French Riviera
The French Riviera (or Côte d'Azur) is the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France. It includes famously glamorous beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez and Cannes, and the independent microstate of Monaco. A health retreat in the 18th century, the area later attracted aristocrats, artists and the 1960s "jet set." Today it’s an established holiday destination, with paths connecting many coastal villages and towns.
From Antibes to the National Picasso Museum "War and Peace", by way of the Maeght Foundation, be won over by the painter’s passion for the Côte d'Azur. The Greek Villa of Kerylos, the Cimiez Arenas, the Tropaeum Alpium are ample evidence of strong ties linking the Côte d'Azur to Antiquity, whether through legacy or direct imitation. The Villa Ephrussi Rothschild, the Chapelle Notre-Dame des Fontaines or the Notre-Dame Sanctuary of Laghet show just how much Italy has influenced the architecture of the Côte d'Azur, not forgetting the Russian Church and the Chagall Museum in Nice, or the new Jean Cocteau Museum (Severin Wunderman collection) in Menton. Cannes, Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat, and Nice have long been the favoured pleasure grounds of International Aristocracy, which has left an indelible stamp on these towns. It’s the apotheosis of elegance and luxury from the Promenade des Anglais to La Croisette and from yachts to palaces. The hinterland is teeming with sites of great renown: Grasse and its perfume shops, St. Paul of Vence, and the Napoleon Route which links Golfe-Juan to Gronable over 300km.
