The French Riviera Blog by Kevin Hin

The stunning Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Cap Ferrat

Cap Ferrat is one of the three major capes of the French Riviera and in my opinion probably the most beautiful. Like a long arm jutting into the Mediterranean, it separates the bay of Villefranche and that of Beaulieu, about half way between Nice and Monaco. It is also one of the most expensive parts of the coastline in terms of real estate, dotted with the exclusive and secluded Belle Epoque style villas of the rich and famous who first discovered the Riviera in the 19^th century and found that the climate and scenery were so amazing that they decided to stay.

One of the most prominent of these villas and the only one open to the public is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, built by Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, a very wealthy French socialite, between 1905 and 1912. She was lucky enough to be able to pick one of the best sites on the Cape, at the top of a narrow isthmus dominating the sea that provides stunning views both east towards Beaulieu and Italy and west towards the deep waters of the Bay of Villefranche and its ancient harbour. Upon her death in 1934, she donated the property to the Institut de France, who have maintained it to this day.

Eastwards view from the Villa towards Beaulieu, Eze and Cap d'Ail, Monaco is just behind the last mountain

View looking west from the Villa towards the port of Villefranche sur Mer

In 22 years living here, I’d never visited the Villa Rothschild apart from a classical music concert once in the grounds during the 2003 summer heat wave: so when some friends called me on a beautiful November’s afternoon, I figured that now would be the perfect opportunity to discover something new… Incidentally, that’s one of the great things about living in such a beautiful area, there is always something new to explore, see and do. So here’s some feedbacl about my visit.

The gardens

First there is a very well-signposted tour around the 9 beautiful themed gardens that dominate the property: Japanese, Florentine, Provencal, Spanish, exotic (so plenty of cacti like in the Exotic Garden of Monaco), French, a rose garden and a rock garden. Mrs Rothschild commissioned some of the best landscape artists of the time to design the different areas, no mean feat given the steep, rocky terrain and the windswept nature of the location. However the result is a real success, with each garden making the most of the stunning natural environment and having its own specific charm, bringing the visitor into a special sensory world. The highlight is at the end of the walking tour and the downhill approach towards the pink villa through the monumental French gardens, full of classical statues, a great place to take picture postcard photos. Every twenty minutes, the famous “musical fountains” move into action with some Mozart – I’m not a great fan of this kind of thing but I have to admit that the effect was rather nice.

The Japanese Garden, one of the nine different gardens at Villa Rothschild

The Villa

Mrs Rothschild’s favourite colour was obviously pink as the whole villa is flamingo-coloured… The interior is surprisingly tastefully decorated (I was expecting decadent tackiness but was rather pleasantly surprised) and was obviously very luxurious at the time, complete with budgerigars which are all that are left of the menagerie of exotic animals that she had brought along to keep her company. Touring round the various reception and private rooms gives an interesting insight about how the well-off lived during the Belle Epoque. Make sure you go upstairs and enjoy the stunning views from the balcony overlooking the French gardens, with the best viewpoints over the “musical fountains” – there is also a rather interesting film about the history of the villa.

Vantage point on the balcony of the villa overlooking the gardens: you feel like nobility just by sitting there!

One of the classy reception rooms overlooking the sea at the Villa

For those who enjoy the doll house atmosphere, her porcelain collections are also exhibited, with some rather questionable colours which presumably were considered trendy at the time.

Dodgy taste in porcelain colours though...

So all in all, it was a very interesting afternoon out and the Villa Rothschild is definitely worth visiting if you have a bit of time to spare in Cap Ferrat. If you fancy making a day out of it, I would suggest combining with a visit to the Greek Villa Kerylos a short walk down the coast in Beaulieu and a nice walk to enjoy the stunning natural views along the Cape for those with more energy.

Practical information

Access:

-          By car: by far the easiest way, just go down the main road though Cap Ferrat (there’s only one) and follow the signposts to the Villa, convenient free parking just outside. Allow about 20 minutes drive from either Monaco or Nice, depending on traffic

-          By train: get off at Beaulieu sur Mer station and follow the coast along the foot of Cap Ferrat and then the signposts up some steps to the villa. It’s about 30 minutes’ walk but worth it as the views across the Baie des Fourmis in Beaulieu are stunning, with some beautiful cliffs plunging straight into the sea.

-          By bus: from Nice, take line no. 81 (timetables here) from the centre and get off at the “Office du Tourisme” stop when you arrive in Cap Ferrat, the Villa is about 5 minutes’ walk away. From Monaco, take line no. 100 (timetables here) and get off at Pont St Jean, then walk about 20 minutes in the direction of the tourist office and then to the Villa (the walk is rather boring and there is plenty of traffic on the main road so not particularly recommended).

