Breil-sur-Roya

Breil-sur-Roya is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, set on the fast-flowing Roya river within the river's gorge and along the adjoining escarpments. The name means Breil on the Roya, and the town is also called Breglio sul Roia in Italian, Breggio in Ligurian and Brelh de Ròia in Occitan. The surrounding area is used for river rafting, swimming and hiking, and the town is particularly known for trout fishing, with the Roya open to anglers from March to September and part of the run reserved for fly-fishing. Breil-sur-Roya is a stop on the Train des Merveilles, the SNCF line between Nice and Cuneo in Italy, and it is where the Italian line from Ventimiglia joins the line from Nice. The GR52 long-distance walking trail links the town to the Gorges de Saorge and the Vallon de Zouayne. The Roya flooded violently in October 2020, damaging commercial buildings, homes and roads all the way downstream to Ventimiglia. The town is twinned with Borgo San Dalmazzo in Italy and Aléria in France.