French Riviera

The French Riviera stretches along the Mediterranean from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border, offering one of Europe's most legendary coastlines. This is where Picasso painted, where Grace Kelly became a princess, and where the jet set invented leisure travel.

Nice serves as the natural hub, a proper city with year-round life beyond tourism. The Promenade des Anglais offers the iconic seafront walk, while the old town's narrow streets hide excellent restaurants and vibrant markets. The Cours Saleya market explodes with color every morning. Museums dedicated to Matisse and Chagall reveal why artists couldn't resist this light.

Cannes brings Hollywood glamour to the Mediterranean. The film festival may be exclusive, but anyone can walk the red carpet steps at the Palais des Festivals. The old town of Le Suquet offers views across the bay, while the Croisette invites elegant promenading.

Monaco packs incredible density into its tiny territory. The casino at Monte Carlo defines a certain kind of glamour, while the Prince's Palace recalls the fairy-tale wedding of Grace Kelly. The changing of the guard, the oceanographic museum, and the grand prix circuit through the streets all merit exploration.

Beyond the famous cities, smaller treasures await. Antibes preserves a charming old town behind its ramparts, with the Picasso Museum in the château where the artist once worked. Èze clings to its clifftop between Nice and Monaco, offering stunning views and medieval atmosphere. Saint-Paul-de-Vence attracted artists from Chagall to Baldwin with its gallery-lined streets.

The Riviera beach experience ranges from public stretches with pebbly shores to exclusive beach clubs with fine dining and sun loungers. The water lives up to its name — genuinely azure, clear, and inviting from June through September.

Getting around relies on a combination of coastal trains, boats, and cars. The Corniche roads offer some of Europe's most spectacular driving, though parking in summer challenges patience. Boats connect the coastal towns and offer the view that attracted visitors in the first place.