The French Riviera
Hello, our dear readers! We are back with our monthly article. This article will be about our summer trip to the French Riviera.
The French Riviera is a coastal area located in the South of France. There are no official boundaries that mark the points where the French Riviera begins and ends, but here are some cities which make up the French Riviera – Cannes, Nice, Menton, Saint-Tropez, and others. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of visiting a few of these places this summer.
What’s wonderful about this place is that all the cities are in near proximity, so you can visit a new city every day without having to travel long distances. You can get to any of these cities by train.
Nice
The first location I will tell you something about is Nice. Nice is the 2nd largest city in France, located approximately 13km from Monaco. The city is full of colorful houses, narrow streets, and alleys buzzing with tourists and locals.
During our entire visit, which lasted for about a week, we lived in Nice, right in the center close to the beach. I have to say that during such a short stay, Nice really grew on me and it became one of my favorite places I have ever visited. I cannot wait till I visited this wonderful city again.
From swimming in the Meditteranean beach to exploring the city’s center which radiates with energy, Nice has it all. The center is full of restaurants, small cafés, and shops. I definitely recommend going to Fenocchio, which is an ice cream shop. They have so many flavors to choose from, some of which I bet you did not even dream of. The ice cream was absolutely delicious and I won’t lie when I say that I have stopped by the place at least twice a day. There are also a few famous restaurants that serve seafood, but make sure to make a reservation beforehand, because the restaurants are always full of guests.
There are a few beaches located in Nice. The first one is called Ponchettes Beach, which is located right next to the center. It is a rocky beach, but if you prefer a sand beach, you can go to the Plage des Marinieres beach, which you can get to by train or bus.
Make sure to also visit the Port; and Parc de La Colline du Chateau, from which you will have absolutely stunning views of the city and sea.
Menton
Another city located on the French Riviera is Menton located close to the Italian border. The city is another popular destination with a lovely city center full of colorful houses, beaches, and sceneries. We spent only a few hours here because there weren’t a lot of things to do, but I definitely recommend visiting this place famous for its mesmerizing scenery of colorful houses.
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a small city located almost 70km from Nice. It’s a bit further away and you can get there either by car or boat. We went there by boat from the port in Nice and the entire trip lasted about 2 hours. The boat will go along the coast of the French Riviera, so you will get a wonderful view of many places such as Cannes. So if you are considering visiting Saint-Tropez, you will not regret going by boat.
Places you should definitely visit in Saint-Tropez are the port full of restaurants and cafés, the narrow alleys full of shops, and the market which is only open in the morning.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Last but not least is Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is known as the residence of many celebrities and rich people. You can get here by train from Nice and the trip lasts about half an hour. Places worth visiting are the port full of yachts, Casino Monte Carlo, the iconic Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Prince’s palace, and the Japanese garden.
It is true that everything in Monte Carlo is a bit pricy, but there is so much you can do for free.
I definitely fell in love with the French Riviera and I can’t wait to go back. I hope you liked the article and make sure to check out other articles. Bye for now.
