Page 94 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

92  PROVENCE AREA B Y AREA

oVillefranche-
sur-Mer
Road map F3. * 5,795. £ @
n Jardin François Binon (04 93
01 73 68). ( Wed, Sat, Sun.
∑ villefranche-sur-mer.com
This unspoilt town overlooks
a beautiful natural harbour,
deep enough to be a naval
port, with a lively waterfront
lined by bars and cafés.
Chapelle St-Pierre on the
quay, once used for storing
fishing nets, was renovated
in 1957, when Jean Cocteau
added lavish frescoes. Steep
lanes climb up from the
harbour, turning into tunnels
beneath the tightly packed
buildings. The vaulted rue
Obscure has provided shelter
from bombardment as recently
as World War II. The Baroque
Eglise St-Michel contains a
16th-century carving of St Rock
and his dog and a 1790 organ.
Within the 16th-century Cita- Fishing in the natural harbour at Villefranch-sur-Mer
delle de St-Elme are the chapel,
open-air theatre and museums. formal gardens and the Belle used to create lavish mosaics,
Epoque Rotunda, now frescoes and inlaid furniture.
R Chapelle St-Pierre a conference centre and There are also numerous
4 quai Amiral Courbet. Tel 04 93 76 museum, add to Beaulieu’s original Greek ornaments, and
90 70. Open Wed–Mon. Closed mid- old-fashioned air. Among its an antique sculpture gallery.
Nov–mid-Dec, 25 Dec. & hotels is La Réserve, founded by
Gordon Bennett, the owner of P Villa Grecque Kérylos
the New York Herald. As a stunt, Impasse Gustave Eiffel. Tel 04 93
pBeaulieu-sur-Mer in 1871, he sent journalist 01 01 44. Open daily. & =
H M Stanley to rescue the ∑ villakerylos.fr
Road map F3. * 3,800. £ @
n Pl Clemenceau (04 93 01 02 21). Scottish missionary and explorer
( daily. ∑ beaulieusurmer.fr Dr Livingstone, who was looking
for the source of the Nile. aEze
Hemmed in and protected by Beaulieu-sur-Mer is the site Road map F3. * 2,574. £ @
a rock face, this is one of the of the Villa Grecque Kérylos. n Pl Général de Gaulle (04 93 41
Riviera’s warmest resorts in Built by archeologist Théodore 26 00). ( Sun. ∑ eze-tourisme.com
winter, with two beaches: the Reinach, it resembles an ancient
Baie des Fourmis and, by the Greek villa. Authentic techniques Eze, a dramatic village perché
port, Petite Afrique. The casino, and precious materials were (see pp24–5) is a cluster of
ancient buildings some 429 m
(1,407 ft) above the sea. The
Jardin Exotique, built around
the ruins of a 14th-century
castle, offers stunning views
as far as Corsica.
Flower-decked, car-free
streets lead to an 18th-century
church. Its bust of Christ is
made from olive wood that
survived the terrible fires that
raged close by in 1986.
Y Jardin Exotique
Rue du Château. Tel 04 93 41 10 30.
Steps of the elegant Belle Epoque Rotunda (1886), Beaulieu-sur-Mer Open daily. Closed Christmas week. &
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp198–9 and pp208–11