The French Riviera (Côte d’Azur — literally “Coast of Azure”) stretches approximately 300km from Menton on the Italian border to Toulon in the west. It is one of the world’s most visited coastal destinations — famous for its combination of Mediterranean climate (sunshine average 300+ days per year), proximity to the Alps (skiing 90 minutes from Nice), concentrated wealth (Monaco is the most expensive real estate market on Earth), and the artistic heritage accumulated by the painters who lived here (Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Chagall, Cocteau — all spent significant time on the Riviera).
Nice
Nice (population 340,000; 6th largest city in France) is the Riviera’s capital and most liveable city. The Promenade des Anglais: the 7km seafront promenade (named for the English aristocracy who financed its construction in the 19th century) — one of the great European sea promenades, lined with Belle Époque hotels (the Negresco is the most famous — its dome designed to match that of St Isaac’s Cathedral in St Petersburg). The Vieille Ville (Old Town): Nice was Italian (the County of Nice under the Kingdom of Sardinia) until 1860 — the old town architecture is Baroque Italian, not French. The narrow streets of the old town open onto the Cours Saleya market (daily flower and food market — one of the finest in France; antique market Mondays). The Colline du Château (Castle Hill): no longer has a castle (it was demolished in 1706) — now a public park with the best view of Nice’s bay, the Baie des Anges. The Musée Matisse (Cimiez, northeast Nice): the definitive collection of Henri Matisse’s work, in a 17th-century Genoese villa on an olive-tree hill. Matisse lived in Nice for the last 37 years of his life — the museum gives his work the context and scale it deserves. The Musée Marc Chagall: the largest collection of Chagall’s work anywhere, particularly his Biblical Message series.
The Corniche Roads and Monaco
Three corniche roads (cliff roads) connect Nice to Menton, each at a different altitude: the Basse Corniche (D6098) hugs the coast through Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Èze-sur-Mer, Cap d’Ail, and Monaco; the Moyenne Corniche (N7) runs mid-slope through the hill villages, including Èze (the perched village — a medieval village at 429m with views from the Alps to Corsica); the Grande Corniche (D2564) is the highest, running along the route of the Roman Via Aurelia. The most spectacular views: from the Grande Corniche, particularly the viewpoints at La Turbie (with the Trophée d’Auguste — a Roman trophy monument from 6 BC, UNESCO listed). Monaco (population 39,000; area 2.02 km²): the second-smallest country in the world by area. The Casino de Monte-Carlo (1863, designed by Charles Garnier who also designed the Paris Opera): the source of Monaco’s fame — the building is the most famous casino in the world. The Oceanographic Museum (Institut Océanographique): founded by Prince Albert I, directed by Jacques Cousteau from 1957 to 1988 — one of the finest natural history museums in Europe with a living aquarium. The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix: one of the slowest Grand Prix circuits in the world (narrow streets mean average speeds of 160km/h vs 250+ on most circuits) and one of the most prestigious — held on the streets through which we have been walking since 1929. The Rock of Monaco (Le Rocher): the old city, with the Palais Princier (Royal Palace — the Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297), the Cathedral (where Grace Kelly is buried), and the original fortress.