Entrance to the Villa:

A rather steep 12 € but at the end of the day, the experience is diversified and interesting enough to be worth it. The price includes access to the gardens, to the inside of the villa (including an audio guide) and all the exhibits. For those interested in visiting the Greek Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu, combined tickets are available.

For full information on the Villa, here is the official website. And finally, for those wishing to learn more about the Ephrussi family and gain some background information about the Villa, I was recommended to read The Hare with Amber Eyes, by Edmund De Waal.

Panoramic winter view of Eze Village and Eze sur Mer taken from the Fort de la Revère, at 700m altitude. In the distance you can see Cap Ferrat, the Bay of Villefranche and the Cape of Nice

Eze is one of the stops on the picturesque 40km stretch of railway line that runs east along the coast from Nice to Ventimiglia at the Italian border, passing through Monaco and Menton on the way. Listed in most of the guidebooks, the commune of Eze is structured on three layers up the side of a mountain and is famous for its eagle’s nest Village, perched at an altitude of 450m.

- At sea level, Eze Bord-de-Mer is mainly noted for a nice beach (rocky like most of the beaches in the area) with good surfing waves in the winter at the bottom of a beautiful bay surrounded by mountains. It is mainly a starting point for the hike up to Eze Village, as the train station is located there and the coastal buses pass along the main road.
- Eze Village is perched on a rocky promontory, just above the panoramic “Moyenne Corniche” road linking Nice to Monaco, at an altitude of about 430m.
- The Col d’Eze/Plateau de la Justice, located at 650m above sea level is a good spot for coastal hikes and picnics.

Getting there

- By train: about 15 minutes along the coast from Nice to Eze station or 10 minutes from Monaco; from there, it’s a strenuous but picturesque 1 hour hike up the Nietszche trail to the village

- By bus: bus number 82 heads directly to Eze village from the Vauban bus stop in eastern Nice (close to the Acropolis conference centre) and runs at intervals of around 90 minutes. Otherwise, bus number 100 is much more frequent and follows the coast: it will drop you near the Eze sur Mer train station, if you fancy the uphill walk. Finally, line 83 runs between the train station and the village if you don’t feel like walking but the buses run much less frequently. Click on the bus numbers for timetables.

What to see

- For me, the main draw is climbing up the famous Nietszche trail from the coastline to the Village, named after the German philosopher who lived up there in the late 19th century. It is said that he climbed up the trail every day in the summer and that the heat gave him the hallucinations and inspiration for his work “Also Sprach Zarathustra “. I personally think that the daily trek up the hill also led to his celebrated madness… All this to say that the trail is ideal to climb up in the spring, autumn and winter, but not in the summer when it gets rather too warm in the sun, despite the gorgeous views. The first half is in the sunshine, directly facing the sea and the bay of Eze, then the trail turns inland and up the forested Vallon du Duc, before reaching the village. Bring plenty of water but hiking boots aren’t essential, trainers are enough.

Second half of the Nietzsche trail looking backwards towards the sea whilst heading inland towards Eze Village

- The Village itself doesn’t have that much to see but is pleasant to wander around, soaking in the atmosphere and the architecture. Two main 5-star hotels – the Chèvre d’Or and Chateau Eza, the latter being the former palace of the King of Sweden – have fantastic but expensive food and views. The best view is from the Jardin Exotique, right on top of the mound, affording a view over the coastline overlooking Cap Ferrat, and you might even see Corsica on a clear winter’s day – even though you do need to pay a frankly exaggerated 5€ to enjoy this view, you will have probably walked your way up to the village so you deserve it! Otherwise, a historical church, some fortifications and plenty of nice but overpriced “art, craft and pottery” galleries for tourists.

The "Eagle's Nest" of Eze Village viewed from the top of the Nietzsche trail

The pretty alleyways of Eze Village

Do note that Eze Village also has a perfume factory, Fragonard which is an interesting visit if you are so inclined. However, the drawback is that it is a major stop for tour groups heading to Monaco from Nice so the place can get rather packed if there is a cruise ship in the vicinity… Fortunately the masses do not stay there too long, just the time to follow their guide towards the gift shop!!!

Useful links
- Eze Tourist Office
- Fragonard Perfumes
- Chèvre d’Or Hotel and Restaurant
- Chateau Eza Hotel and Restaurant
- Biography of Friedrich Nietzsche

View near the start of the Mala footpath looking back towards Monaco

This is really one of my favourite walks down the coast from Monaco into the town of Cap d’Ail just west (in the direction of Nice).  This small and pleasant residential town, built in several layers between sea level and the mountainside of the Tête de Chien, is not just a dormitory town for people working in Monaco, even though it is only one station away by train: there are several noteworthy attractions, notably the nice beaches, Belle Epoque architecture and various rather luxurious villas with numerous famous residents over the years, such as Greta Garbo, Winston Churchill, Lord Beaverbrook, Sacha Guitry and the Lumière Brothers.  If you’re interested in this, I’d advise to check out the  Cap d’Ail Tourist Office website, which has quite a lot of decent information.  

