The beautiful French Riviera - La belle Côte d’Azur

The famous coastline of the Côte d’Azur is a long succession of elegant resorts with “mega” yacht filled harbours at Monaco, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez, and many more. With the pre-Alpes tumbling down to meet the sea, the coastal and inland scenery is quite amazing; from cornice hemmed coastlines, through gorges, to ski resorts above. Walled villages perched on rocky outcrops are scattered all around rise above the sea , where they were built for safety in the Middle Ages. Some famous, like St Paul de Vence, others yet to be discovered by the tourists.

There is a huge Italian influence to the area from the border at Menton as far as Nice and beyond. And this is very much reflected in the food and culture. Inland there are excellent lakes for sporting activities, at Lac St Cassien and Lac Ste Croix, providing excellent alternatives to the beach, with canoeing, windsurfing and pedalos. A number of islands sit off the coast, the Isles de Lerins from Cannes and the Iles de Hyères from the Var coastline, all fully accessible by one of the numerous boat trips offered along the coastline.

The region hosts many international events including the Monaco Grand Prix and the Cannes Film festival, both every May. In July and August there are truly magnificaent firework displays set to music , and held at almost every resort along the coast, plus a series of music events incuding the Nice and Juan les Pins Jazz festivals with many international artists performing.

Cultural events take place all along the Riviera and many famous people have lived in the area such as Cézanne, Chagall, Picasso, the Picasso museum is in Cagnes sur Mer and Renoir, whose museum is just inland at Cagnes old town. Matisse designed and decorated the chapel at Vence. You can visit glass blowing at the factories at Biot, pottery in Vallauris and the famous perfume industry at Grasse.

Nightlife along the Côte d’Azur is second to none in lively resorts such as Antibes and Juan les Pins; there are casinos at most large towns and restaurants at every street corner to match people’s tastes and budget. An abundance of seafood, olive oil, garlic and aromatic wild herbs are the key ingredients in this region. The Côte de Provence wines reflect the warmth and vibrancy of this region, and a visit to a local vineyard is a must, revealing the care and dedication required in producing your glass of wine.

Festivals and fêtes are held in every village throughout the summer with dances and traditional music played on Provencal instruments. Grasse hosts it’s Rose festival in May and the Fête du Jasmin in August with music and dancing in the streets. All this just goes to add to the unique ambiance that is Provence.

There are some excellent lakes for sporting activities as well as spectacular gorges, mountains and rivers. Lac St Cassien and Lac Ste Croix provide an excellent alternative to the beach with picnic areas, windsurfing, sailing, pedallos, canoeing and fishing. Lac St Cassien is especially world famous for its carp (permit required).

If it's a day on the sea that takes your fancy, there are boat trips from Mandelieu and Cannes to the Iles de Lerins, around the spectacular Esterel coastline or as an alternative way to reach Monaco or St Tropez. A day aboard a private yacht in the bay of St Tropez can also be arranged at very reasonable cost for up to 8 people, with a skipper, stewardess, snacks and lunch all included in the price.

There are cinemas at Cannes, Grasse, Antibes and Nice which show the latest films in English.

Riviera Radio broadcasts daily in English from Monaco with music, local news, local events, weather forecasts and BBC World Service News on 106.5 FM www.rivieraradio.mc.

Another good way to investigate life on the Riviera is on: www.angloinfo.com or www.beyond.fr/villages/stjeancf.html.

To find out much more about what's available in this beautiful region follow the links below to other official tourist websites:

www.ot-mandelieu.fr
www.cannes.fr
www.monaco-tourism.com
www.antibes-juanlespins.com
www.ville-grasse.fr
www.nova-fr/sainttropez/

Email us at: info@hotelair-holidays.com for more information, or to book your holiday now!