Seven Places that you cannot miss in French Riviera
Luxury yachts are everywhere on the blue sea; colorful towns located on the cliffs, peaceful fishing village as well as bathed in the Mediterranean sunshine. Here is French Riviera, a bright pearl in south of France.
Cannes
This beautiful city is famous for its annual Cannes International Film Festival, where every inch of land penetrates with centuries of history. There is a legend about the name of this famous seaside city: Once Napoleon on the way back from Elba Island, he was camping on the sand dunes on the coast, he saw that the crowds around them were holding “cane”, that’s why this coastline city is called Cannes.
In 1834, Nice broke out of cholera; the Lord Brougham came to Cannes for taking rest, which made this small fishing village changed into a vivid town. Cannes’s beauty completely conquered Lord Brougham’s heart; he built a luxury villa here and came here for vacation every winter in the next 34 years.
Nice
The port city of Nice is the capital city of the Alpes-Maritimes department, which is only 20 kilometers from the Italian border. The city was built by the Greek sailors around 350 BC, and the origin of the name “Nice” is said to commemorate the victory goddess Nike. The magnificent hills, busy harbors and solemn monuments attract many French artists in the history. When you walk in the city, sometimes you might find special footprints made by artists.
Menton
Menton isclose to Italian border, this lovely city has a crescent-shaped bay. It is also known as the French Riviera’s warmest resort in winter. What’s more, this beautiful place is also famous for its citrus trees and the annual winter lemon festival. In the last festival, about 140 tons of lemon and oranges were embedded in the frame, molded into many special sculptures throughout the town. Once you walk in the city, you will enchanted by the smooth fragrance if lemon.
Antibes
The port town of Antibes was called Antipolis, it was originally built as a Greek trade site and later was governed by King Louis XI in the 15th centuries. There is a magnificent chateau named Grimaldi château in Antibes where Pablo Picasso had been stayed in 1946, until today this chateau has been preserved as a museum. What’s more, this museum also shows the collection of prehistoric fossils and other arts collected by noble families during centuries. Thanks to the excellent beach resources and rich history, Antibes has become a truly attracting town.
Vence
The town of Vance is located between Nice and Antibes, which still retains its magnificent medieval walls. When the famous writer David Herbert Lawrence learned that he had tuberculosis, he moved to south of France, where he completed his final book “Apocalypse in Vance” in 1929. Don’t miss this place when you come to French Riviera, immerse yourself in the peaceful environment of medieval city.
Grasse
Grasse is located in the southeastern part of France. Because of the famous novel “perfume”, this exquisite city became well known in the world. The origin of making perfume dated back to the 17th century. At that time, the leather industry was booming in Grasse. In order to cover the smell of leather, people began to produce all kinds of perfume. Thanks to its natural environment, the soil was particularly suitable for the cultivation of roses, jasmine and other perfume raw materials, so the fragrance industry developed quickly here. Until today, Glass is still the center of the world perfume industry. From the perfume workshop in suburbs area to the flower Palace perfume factory in city center, you can find all kinds of perfume-related attractions everywhere. If you want, Electa Travels can help you make your own perfume.
Eze
Located between Monaco and Nice, Eze is a charming city full of flowers and love. Local habitants like to build their house on the cliffs, so that Eze is also known as “Eagle nest village”. According to reports, the famous philosopher Nietzsche has lived in the town of Eze from 1883 to 1886. Nietzsche is said to like to walk in the meandering mountain road and enjoy the spectacular sightseeing, which gave him inspiration for the creation of “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”. In order to commemorate him, the old city of Eze named a beautiful trail as “Nietzsche trail.”
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