| COTE D’AZUR FROM CANNES TO NICE |
| COTE D’AZUR |
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| Due to its wonderful climate, this narrow strip wedged between the sea and the mountains became the winter residence of the wealthy international aristocracy, who, with their unlimited imagination, created sumptuous palaces, one thousand and one night villas and exotic parks. |
Terreprovence |
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COTE D’AZUR FROM CANNES TO NICE - Antibes
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COTE D’AZUR FROM CANNES TO NICE - La Croisette - Cannes
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| But even though the Princes of yesteryear have surrendered the place to the international celebrities in the fashion world, show-biz and politics, it makes little difference as the Cote d’Azur continues to fascinate and attract a large number of tourists. |
 COTE D’AZUR FROM CANNES TO NICE - L'île Sainte-Marguerite |
 COTE D’AZUR FROM CANNES TO NICE - Cagnes sur Mer
The International Film Festival, created in 1946, raised Cannes to star level and Place la Croisette became a Must.
TO SEE
La Croisette, one of the most famous promenades in the world. It follows the curve of the bay and over 3 kms there is a succession of flower gardens, exotic palms, elegant buildings and prestigeous hotels. You will find luxury boutiques at every step, superb cars with chauffeurs standing patiently beside them, and who knows, you might be lucky enough to see a famous face. The California suburb is found to the east of the town where you will see villas you only dream about, witnesses to the splendour of 19th century Cannes. The aristocrats of that epoch gave free rein to their imagination and showed it with their neo-gothic, oriental or art deco facades.
Le Suquet. On the heights of Mont Chevalier, far away from the of the Croisette world, is the old town. The Abbes de Lerins constructed a tower, a château and finally, to protect the fishermen from Sarrasine attacks, a surrounding wall. The château dating between the 11th and 12th centuries is now the Musee de la Castre housing important archeological collections. The Place de la Castre is dominated by the Notre Dame d’Esperance church, constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries. There is a beautiful view over the bay from the terrace. The Greek Orthodox Saint Michel l’Archange Church with its beautiful icons is a reminder of the strong Russian presence in Cannes.
SURROUNDINGS
LE CANNET is called the "Madere de la France" due to its dry, temperate climate. Sheltered from the northern winds by the surrounding wooded hills, this place offers a panoramic view over the Iles de Lerins and the Corniche de l’Esterel. The painter Bonnard passed his years here and contributed to the fame of the village. Visit the 15th century St. Sauveur Chapel, decorated by Tobiasse and the Lovers Wall by Peynet.
LES ILES DE LERINS - 15 minutes by boat and you will arrive in completely different environment:
SAINT-MARGUERITE Densely covered in foliage, this place was already known in antiquity as extensive excavations have revealed the presence of a Roman city and port. The botanic path offers numerous Mediterranean species as well as a meridian flora and leads to the Fort Royal built by Richelieu and reinforce by Vauban. In 1687 it became a State prison and it was here that the mysterious and famous Masque de Fer was incarcerated. Today it is the Museum de la Mer with a small aquarium in the courtyard.
SAINT-HONORAT is a religious island, part of which is occupied by a Monastery belonging to the Monks of the Cistercian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception. This ancient fortified Monastery goes back to 1073 but the first floor dates from between the 14th and 17th centuries. The more recent built in the 19th century, surrounds the ancient buildings. Seven chapels scattered over the island complete the Monastery. You will find it situated at the extreme southern point and although the island is a private domain you can stroll about and swim.
JUAN LES PINS "…when the jazz is there…" A marshy site from the Middle Ages, where up until the 19th century there was only sand and pines. In 1920 the Americans revolutionized the place: sunbathing, bikinis, water-skiing and..…a new music composed by Black Americans called JAZZ. The nights were filled with this new rhythm and the young of this Golden Age danced the nights away. Sidney Bechet celebrated his marriage there and organised concerts every summer. It was not until 1959 that the first Festival of Jazz was organised. Since then the biggest names in Jazz have played here thereby firmly cementing this seaside island resort as the European Capital of Jazz.
SURROUNDINGS
GOLFE JUAN is a very popular seaside resort thanks to its beautiful fine sandy beach and sheltered bay for mooring. VALLAURIS is the "French town of ceramics". The Romans had already exploited the surrounding rich clayey earth, followed by the Monks, then the Genoese. They made Vallauris the center of ceramic pottery. After a decline, Picasso relaunched this activity and injected new life into the industry. Today Vallauris is an artisan town of art and traditional pottery. Every second year the Biennale de la Ceramic regroups a selection of 200 works out of 1500 from all over the world. To See: The château reconstructed in the 16th century is a rare example of Provencal Renaissance architecture. The Biennale is held here and within you will find two Museums:
The National War and Peace Museum where you can admire a composition by Picasso on this theme, commissioned by the town in 1952.
