Known as " villages perchés " and " nids d'aigles " (eagles' nests), the small towns and hamlets literally perched on the rocks high above the Côte d'Azur are the last remaining outposts of ordinary life before the arrival of the Riviera. Originally created out of the reach of opportunist invaders, the villages remain difficult to access but are well worth the effort.

Amount them, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is famous for its 16th-century walls and tower, not to mention its Provencal Museum, most people come to visit the hotel La Colombe d'Or. In the 1920s, it was a humble inn and the customers were struggling artists amassed what is probably France's greatest collection of modern art: Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard and Paul Signac. Dozens of the 20th-century's greatest artists handed over works in exchange for a room or a meal. Inevitably, St-Paul-de-Vence is now overrun with art galleries and high priced shops.

 

Don't forget to visit my Cannes Apartments if you need accommodation on the French Riviera!

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