August 12, 2018 Comments Off on The French Riviera Views: 1238 Urban Trekker

The sun always shines on the French Riviera.

Or so does it seem.

This corner of the world lives in the imagination of many. It is the paradise in the Mediterranean.

In pop culture: where Elton John filmed his video for I’m Still Standing (in Cannes at the InterContinental Carlton Cannes and also in Nice). Monaco is sung by ABBA in Money, Money, Money, where one could make a fortune, and life will never be the same.

In history: the famed French Riviera (or otherwise Côte d’Azur) – encompassed the first modern resort area.

The Riviera can be pinned down from Cassis, or Toulon, or Saint-Tropez on the west, to the France-Italy border in the east where the Italian Riviera adjoins.

The popularity of the Riviera initially grew as a winter health resort which largely attracted the British upper-class society of the 18th and 19th centuries. Queen Victoria and King Edward VII were some of the most famed visitors of this era.

During the 20th century, the region attracted a great many artists or writers, including Picasso, Matisse, and Huxley. Well-off people kept on coming, both from continental Europe and across the pond.

The largest city in this region? Nice.

Total foreign residents around? More than 80,000.

Their nationalities? From more than 160 different countries around the world.

So yes, the French Riviera, ultimately, is a special place to visit, enjoy the sea, and try not to have all your money spent on gambling.

Nice

According to tradition, every journey to the Côte d’Azur should start with Nice. As is the case with the other cities on the Riviera, Nice is overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean. The perfect blend of the seascapes and the old architecture make this city a vibrant place to be. One of the check-in points is La Colline du Château (Castle Hill) to instantly realize what all that excitement is about.

Other places to check out: Baie des Anges for an extraordinary panoramic view, the boardwalk of Nice, and the Old Town, a blissful labyrinth of narrow streets, filled with lively eateries, restaurants, shops, and galleries.

Cannes Cannes is about glamor, flashlights and red carpets as the city’s famed film festival take place each May. But the blitz merely begins there. Every corner of Cannes talks money and glamour: from La Croisette and its couture shops, designer bars and palaces, to opulent-looking automobiles on every corner of the streets, to spotting celebrities on a yacht.

Monaco

It may appear that Monaco is the most opulent-looking fo all places on the Riviera. Why so? It was due to a law. Gambling was forbidden for over a century in France, and this law was not repealed until after World War Two. But Monaco, a semi-enclave, a little kingdom that is, bordering France on three of its side, had always flourished with casinos to the utmost pleasure of the ultra-rich.

In the years after the war, Monaco eventually started losing its special status as the only casino haven on the Riviera. Competitors quickly showed up elsewhere along the coast. However, Monaco was saved in instances such as the famed wedding of Grace Kelly with Monaco’s Prince Rainier III (1956). More than 20,000 people lined the streets to greet the future princess, who not only brought her own little fortune to the small kingdom but fame and image too, putting back Monaco at the center of attention on the Riviera.

Menton

Everyone knows Nice, Cannes, and Monaco, but have you ever heard of Menton?

This city retains all the aesthetics of the better-known coastal touristic hotspots, except the flocks of tourists are nowhere to be seen. Off-season, the place can even be totally empty. Menton is more about the slower way of life, and where one can easily enjoy an authentic reliving of the Riviera as if this was the 1960s… or the 1920s… Just let the imagination go.

In February, the town hosts its Lemon Festival, which in essence cherishes the past of the place when people largely survived on growing and selling citrus. Installations almost entirely made of lemons and oranges are set around the town during the festivity period. Quite cool!

Besides, Menton has mesmerizing gardens and exceptional cuisine offered both by French and Italian restaurants. Italy is just nearby, in the neighborhood.

Grasse

Last but not least on the French Riviera is Grasse, a vivid village that thrives since the medieval times, and is a distinguished world capital of perfumes. The area is dominated by hills, as much as unceasing fields of lavender. The place is situated in between Nice and Cannes, and whether you happen to be an all-about-perfumes person, you can even take a tour of some of the local factories which have perfume production lines. Bon voyage! You May Also Want: Saint Tropez Out of the TV Screen & Internet Downloaded Landscapes

Tags: Cannes, French cities, Grasse, Menton, Monaco, Nice, The French Riviera