Villefranche-sur-Mer Attractions
Villefranche-sur-Mer: Villefranche sits on a big, bowl-shaped blue bay that's large enough to accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world. A great place to just wander on foot, it's a got a seaside strip of outdoor cafes; flower-lined, pedestrian-only cobblestone streets filled with cute shops, private homes, and more cafes; and the rue Obscure, a covered street that looks more North African casbah than European resort, with vaulted archways and doors leading to mysterious little houses.
Nice: Nice, the capital of the Riviera, is the largest city between Genoa and Marseille and also one of the most ancient cities in the region, founded by the Greeks around 350 B.C. Artists and writers have long been attracted to the place, including Matisse, whose home, located in the once-aristocratic hilltop Cimiez neighborhood,
Musée Matisse, 164 av. Des Arénes-de-Cimiez, displays works donated by the artist and his heirs, including paintings, practice sketches and designs, and items from the artist's own collection and home. Admission is 5€ ($6.60). Closed Tuesday. Also in Cimiez is the
Musée National Message Biblique Marc-Chagall, avenue Du Dr.-Ménard, dedicated to the artist's treatment of biblical themes. Admission is 7.50€ ($10). Closed Tuesday. The
Musée des Beaux-Arts, 33 av. Des Baumettes, is devoted to the masters of the Second Empire and the Belle Epoque, with an extensive collection of 19th-century French artists, including Monet, Renoir, and Rodin. Admission is 5€ ($6.60). Nearby, the
Musée d'Art moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Promenade des Arts, displays collections of French and American art from the 1960s to the present, including works from the pop art, minimalist, and graffiti art movements. Admission is free.
Much of the heart of waterfront Nice is walkable. At the harbor, you can linger over an aperitif at a sidewalk cafe as you watch boats depart for Corsica. To the west, stretching toward Masséna, is the Vieille Ville (Old Town), whose Italianate facades suggest 17th-century Genoese palaces and whose narrow, maze-like streets are pedestrian-only. The promenade des Anglais, a wide boulevard on the bay, stretches several miles, offering a lovely walk past cafes, historic buildings, and beaches full of bronzed bikini bodies. The beaches go on for some 7km (4¼ miles), but they're pebbly.
Monaco: Visitors are always surprised by how small Monaco is. The second-smallest independent state in Europe (after Vatican City), the 196-hectare (485-acre) principality became the property of the Genoese Grimaldi clan in 1297, and has maintained something resembling independence ever since. The
Monte Carlo Casino, place du Casino, was built in 1878 by Charles Garnier, the architect who created the Paris Opera House. It is a very ornate building but not at all like a glitzy American (or cruise ship) casino. The gaming rooms, one leading into the next, feature elaborate frescoes and bas-reliefs. Games include baccarat, roulette, craps, and blackjack, as well as slot machines (in Salle Américaine). Admission starts at 10€ ($13.25).
