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French Riviera: Travel Details

This is a quick and handy source for details on the sights, hotels, tour guides and restaurants featured in the "French Riviera: Uniquely Chic" show. For much more (and updates), see this year's edition of Rick Steves' Provence & the French Riviera guidebook.

 
Nice's Russian Cathedral

Nice's Russian Orthodox church — claimed to be the finest outside Russia — is worth a visit. Five hundred rich Russian families wintered in Nice in the late 19th century. Here in the land of olives and anchovies, these proud onion domes seem odd. But, I imagine, so did those old Russians. The cathedral costs €2.50 (daily 9:00–12:00 & 14:30–18:00, closes 17:00 off-season, chanted services Sat at 17:30 or 18:00, Sun at 10:00, no tourist visits during services, no shorts, 10-min walk behind station at 17 boulevard du Tzarewitch, tel. 04 93 96 88 02).

Matisse Museum

This museum contains the world's largest collection of Matisse paintings. It offers a painless introduction to the artist, whose style was shaped by Mediterranean light and by fellow Côte d'Azur artists Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The museum is in a 17th-century Genoese villa, set in an olive grove amid the ruins of the Roman city of Cemenelum. Part of the ancient Roman city of Nice, Cemenelum was a military camp that housed as many as 20,000 people. The museum costs €4, (Wed–Mon 10:00–18:00, closed Tue, tel. 04 93 81 08 08, www.musee-matisse-nice.org).

Chagall Museum

Inspired by the Old Testament, modern artist Marc Chagall custom-painted works for this building, which he considered a "House of Brotherhood." In typical Chagall style, these paintings are lively, colorful and simple (some might say simplistic). The museum is an unmissable treat for Chagall fans and a hit even for people who usually don't like modern art. The museum costs €5.50 (Oct-June Wed–Mon 10:00–17:00, July–Sept Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue,  tel. 04 93 53 87 31, www.musee-chagall.fr).

 

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A tour through the well-furnished belle époque interior  comes with a helpful English handout. An 18-minute film (English subtitles) gives background on the life of rich and eccentric Beatrice, Baroness de Rothschild, who built and furnished the place. As you stroll the halls, you'll pass rooms of royal furnishings and personal possessions, including her bathroom case for cruises. A fancy tearoom serves drinks and lunch with a view.

But the gorgeous gardens are why most come here. Behind the mansion, stroll through the seven lush gardens recreated from different parts of the world. The sea views from here are lovely. Don't miss the Alhambra-like Spanish gardens, the rose garden at the far end and the view back to the house from the "Temple of Love" gazebo.

The palace and gardens cost €8.50 and a skippable tour of upstairs is €2 extra (combo-ticket with Villa Grecque Kerylos-€14.50, Feb–Oct daily 10:00–18:00, July–Aug until 19:00; Nov–Jan Mon–Fri 14:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00; tel. 04 93 01 45 90, www.villa-ephrussi.com). Parking is tricky; a small turnaround is provided at the top.

Grand Prix of Monaco

Each May (May 26-29 in 2005), the Grand Prix of Monaco focuses the world's attention on this little country. The car race started as an enthusiasts' car rally by the Automobile Club of Monaco (and is still run by the same group, 90 years later). Racers still consider this one of the most important races on their circuits. By Grand Prix standards, it's an unusual course, running through the streets of this tiny principality, sardined between mountains and sea. The hilly landscape makes the streets of Monaco narrow, with tight curves, steep climbs and extremely short straightaways.

Each lap is about two miles, beginning and ending at the port. Cars climb along the sea from the port, pass in front of the casino, race through the commercial district and do a few dandy turns back to the port. The race lasts 78 laps, and whoever is still standing at the end wins (most don't finish).

The Formula 1 cars look like overgrown toys that kids might pedal up and down their neighborhood street (if you're here a week or so before the race, look in the parking structure below Monaco-Ville where many are kept — you're free to browse). Time trials to establish pole position begin three days before race day, which is always a Sunday. In 2005, the time trials will take place May 26, 27 and 28, and the race itself will be on May 29. Over 150,000 attend the gala event; like the nearby film festival in Cannes, it involves parties on yachts, in fine restaurants and at four-star hotels.

 

Cousteau Aquarium

Prince Albert I built this impressive cliff-hanging aquarium in 1910 as a monument to his enthusiasm for things from the sea. One wing features Mediterranean fish; tropical species swim around the other (all well-described in English). Jacques Cousteau directed the aquarium for 17 years. The fancy Albert I Hall upstairs houses the museum (no English), featuring models of Albert and his beachcombers hard at work (aquarium and museum-€12, kids-€6, daily April–June and Sept 9:30–19:00, July–Aug 9:30-19:30, Oct-March 10:00–18:00, at opposite end of Monaco-Ville from palace, down the steps from Monaco-Ville bus stop, tel. 00-377/93 15 36 00, www.oceano.mc).

Picasso Museum

The museum inside the Château Grimaldi features works from Picasso's prolific "Antibes period." The highlight is his lively, frolicking La Joie de Vivre painting.

Sitting serenely where the old town meets the sea, this museum offers a remarkable collection of Picasso's work: paintings, sketches and ceramics. Picasso said that if you want to see work from his Antibes period, you'll have to see it in Antibes. You'll understand why Picasso liked working here. Several photos of the artist and a movie of him hard at work (when making art, he said he was "working" rather than "painting") make this already intimate museum even more so (€5, June–Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, July-Aug Wed and Fri until 20:00; Oct–May Tue-Sun 10:00–12:00 & 14:00–18:00, always closed Mon; tel. 04 92 90 54 20).

Bouillabaisse in Villefranche

La Mère Germaine, right on the harborfront in Villefranche, is the only place in town classy enough to lure a yachter ashore. It's dressy, with fine service and a harborside setting. The name comes from when the current owner's grandmother fed hungry G.I.s in World War II. Try the bouillabaisse, served with panache (€57 per person, or a mini-version for €39, €34 menu, open daily, reserve harborfront table, tel. 04 93 01 71 39).

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Excerpted from Rick Steves' Provence & the French Riviera 2005