Page 168 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

ramparts. Aim to arrive now start following signs to It’s now one of the
before lunchtime, when St-Paul. Riviera’s most exclusive
the atmospheric Marché locations, a haven for
Provençal will still be TRIP HIGHLIGHT artists, film stars and
in full swing, and then celebrities, not to men-
browse the nearby Musée 3 St-Paul de vence tion hordes of sightseers,
Picasso (%04 92 90 54 20; Once upon a time, hilltop many of whom are here
www.antibes-juanlespins. St-Paul de Vence was to marvel at the incred-
com/culture/musee-picasso; just another village ible art collection at the
Château Grimaldi, 4 rue des like countless others in Fondation Maeght (%04
Cordiers; adult/concession Provence. But then the 93 32 81 63; www.fondation-
€6/3; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun artists moved in: paint- maeght.com; 623 chemin des
mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10am-noon ers such as Marc Chagall Gardettes; adult/child €15/10;
& 2-6pm Tue-Sun mid-Sep–mid- and Pablo Picasso sought h10am-7pm Jul-Sep, to 6pm
Jun) to see a few of the solitude here, painted the Oct-Jun). Created in 1964
artist’s Antibes-themed local scenery and traded by collectors Aimé and
works. canvases for room and Merguerite Maeght, it
board (this is how the boasts works by all the
54 p172 Colombe d’Or (%04 93 32 big 20th-century names –
The Drive »Brave the traffic 80 02; www.la-colombe-dor Miró sculptures, Chagall
on the D6007 and avoid signs to .com; place de Gaulle; d mosaics, Braque windows
FRANCE 12 RIvIERA CROSSING
turn onto the A8 motorway: it’s €250-430; hrestaurant and canvases by Picasso,
the D2 you want, so follow signs noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm Matisse and others.
for Villeneuve-Loubet. When you late Dec-Oct; aWs) hotel While you’re here, it’s
reach the town, cross the river. came by its stellar art
You’ll pass through a tunnel into collection). worth taking a detour
the outskirts of Cagnes-sur-Mer; northwards to Vence,
where the marvellous
Chapelle du Rosaire
(Rosary Chapel; %04 93 58
03 26; 466 av Henri Matisse;
DETOUR: adult/child €6/3; h2-5.30pm
CORNICHE DE Mon, Wed & Sat, 10-11.30am
L’ESTÉREL & 2-5.30pm Tue & Thu, closed
mid-Nov–early Dec) was
Start: 1 Cannes (p165) designed by an ailing
West of Cannes, the winding coast road known as Henri Matisse. He had a
the Corniche de l’Estérel (sometimes known as the hand in everything here,
Corniche d’Or, the Golden Road) is well worth a side from the stained-glass
trip if you can spare the time. Opened in 1903 by the windows to the altar and
Touring Club de France, this twisting coast road is candlesticks.
as much about driving pleasure as getting from A to
B; it runs for 30 unforgettable coastal kilometres all The Drive »Return the way
the way to St-Raphael. En route you’ll pass seaside you came, only this time follow
the blue signs onto the A8
villages, secluded coves (sandy, pebbled, nudist, cove- motorway to Nice. Take exit 50
like, you name it) and the rocky red hills of the Massif for Promenade des Anglais,
de l’Estérel, dotted with gnarly oaks, juniper and wild which will take you all 18km
thyme. Wherever you go, the blue Mediterranean along the Baie des Anges. The
shimmers alongside, tempting you to stop for just one views are great, but you’ll hit
more swim. It’s too much to resist. nightmare traffic at rush hour.

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