The French Riviera: The World’s First Hot Spot is Still Hot

Posted - March 4, 2019

In the mid-1700s, after traveling through France and Italy with his wife, Scottish author Tobias Smollett wrote “Travels Through France and Italy,” describing in detail the natural beauty, personalities and diets of the regions.

His writings, especially about the French cities of Nice and Cannes, piqued the interest of the British well-to-do, who were looking for a change of scenery from the bitter winters. Then, once the railroad rolled into towns, tourism exploded, as royalty throughout Europe descended upon the beach cities.

Today, the French Riviera, or the Côte d'Azur (French for the coast of azure), greets more than 10 million tourists per year, second only to Paris as a French destination.

The French Riviera lies along the Mediterranean Sea in the southeast of France and includes Monaco. The largest city on the Riviera is Nice, but Monte Carlo and Cannes might be more well-known in different circles.

A key sight in Nice, France, is the Promenade des Anglais (Promenade of the English), a 4.3-mile walkway along the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels). The city also features some ancient churches, demonstrating architecture of various times. The Nice Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Reparata, was built in 1685; the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice, the largest church in Nice, was finished in 1868; and the Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral was completed in 1912.

Forget the Oscars; in May the motion picture industry turns its attention to Cannes, France, for the Cannes Festival, held annually since 1946. Like Nice, Cannes also has a beach boardwalk, the Promenade de la Croisette, but it is lined with palm trees, possibly a nod to its sister city, Beverly Hills, California. The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence showcases pieces from throughout history in an 18^th-century mansion, about the only home from that era that is open to the public.

Princess Grace. James Bond. Auto racing. These are things that come to mind when one thinks of Monaco. The world’s second-smallest country gained huge publicity when Prince Rainier III married American actress Grace Kelly in 1956. But for auto racing fans, they knew of the country already since the Monaco Grand Prix, part of the Triple Crown of Motorsports, has been racing there since 1929. The harbor fills with luxury yachts on race weekend. And many Bond fans can duplicate the fictitious spy by trying their luck at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. But remember: Shaken, not stirred.

Schedule an appointment now with our Travel  Agents to see the French Riviera