Villefranche-sur-Mer: A Beautiful Hideaway on Cote D’Azur
Looking for the quintessential seaside resort on the French Riviera that does not “bling” too much? There is a little slice of paradise just 10 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Nice called Villefranche-sur-Mer. I feel in love with this place when I was backpacking my way through Europe just after college. Someone told me there was a less crowded beach there when I was staying in Nice. I found it and fell in love immediately.
In front of a deep water harbor (which leads to its only negative, that of being a cruise port), this picturesque seaside town is painted in pastel colors with stairways climbing up the hills to terraces and narrow streets. Villefranche still looks and feels much like the fishing village it once was (just ignore the big boats, please). Jean Cocteau who spent a good deal of time here, called the village “a source of myth and inspiration” and has drawn artists, film makers, and celebrities its beautiful shores. It was the location for such films as Hitchcock’s ‘To Catch a Thief’, the James Bond thriller ‘Never Say Never Again’, Robert de Niro’s ‘Ronin’, and the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner ‘Jewel of the Nile’, and such stars as Tina Turner and Sean Connery have luxurious villas near the town. Chic but not too chic like many of its neighbors.
Villefranche is a “natural amphitheater” formed by Mont Boron to the west and Cap Ferrat to the east, and the Alps as a backdrop–facing he sun ‘as if in a box at the opera’, as Cocteau explained. When you arrive by train in Villefranche, walk down an incline and through a small square and then it is a 5–10 minute walk to where you find yourself in the midst of a charming Mediterranean town with shops, restaurants and a lovely baroque style church called Eglise Saint-Michel which was built in the 18th century. Most of the structures on rue du Poilu and the rest of the town were constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. (Note, when coming from the
train station, look out to the sea across a wall on your left and below you can see the kilometer long beach I came looking for all those years ago!)
Between the Villefranche harbor and the harbor of the Darse sits the walls, towers and battlements of the Citadel — built for protection from the French and Turks in the 16th century, and now the center of Villefranche’s local government, along with the location of both permanent and temporary art collections and art shows, open-air film festivals, and all sorts of other events. It dominants the southern end town making the beauty of Villefranche even more intense.
You can also make a lovely walk to nearby Saint Jean Cap Ferrat (more chic at its port) by waling along the seaside promenade heading east. I highly recommend a visit to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and Greek Villa Kerylos, but just exploring the backstreets and gardens is a lovely way to spend the day.
THE HOTEL FOR ME: One of my favorite hotels (and Jean Cocteau’s too) along the Riviera happens to be in Villefranche, Welcome Hotel (okay, forget the name but not the rest!). Sitting right on the harbor’s edge, every room of this friendly establishment boasts a sea view. The staff is helpful, breakfast abundant and I could sit all day on my balcony watching the people and boats go by (and work if need be).
FOOD NOTE: My last visit, I also had one of my best meals of 2015 (and I had a lot of good ones this year!). Located on a small alley way is L’Aparte. While I will admit we got off to a rough start (not sure they enjoy 3 year olds there), the food was out of this world (stuff sardines like I have never tasted!). Address & phone: 1 Rue Obscure, +33 4 93 01 84 88.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND: Villefranche is located on the main train line between Nice (a 5–7 minute train ride) and the Italian border (only 30 minutes away). If coming from Paris, you take the TGV to Nice, and then switch to a local train for Villefranche which will have you there in minutes. You can easily visit up and down the French Riviera by train. There is also public parking (expensive) for a car in Villefranche which allows for even more flexibility. The Nice Airport is less than a 30 minute drive.
