The best things to see on the French Riviera, between glamour, art and culture

Al travel along the Côte d'Azur, in the South of France, it is easy to understand why it is one of the most well-known and appreciated tourist destinations in the entire Europe.

To the beauty of landscape, with a beautiful stretch of mediterranean coast framed by the latest foothills of the alps, a series of very attractive cities and towns.

In the cities you can enjoy a sophisticated atmosphere that combines luxury and beauty with the characteristic joie de vivre of warm places.

people They stand next to safe havens or huddle together on top of hills.

almost always there remains of walls or fortresses that tell us about a warlike past very different from the placidity that exists today.

Best art sites to see and visit in Costa Azul

A complete journey through all attractive places on the Côte d'Azur It is difficult to carry out in a few days.

That is why we have chosen a art-based themed tour, especially painting and cinema, since one of the peculiarities of this stretch of coast is that it has attracted countless artists throughout the last century.

Cannes, cinema and glamor on the Côte d'Azur

Say Cannes is the same as talking about cinema and the glamor of the Côte d'Azur.

It is said that in Cannes The beaches have more sand, the sea is calmer and everything is more elegant than in other places in the city. French Riviera.

El Old Port at the foot of the old neighborhood, the Palace of Festivals and the grand boulevard of La Croisette They form a unique group due to their intrinsic attractiveness and also for everything they mean.

In the streets of cannes too easy live the world of cinema, and it doesn't have to coincide with its famous festival to feel it.

Scattered throughout a good part of the city there are numerous walls and walls on which appear great paintings that are a true tribute to the world of cinema.

In them we see images dedicated to the classics of international cinema but, also and quite logically, to the French.

Going in search of it is a way of exploring the city, but with an eye on the discovery that may arise when turning a corner or looking up towards the heights.

Mougins, Pablo Picasso on the Côte d'Azur

Mougins is a small town which is located inland, about eight kilometers from the port of Cannes.

Like many other towns in the area, it stands on a hill, from where the surroundings could be controlled and it was easier to defend against an attack.

The Roman road leading towards Arles.

Mougins attracts for its colorful old town, with very charming century-old houses, but above all it is on the list of art lovers because here Pablo Picasso He lived for many years and died in 1973.

His house is a private property that cannot be visited, but there are many details that remind us of the Malaga painter.

Apart from one large sculpture representing Picasso's head, you have to visit the Museum of Photography de Andre Villers, who for many years photographed Pablo Picasso and to the artistic world.

Vallauris, Picasso museum and pottery tradition

Vallauris It is a small town between Cannes y Antibes. of great pottery tradition.

He settled there Picasso between 1948 and 1955 and created more than 4.000 ceramic pieces, and to follow in his footsteps you have to go to the old area of ​​Vallauris.

In the main square, in the shade of the trees, is the statue of man with lamb that he gave to the city because of how well everyone treated him.

Next to it is the municipal library, a building that was previously the Town Hall and where he married Jacqueline Roque.

In this square there is also the National Picasso Museum in the castle.

The great work is in the chapel The war and the peace, which is made on panels that were later put together and installed in the chapel, forming a half-barrel vault.

As you enter, to the left is war, and to the right peace, and it is impressive to be completely surrounded by Picasso's work.

Not many people visit, so it is possible to be completely alone for a while.

Above is a small sample of ceramics painted by Picasso; In reality, they are the copies that he authorized to be made of his work in ceramics.

En Vallauris survives the pottery tradition and you can visit workshops and buy excellent quality pieces.

Antibes, refuge of painters and writers

The city of Antibes. It is located on the edge of the sea, halfway between Cannes and Nice.

Su historic helmet It occupies a promontory that protects the port.

For this reason, the place has been chosen since ancient times to build a strength from which to dominate this stretch of coastline.

El current castle was raised by the Grimaldis in the Middle Ages and now welcomes Picasso Museum of Antibes.

The painter from Malaga lived here for a few months and upon leaving he donated many of the works he created to the city.

El old town, around the castle, is a beautiful network of alleys where there are many art Galeries.

Su Leisure port, sports port It is the most important dedicated to luxury sailboats and yachts in the Mediterranean.

It occupies the old port used since the time of the ancient Greeks and remains protected by the great strength built by the famous architect and engineer Vauban.

Antibes. has attracted dozens of painters and writers since the 19th century and many of them have reflected the place in their works.

On the coast you can explore the Painters Walk where you have panels that show reproductions of different paintings placed where artists might have placed their easels to paint the landscape.

If we continue walking along the coast, we will reach Cap d'Antibes, a cape where there are many luxury mansions.

San Juan les Pins is the area of modern beach and casinos.

There are some hotels that preserve the glamorous of the interwar period, when Juan les Pins It was the center of a worldly and carefree life.

Since 1960, Juan les Pins is the headquarters of Jazz to Juan, One jazz festivals most important in all of Europe.

Saint Paul de Vence, beautiful town on the French Riviera

Saint Paul de Vence It is a small town located on top of a hill, a few kilometers inland.

It is a small very well preserved architectural complex within its walls.

Walking through its narrow streets is a delight, although there are those who think that there are too many shops dedicated to tourism that cancel out the local atmosphere.

Scattered throughout its streets we will find several contemporary sculptures, which give the whole a special image.

A las outskirts of Saint Paul de Vence is the Maeght Foundation, most important private art foundation in France.

The building that houses it was designed by the Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert with the collaboration of the artists themselves, who could thus conceive the appropriate way to exhibit their works.

Between the gardens and the interior we can take a tour of many of the main names in 20th century European art.

Nice, from the seafront to the Matisse Museum

Nice is largest city on the Côte d'Azur and can be considered its capital.

Very close to Italy, it has always had a border character and in the local culture there are many influences from the neighboring country.

It preserves a great heritage from its long history.

In addition, being an important tourist destination for a long time, it also has some characteristics of its own.

An example is the Passage of the English, designed to satisfy British visitors.

Today it is a boulevard open to the Mediterranean coast full of hotels, palaces and big residential buildings.

El historic helmet It is full of buildings with an undoubted Italian flavor, with exquisite shops.

El Cours SaleyaWith its flowers market, Is the most attractive square in the old part.

La great cultural visit in Nice is the Matisse Museum, which shows a large collection of his works, but also of their personal items.

It is located in a splendid Genoese villa located in the upper part of the city.