# Côte d’Azur — The South of France
> The French Riviera, from Nice to Menton — corniches above a cobalt sea, belle-époque villas, hill villages and the painters who never left. Hotels, tables, gardens and walks.

*Source : https://the-south-of-france.com/en/french-riviera/*

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The Region · La région

From the markets of _Nice_ to the lemon terraces of Menton, a coast of belle-époque villas, perched villages and a sea the colour of fired glaze.

![A perched village above the Mediterranean coast](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1597824854158-9226c52cd21b?fm=jpg&q=76&w=1600&auto=format&fit=crop) The Grand Report · Alpes-Maritimes

The Grand Report · Alpes-Maritimes

## Above the sea, the _villages perchés_ of the arrière-pays

Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Gourdon. Climb a few hundred metres off the Promenade and the Riviera turns to stone, herbs and silence.

Words — Camille Vasseur

[Read the report — lire le reportage](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/french-riviera/riviera-in-three-days/)

### The latest from the _Côte d’Azur_

[All articles →](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/journal/)

![A sea-front hotel on the Riviera](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1665237592603-b03f244e1496?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

Stay

#### Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat

A white palace at the tip of the cap, with a funicular down to a pool cut into the sea.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

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![A hill village among cypress](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1715792001784-708b1d2c0bcd?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

Villages

#### Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Ramparts, galleries and the Colombe d’Or, where painters once paid for lunch in canvases.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/french-riviera/saint-paul-de-vence/)

![A garden terrace above the coast](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1446155844149-5ac83a06ca74?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

Gardens

#### Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Nine gardens around a rose-pink villa, with musical fountains and a view of two bays.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

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![A medieval village clinging to a cliff](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1673423050661-134515109330?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

Walks

#### The path to Èze village

Nietzsche’s climb from the shore to the eagle’s nest, ending in an exotic garden in the sky.

Èze · Alpes-Maritimes

](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/french-riviera/eze-village/)

![A blue coastline below the cliffs](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1604948559069-3287d5c5a6e5?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

Art

#### The Matisse chapel

The Chapelle du Rosaire, which Matisse called his masterpiece — line, light and almost no colour.

Vence · Alpes-Maritimes

![A market street in an old town](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587579785043-eccb9f70391d?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop)

The Table

#### Cours Saleya market

Flowers, socca and candied fruit under the awnings of the old town, every morning but Monday.

Vieux Nice

The Address Book · Le carnet d’adresses

### The Riviera, _kept_

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Stay

##### La Colombe d’Or

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/stays/la-colombe-d-or/)

Table

##### Le Mirazur

Menton · the Italian border

Garden

##### Le Jardin Serre de la Madone

Menton

Coffee

##### Maison Auer

Vieux Nice

Shop

##### Confiserie Florian

Nice · candied flowers

Walk

##### Sentier du littoral

Cap Ferrat

[See all Riviera addresses →](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/stays/)