La Blue Coast is one of the most classic summer destinations in Europe and here is the charming Nice, capital of the department of the Alpes-Maritimes and one of the most elegant cities in France.
Nice, the belleIt has everything to honor its name but at this time of year what it has especially are tourists. Its Mediterranean climate, its natural landscapes, its surroundings, all make it one of the best spas to enjoy, even for a few days, this summer 2016. But if people tire you and your thing is to be on the move, you can always get the feet sand and visit the picturesque villages, towns and villages around Nice.
Cannes
We start with the best known destinations and those that you have to know yes or yes if you have not traveled them yet. Cannes is synonymous with luxury, elegance and cinema. There are major designer stores, expensive cars, wealthy people and a lot charm but there is also Old Cannes with its narrow streets, its Le Suquet hill, the Musée de la Castre, La Croisette and the beautiful views of the bay from which there are also great views of the nearby Esterel mountains.
Inside Cannes you can also take a little boat and do a couple of excursions to the sea, to the Island of Saint-Honorat where there is an old Cistercian monastery and to the island of Sainte-Marguerite with its 170th century fort, its botanical path and its XNUMX hectares of forest or the Museum of the Sea. Lérins Islands.
Saint Tropez
It is a capital of international tourism of lineage because their prices are high throughout the year. Still we can take a little tour and know what has made it so famous for at least the last half century.
The village with its old orange tiled roof houses is charming, crossed by narrow streets so typical of French Provence. There is also a XNUMXth century citadel, beaches of pebbles that will not be comfortable but they are beautiful, an enchanting network of coastal paths that runs through the wooded peninsula of Saint-Tropez and some museums interesting such as the Naval Museum, the Museum of Maritime History of Saint-Tropez, the Museum of l'Annonciade or the Museum des Papillons, for example.
If you arrive early you can visit the Fish Market, every day, or other markets that are organized on other days of the week. And if you walk early you can always reach the villages that are hidden in the nearby villages such as Grimaud or Ramtuelle.
Roquebilliere
This is the only spa on the French Riviera and that is its merit even though it is a beautiful town with tight old houses that are distinguished by their colorful orange tile roofs. It is on a hill surrounded by forests and the most interesting thing to see is a XNUMXth century church, Saint-Michel de Gast, and two chapels, that of Madone de Berthemont and that of the White Penitents.
saorge
If you like medieval buildings, I would not miss this excursion from Nice. It's a typical fortified medieval village that closes the Roya valley and has so much charm that It is a Monument Village according to the French government.
You can arrive at noon, have lunch and then dedicate yourself to discovering its past: the panoramic views from the ruins of the Mallemort castle They are great but among the streets of the town there are hidden religious jewels such as chapels and churches.
Grasse
If you like French perfumes or the history of lotions and perfumes, Grasse will be on your itinerary since the seventeenth century it is the heart of French perfumery. That is why the town offers its visitors several guided tours around the perfumery: there is the International Perfume Museum and its herb and flower gardens, for example, but you can also tour the Fragonard Museum or Provencal Museum of Jewelery and Clothing.
Visits to the International Perfume Museum are available all year round but must be requested beforehand. Beyond the enchanting aromas the old town of Grasse is a beauty with its cathedral and its XNUMXth century square decorated with arches.
suspected
Between the mountains and hills of the Bévara Valley is this small town, close to the border with Italy. In winter, very few people come but at this time, with the arrival of tourists, it explodes. Its charm is purely medieval because It has preserved its medieval urban layout, its churches and its central square in the Baroque style.. Amen to its iconic bridge.
The good news is that the local tourist office organizes guided tours all year round.
Mougins
If you don't have much time to do an extensive tour, you may be interested in stepping on Mouguins. It is only 15 minutes from Cannes and a medieval village magnificent hidden in a forest of pine, cypress and olive trees.
If you see the village from the sky looks like a circle of orange tiles, tight, where it is almost impossible to distinguish the streets that cross it. But it is beautiful because the people who inhabit it take care of it and pamper it, decorate it with flowers and keep everything perfectly well. Around it is the Valmasque Forest Park with 427 hectares, so between the village that is well preserved and the green and healthy lung that surrounds it, I would say that this destination is the best.
If you walk through the park and climb the mountains you will have a superb view of the Bay of Cannes, the nearby village of Grasse, the Lérins Islands and the pre-Alps.
Gourdon
Gourdon is a medieval village what the competition does to Mougins: It is on a rocky cliff from which you have a view that extends for 80 kilometers from the coast. Medieval houses built in bricks and with tiled roofs, well in the Provencal style, a population of craftsmen, a modern paragliding school and a stately castle surrounded by beautiful gardens are its best features.
Gourdon it is only ten minutes from the coast of Mediterranean coast.
These are some of the excursions you can do from Nice. If you rent a car or have your own it is easier. They are not the only destinations: Villeneuve-Loubet ,, Cagnes-sur-mer, La Turbie, La Bollène Vèsubie, Coaraze, Menton, Venanson, Monaco, Auron, Tende, Peille, Breil-sur-roya, La Colmaine or Belvèdere, just to name a few of the many destinations offer theirs both in summer and winter.
To take advantage of them I would say to buy the French Riviera Pass it is an option. It's a tourist pass that the city provides and that allows you to discover its attractions along the French Riviera with free destinations and discounts. You have three versions, of one, two or three days and three options that also include transport: the pass only costs 26, 38 and 56 euros respectively and if you add the transport the final price is 30, 46 and 68 euros respectively.