Southern France – Côte d’Azur
Paris is the place that comes to mind when people think of France.
But for me, it is Côte d’Azur. This region has been home for many artists including Matisse, Picasso, Renoir and Signac. Côte d’Azur is the green, and the magnificent place that we see in the French movies. It is in the Southwest including Théoule-sur-Mer and the coastline to the Italian border.
The French Riviera is famous as a holiday destination for celebrities. I want you to go and see its magnificent blue sea, the beautiful beaches, taste the unique flavors of the Mediterranean cuisine and visit the small villages that have a touch of the Middle Ages.
If you don’t want to go to Côte d’Azur in the summer when it is extremely crowded, go there in the spring. I went there in September and I liked the place very very much.
Tourist areas in Cote d’Azur
If you want to go around easily in Côte d’Azur, I suggest you stay in Nice. Nice is the most convenient town for transportation.
The most famous towns in the region are Nice, Marseille, Cannes, St Tropez and Monaco. In my opinion, do not bother with tours in Southern France, go there on a 20-day-trip and enjoy the beauties in the region. The places you should definitely see are Saint-Paul de Vence, Eze, Old Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer. If you are going to stay longer see Menton, Grasse, and Antibes. On our trip we went to Italy from Southern France.
I will give you brief information about my favorite three regions.
Favorite places in Cote d’Azur
- Saint-Paul de Vence
This is a very small town, lots of artists and intellectuals have lived here in the past— Jean-Paul Sartre is one of them.
The sunlight shines from a very special angle onto this town. Famous painters have come here to paint in this soft light. Picasso is one of them. In time, the town became famous with its painters. Today there are many important art galleries and museums in the town. You can see a very famous painting on the wall of any boutique hotel or restaurant in the town. Boutique hotels and restaurants are often full, I suggest you make a reservation well before you go.
- Eze
The town of Eze is built on a high hill between Nice and Monaco. It has a very beautiful view. The town was built in the middle ages. Today, it has a magnificent botanical garden. It’s really a corner of heaven, not of this world. You can catch the sea view from almost everywhere in town.
In Eze restaurants have at least three Michelin stars. So eat wherever you want. The boutique hotel restaurants are great, and there are also many cafes around.
While you are in Eze, I suggest you go to Parfumerie Fragonard’s perfume museum. That is a magical place with giant imbics, you will be mesmerized by the fragrances.
- Cannes
As you know, the biggest event of the French Riviera is the Cannes Film Festival. The festival is in May but ddurşng the festival eason the town will be more expensive and more packed.
The most important architectural landmark is Palais des Festivals et des Congres, built in 1949 by two architects, Sir Hubert Bennett and François Druet. The festival is hosted in the Congres.
The Boulevard de la Croissette in Cannes is the most famous street and there are cafes and restaurants. You can also visit the old city and Vieux Port and Le Suquet districts.that part of the city is very lively. You can take a trip out to the villages of Cannes and look at the city from above.
I hope I could give you some ideas about Southern France.
Have a lovely trip
Anıl Uzun