Sospel offers good value to those prepared to take a few steps back from the coast, yet remains easily accessible and only a short drive from some of the major coastal resorts. In the heart of the lush Bevera valley, 350m above sea level, just south of the Mercantour National park and very close to the Italian border this peaceful town triples its population of 3000 during the summer months. Although just under half an hours drive inland from the hustle and bustle of the coast, here there is a sense that the town has been sheltered from the modern world, with its distinct mountain feel largely due to its Piedmontese heritage. Like a film set with a stunning mountainous back drop Sospel has an interesting a varied history.

The first traceable records of Sospel date back to 1095 when the town was under the rule of Ventimiglia and then in 1258 it came under the Counts of Provence, followed later by the Counts of Savoy. Already a walled town with its focal point a medieval castle, in 1370 Sospel took sides with the Pope in Avignon against the false Pope in Rome and was thus elevated to the status of a diocese, which is why such a small town also has an impressive cathedral.

Sospel thrived largely due to its strategic geographical position. Nestled in the centre of the rich alluvial valley where the Bevera and Merlanson rivers come together and allowing the only fordable crossing for miles, Sospel became an important staging point through the mountains; for the old Route de Sel (Salt road) and the old royal road between Turin and Nice. In the Middle Ages salt was taken from the flats of Toulon and Hyères by boat to Nice and from there by convoys of mules to Piedmont and Lombardy. Sospel's most famous landmark, Le Pont Vieux, the base of which dates back to the 10th century, acted as a toll booth for traffic on the salt road. Today the tower in the middle of the bridge where the tolls were collected houses Sospel's tourist information office. Straddled across the river dominated by the old bridge, Sospel's old town is divided in two halves which often caused intense rivalries.

Another important point in Sospel's history was the construction 3km south between 1883 and 1886 of  Le Barbonnet - part of the Maginot Line. This was subsequently renovated in 1932 bringing it back in to fighting shape.

At the beginning of the last century Sospel was served by an efficient tramway joining it to Menton on the coast. Opened on 15th April 1912, it was also used to carry materials for the construction of the Nice - Breil railway, which was completed in 1928. The subsequent passeger numbers on the tramway dropped dramatically and in 1931 is was eventually closed as it was no longer economically viable.

During the second World War most of the inhabitants of Sospel were sent out of the village to work elsewhere and those who remained were basically prisoners with no real help or support from anywhere else. The famous bridge, which had already been partly rebuilt in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, was destroyed during the German retreat on the 27th and 28th October 1944 but faithfully rebuilt again in 1951.

Today Sospel attracts many types of visitors; day trippers looking for a lunch stop on scenic drives through the mountains, giving them a chance to walk through the narrow streets and marvel at the mediaeval atmosphere, while admiring the numerous façades decorated with trompes -l'oeil and of course the magnificence of the Baroque cathedral;  those who are looking for the heat in the summer while avoiding the crowds on the coast can stay and enjoy the summer festivals, exhibitions, craft fairs and markets; the adventurous, outdoors types are kept occupied by the variety of activities Sospel has to offer - hikers, horse-riders and cyclists are all extremely well catered for.