The Magnelli Museum exhibits contemporary ceramics.
ANTIBES was founded by the Greeks from Massalia in the BC 4th century. It has for a long time stayed the only major metropolis between Marseille and Italy. Its name Antipolis "the town in front" comes from its geographical situation geographic (facing Nice). It is the only coastal town to have been surrounded by ramparts and each epoch has been conserved both historically and culturally. Antibes is the major center of flower production and with 25 kms of coastal beaches it is also a very popular seaside resort.
TO SEE :
The Amiral de Grasse promenade is along the only ramparts intact since the 17th century. The Church of the Immaculate Conception – a cathedral from the Middle Ages and its bell tower was the ancient watch tower and dates from the 12th century. Fort Care constructed in 1550 on a isolated rock was further improved by Vauban. A must is the Grimaldi Picasso Museum, once a 12th century château built on the structures of a roman castrum. The château was rebuilt in the 16th century but the primitive structure of the roman tower was left intact. Today it houses the Picasso Donation consisting of numerous paintings, sketches and designs from the artist and an important collection of ceramics. The Peynet Museum exhibits the works of Peynet who lived in Antibes in 1950. Visit the fascinating Archeological Museum in the St.Andre bastion where you can study 4000 years of Antibes history. Port Vauban is the largest port in Europe for pleasure boats.
SURROUNDINGS
LE CAP D’ANTIBES
Wonderful walks can be taken on the ‘almost-an-island’ where are hidden sumptuous hotels and magnificent villas behind a screen of verdure and flowers. Visit the Sanctuaire de la Garoup with its two adjoining chapels. In one you will see a fresco from J. Clergues and a ex-voto collection and in the other, the marine ex-voto. The Jardin Thuret created by the botanist Gustave Thuret in 1857, is a botanical garden stretching over four hectares planted with a collection of plants and exotic trees. The Napoleonian Museum houses, as its name implies, Napoleonian souvenirs. It is situated in the ancient Grillon battery and if you climb to the rooftop you will have a wonderful view over the coast to the Iles de Lerins and the Alpes.
BIOT is a perched village dating from BC 154, overlooking hills covered in mimosa and olive groves where beautiful ceramics have been produced since antiquity. In the Middle Ages, Biot was reputed for its large varnished jars used for conserving and transporting oil, More recently, it has built up a reputation for glass and glassblowing. A visit to the village with its small winding streets and paths, is a voyage back in history: the Portugon, the Calade des Migraniers, Place de la Catastrophe where two houses collapsed on the night of June 12, 1898…. Visit the Biot Museum, raised on the ruins of the Chapelle des Penitents Blancs, where you will learn about the important episodes in the history of the village. The Musee Fernand Leger contains his paintings, ceramics and mosiacs left to the State by his wife. The Biot glass works shows the different stages of glassblowing and also has an interesting gallery of beautiful examples.
CAGNES SUR MER is nestled in the middle of hills dotted with oliver trees, cyprus and flowers. The town is composed of three different areas – Haute de Cagnes with its Medieval decor, the modern, commercial town, and Cros de Cagnes which is a small port and seaside resort. Haut de Cagnes is picturesque with numerous small streets, markets and arcaded houses which attracted many famous artists such as Ziem, Modigliani, Cezanne and Renoir who lived there in 1907. Visit the Medieval château built in 1310 by Rainier Grimaldi and transformed in a magnificent dwelling in 1620. Today it houses the Musee de l’Olivier which relates the history and cultivation of this tree, the Musee d’Art Moderne Mediterraneen and the Donation Suzy Solidor, a celebrated 20th century singer. The Musee Renoir was the painter’s house, "les Collettes", which he acquired in 1907 and where he lived with his family. Within you can view his souvenirs and paintings from the last period of his life as well as beautiful sculptures in the garden.
SURROUNDINGS
VILLENEUVE-LOUBET, birthplace of the famous chef, Auguste Escoffier, is the old village dominated by a 13th century château, restored in the 19th century. The modern town - Marina Baie des Anges - is on the coast and is one of the most prestigious real estate projects in the Cote d’Azur. Visit the Musee de l’Art Culinaire situated in the house where Auguste Escoffier was born wherein, apart from the chef’s souvenirs, there is impressive documentation on the art of cooking. The Museum of History and Art is consecrated to the major conflicts in which France was involved during the 20th century. |
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