The name evokes a coastline of shimmering beauty, of small mountain ranges plunging into the blue Mediterranean, of lush gardens with exotic trees and heady perfumes, a charming backcountry. A superb climate, with warm Winters. How can one help falling in love with its dream landscapes, its sun, its colours, its rocks and its beaches, its gardens, its picturesque inland villages and its wild, rugged scenery ? A land superb diversity that has thrilled men since the dawn of time. Indeed, it is nicknamed "The" Coast, as if it were unique. The French Riviera is unique.

The cave paintings at Vallon Pont d’Arc and the petroglyphs of the Merveilles Valley confirm that humans have been living in the area since prehistoric times. The Greeks and the Romans colonized the area, as they did the rest of the Mediterranean rim. It has withstood barbarian invasions as well as pirate offensives. Over the course of several tumultuous periods, monasteries turned into virtual fortresses. Peasants left the valleys for the mountains, where they built ramparts around their villages. For centuries, dukes, counts, and kings of Provence, Savoy, Anjou, Catalonia, and Sardinia coveted the region before it became a point of friction between France and Italy. Annexed by France in the 19th century, the province bears the marks of both countries. There is an undeniable whiff of Italy in the air. It’s one of the unique aspects of this region, one of its many charms. English aristocrats were the first to succumb to the charm of the Côte d’Azur, as evidenced by the celebrated Promenade des Anglais. The international reputation of Nice, Cannes, and Monaco was launched when the region became the rendezvous of the European aristocracy in the 19th century. The arrival of the railroad during the Belle Epoch amplified its status. In the 20th century, beach resorts sprang up all along the coast between Toulon and Menton, all competing with one another with attractive beaches, promenades along the water’s edge, palace hotels, and yachting ports. This intense development sometimes became excessive. In fact, there the Riviera has several faces—there are several Rivieras. There is the legendary Riviera, luxurious one frequented by international millionaires; the one inhabited by artists; the one overrun by mass tourism; the one belonging to well-off retirees; and that which is home to the year-round population, a group with diverse origins. The Niçois writer Louis Nucera wondered: “Have I really shown the contrast between the frenetic nightlife and the everyday life of simple people, between opulent villas and old homes with thick walls, cool in the summer, warm in the winter, between the restaurants of great chefs and those of local traditions, between the vast avenues and the tiny squares whose every detail is a pleasure!”

An eternally cosmopolitan rendezvous, the Riviera never ceases to attract artists. Writers were the first to come, including Maupassant who described the area’s appeal with style. Many of them, both French and English-speaking, fell in love with the region and moved in: Collette, Miller, Fitzgerald, Lawrence (author of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”), and Hemmingway. Aldous Huxley wrote “Brave New World” here. The clear light of the Mediterranean also drew painters. Impressionists and Fauvists found new sources of inspiration here, including Cézanne and Monet. Renoir painted the olive trees on his property. Signac and Dunoyer du Segonzac painted the port, the village, and the environs of St-Tropez. The names Bonnard, Matisse, Dufy, de Staël, and, after the Second World War, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Dubuffet, and Chagall, are intimately linked to the region. Cubism and surrealism blossomed here, as do contemporary painting and sculpture today. There are several museums dedicated to these artists in the region in Nice (the Matisse, Chagall, and Contemporary Art museums), Antibes, Vallauris (Picasso), Biot (Léger), Cagnes (Renoir), Menton (Cocteau), and St-Tropez (Musée de l’Annonciade), as well as chapels decorated by Cocteau in Fréjus and Villefranche.

The cinema has always played a major role on the Côte d’Azur. Film directors take advantage of the landscape’s sublime decors, as well as the generous light, and occasionally, the colorful Mediterranean characters. The list of films shot in the area, either outdoors or in the old Victorine studios in Nice, is very long. A few landmarks: The Devil’s Envoys and The Children of Paradise by Marcel Carné, …And God Created Woman by Roger Vadim, which launched the career of Brigitte Bardot. The New Wave started here: Pierrot le Fou, by Jean-Luc Goddard with Jean-Paul Belmondo, was shot at Porquerolles. The Iron Mask, by Henri Decoin with Jean Marais, was shot at Sospel. As were many of the films of Marcel Pagnol with Raimu and Montand. Famous actors and singers like Gérard Phillipe, Jean Marais, Yves Montand, and Jean-Paul Belmondo got in the habit of meeting up on the Riviera during the international summit meeting of the film world, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

This coast is often compared to the Garden of Eden—facing the sea, protected from the northern winds and frost. One finds all the plant life of the Mediterranean basin here: cork oaks, pistachio trees, olive trees, fig trees, eucalyptus, cypress, as well as orange trees, lemon trees, and many tropical species, such as date palms from the Canary Islands, succulent plants, climbing ice plants, Barbary figs, and other cacti. The warm climate is perfect for raising flowers: carnations, roses, mimosas, violets, are sold in bunches or used for perfume. Grasse is the capital of this prestigious production; its perfume manufacturing origins can be traced back to the perfumers and glove-makers guild that prospered in the 15th century. The precious essential oils are extracted from rose, jasmine, orange flower, mimosa, geranium, lavender, thyme, and violet petals, among others. In spite of the recent competition from synthetics, perfume production is holds an important place in the local economy.

