Paris

During our itinerary along the French Gold Coast, we we will only catch a glimpse of the capital dream vilas and estates, hidden as they are behind steel barriers and hedges, a typical French phenomenon by the way. But despite all this we will be able to visit two of those palaces built in the period before WWI. The villa Ephrussi de Béatrice de Rotshild in Cap-Ferrat and just a little further, in Beaulieu, the Greek imitation villa "Kerylos" built by Theodore Reinach. But first Villefranche-sur-mer should require a little of our attention before discovering Cap Ferrat and Beaulieu.

Eze will be the next stop, Monaco will follow, a small detour upwards to La Turbie, down to Cap Martin and finally to Menton. We could just make a little jump in the back country of Menton, where I spent a wonderful time last year in Sospel.

You could wonder why I chose this direction: from Nice to Menton and not the opposite: from Nice to Marseille passing Cannes, Antibes and onwards the massif des Maures, Saint-Tropez and everything lying behind. I will tell you the truth;-) I tossed a coin and fate decided I should start the east coast from Nice. So don't worry, the Cote d'Azur will be expored from top to toe, but give me time....

Between Nice and Menton there are three cornices running at three different heights, coastal roads each 30km long. Between these three cornices there are a few very steep and winding communicating roads. The lowest road, “Corniche du Littoral” (sometimes called basse corniche or corniche inférieure), running directly along the coast, follows the bays and windings of the sea and offers stunning views. A prince of Monaco built it in the 19th century.

Moyenne corniche

The middle cornice, “Moyenne Corniche”, lying about 200 meters higher, was cut out in the mountains and opened for the tourists in 1939. It has few tunnels and sometimes admirable views also.
The “Corniche Supérieure” or grande corniche rises to 541 meters and offers grandiose outlooks! It’s the highest and the oldest road, a few hundred meters above the middle cornice. There was already a goat path here in the time of the Phoenicians, the Romans transformed it as a part of the via Aurelia into a paved road, with milestones and stalls to change horses. Finally Napoleon repaired and improved the Roman road for his army.

From Nice to Saint-Tropez (suite)

Cap d'Antibes

Juan les
Pins-Golfe-Juan-Vallauris

Cannes

Iles de Lerins

La Napoule and Henry Clews

Esterel cornice to Frejus

Frejus

Sainte Maxime to Port Grimaud

Old Grimaud and Cogolin

Saint-Tropez

From Saint Tropez to Cassis

Ramatuelle-Gassin-Croix Valmer-Cavalaire sur mer

Le Lavandou-Bormes les Mimosas