland, despite houses with doorways from the 11th and 16th centuries and a network of paved alleys, vaulted passages and old fountains. On Place de la République stands an elm planted in 1713, the very year of the Treaty of Utrecht, listed among France's remarkable trees — for three centuries, its branches have sheltered the assemblies where village life was decided.