The wooded Maures and Esterel massifs offer a breathtaking backdrop of capes, bays, isthmuses, rocky promontories, and islets; the red porphyry of the Esterel adds a touch of color to landscapes that an artist might have dreamed up. Fine sand beaches line the coast. St-Tropez, a small Provencal town that has turned into a myth, lies at the back of a magnificent bay. On another bay, also a well-protected harbor, the port and city of Toulon was born, a city with an incredible military and maritime history. This town has been the setting for some major historic events. During the French Revolution, young General Bonaparte won his first battle here against the Anglo-Spanish fleet, which occupied the harbor. During the Second World War, the French navy was trapped in the harbor; it sunk it’s own fleet to avoid being captured by the Germans. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the port of Toulon was the destination of those condemned to the galleys, usually political or religious prisoners. When the galleys were finally outlawed, the prisoners became forced laborers who had the thankless job of maintaining the harbor.

Facing Hyères, the southernmost and most venerable resort on the coast, lauded for its palm trees, are the heavenly islands of Porquerolles, Port-Cros, and Levant. Lying on the azure sea, these isles possess magnificent vegetation and coastline. The environment is heavily protected; there is a marine reserve near Port-Cros. Between the sea and the mountains, the French Riviera offers intense contrasts. In less than an hour you can drive from the beach to a ski resort! The Mediterranean Alps—which reach as high as 3,000 meters in the Mercantour massif—are cordoned off by the high valleys of the Var: the Tinée and Vésubie valleys and the Loup Gorges, excellent opportunities to explore. Between Nice and Menton, the mountain chain makes its most spectacular plunges into the water, protecting the Riviera from the northern winds.

One of the delights of the Nicois and Varois back country is visiting picturesque hilltop villages. Facing directly south on the sides of mountains, or clinging to the summits like eagle’s nests, they have preserved their authentic character. Old dwellings with vaulted arches, tiny stairways and squares, fountains, steep streets crossed by archways, hobnailed doors—here you will find ancient architectural details and their basic building material: stone. It is everywhere. Used for ramparts against invaders, to build houses, churches, cisterns, and fountains, to pave streets, squares, and terraces, to sculpt statues of patron saints that were placed in niches to protect homes. Now tourism thrives and boutiques are bringing work to traditional artisans who produce ceramics, pottery, blown glass, and Provencal fabrics.

A tourist Mecca, the French Riviera’s agenda is filled with festive events, including Nice’s Carnival and Menton’s Lemon Festival. They say that in the beginning, Carnival was a raucous bash that honored couples getting remarried, and that instead of throwing confetti and flower petals, they hurled rotten eggs and oranges! Many regional festivals have their origins in local traditions, or a particularly successful local product, such as the Corso du Mimosa, or the festivals of roses, jasmine, olive trees, chestnuts, olive branches, grapes, “cougourdons” (dried and painted gourds), pottery, fishermen, and shepherd’s Christmas. Event information can be found at the tourist offices, which also offer maps of scenic drives and themed itineraries.

The cuisine is like the countryside: sun-drenched. Colorful and animated, the scent of garlic and herbs hovers over open-air markets—heaven for those who appreciate quality ingredients. “Fish live in the water and die in oil,” according to an old Provencal saying. Garlic, olive oil, and herbs are the three principal elements of this cuisine. The local specialty is aioli, a mayonnaise made with garlic and olive oil. It is served with many different meats and fish (rockfish, sea bass, or monkfish), as well as hors d’oeuvres, and fish soup (bourride). Aromatic herbs, used in various ways to flavor dishes, are the cooks’ secret weapons. Wild thyme, tarragon, juniper, basil, sage, marjoram, fennel, savory—their names are as delicious as dishes they season.

As in Provence, bouillabaisse holds a special place in the local diet. Pistou, a vegetable soup with garlic and basil, is often found on the family table, as well as the fougasse, a cake flavored with orange flower water, which is served for dessert. Nice’s cuisine includes its own widely reputed specialties: Niçoise salad, pissaladière (a sort of pizza seasoned with onions, olives, and anchovy sauce), soca (a crepe made of chickpea flour), poutina (marinated fry served cold), pain bagna (the local sandwich), etc.
The Riviera—a dream destination that knows how to tickle a gourmet’s taste buds. The ideal spot for indulging in the art of living.

Design hotels and unique BBs in the French Riviera