The Mala footpath

For me though, the main reason to head to Cap d’Ail though is the wonderful 3,6 km long coastal path which can comfortably be covered in just over an hour and stretches from the Plage Marquet (500m west of the border with Monaco at Fontvieille) to the splendid Plage de la Mala.  This footpath, not to be used during days with rough seas, can easily be accessed by car or on foot from Monaco train station: most of it is pretty easy even if you’re not great hikers, apart from the last approach to the Mala beach which is slightly more strenuous.  In the summer, there isn’t much shade and things can get rather warm, especially around midday, so, as with any coastal walks you do on the Riviera, bring plenty of suncream and more water than you think you will need.  I would advise you to cover it starting from Monaco and ending at the Mala (leaving the best till last), although it can also be done in the opposite direction.

The coastal footpath approaching Mala beach

Leaving behind the wall of concrete that marks the border with Monaco and the port of Cap d’Ail, the vegetation suddenly turns wild and one follows a succession or rocky coves and bays, whilst passing underneath sumptuous Belle Epoque villas, where one can only imagine the sumptuous views enjoyed by the inhabitants.  There are also plenty of little detours and easily accessible coves with secluded areas to swim in.  Finally, the last bend round the cape and a beautiful but strenuous staircase bring you to what, in my humble opinion, is probably the most secluded, magical and beautiful beach in the whole Côte d’Azur, la Mala.

The beautiful limestone cliffs on Mala Beach - just like in Thailand!

The turquoise deep water bay is surrounded by limestone cliffs with a view of the eastern coast of the Cap Ferrat peninsula in the distance and I used to describe it to my hotel guests as looking like Thailand.  In summer, the water is dotted with yachts and the two rather exclusive beach bars are packed by some of the rich and famous (have bumped into one of the former James Bonds several times there, relaxing and having a beer, which is why one of my British friends visiting generally refers to la Mala as “Roger Moore Beach”).  But out of the peak tourist season, the beach isn’t too crowded, the footpath is full of local families and the beauty of the area is just surreal.  Note that even from the train, you can get a great view from above of la Mala, just before arriving in Cap d’Ail station (in the direction of Monaco and Ventimiglia/Italy).

Do note that you can also get to la Mala from Cap d’Ail railway station: just head towards the sea, you’ll get to the footpath and turn right: the beach is about 10 minutes away.  But if you have the time it would be a shame not to follow the footpath which will be a really memorable highlight of your stay on the Riviera and something not always mentioned in guidebooks.  For more details for French speakers on this itinerary, there is some excellent and detailed background information on the  regional government website

Getting to Cap d’Ail

Cap d’Ail is rather sprawled out along the coast from east to west along 5 kms.

-          By train: Cap d’Ail train station is located in the town centre, about 3 kms west of Monaco and 10 kms east of Nice.  There are regular coastal trains from either point, but make not all trains stop there, so check the timetables beforehand (download timetable number 4 in the drop-down menu).

-          By bus: Rapides Côte d’Azur line 100 provides services from Nice and Monaco approximately every 15 minutes.  Allow during off peak hours about 15 minutes from Monaco and 35 from Nice, cost is only €1 for a single journey regardless of the distance (the same applies for any bus trip within the Alpes Maritimes region, a fantastic deal despite the travel times being much longer than the train).

Very important note on public transport in the region. Try to avoid travelling towards Monaco between 7.30am and 9am and away from Monaco between 5pm and 6.30pm as that’s when all the commuters do the same and you want to avoid being caught in rush hour hell.

Cap Martin and the Golfe Bleue beach

This coastal footpath is part of a longer walk between Monaco and Menton, alongside the picturesque Cap Martin, a rather wild peninsula with very secluded villas separating the two towns.  It affords fantastic views of Monaco, the perched village of medieval Roquebrune, Menton and the Italian coastline so is well worth a few hours on a beautiful afternoon.  The most scenic part however is located between the railway stations of Carnolès and Roquebrune-Cap Martin so I will be covering this in that direction, as the views are slightly nicer.  Walking at a leisurely pace, this section can be covered in about 2 hours and combined with a visit to Menton or Monaco to make a pretty complete day trip.

Starting from Carnolès train station, walk down to the coastline and follow the way round the peninsula to the tip in about 15 minutes: this part is actually rather urbanised but still affords good views of the old town of Menton as well as of the Italian coast, up to Bordighera and San Remo.

Winter view over the Italian resort of Bordighera from the tip of Cap Martin

The tip is really the start of the “Sentier des Douaniers” (sounds nice in French but which actually translates less romantically as the “Footpath of the Customs Officers”) – fortunately this is also known as the Sentier Le Corbusier, named after the legendary Swiss-born architect, famed for his minimalist modern styles, who lived here until his death in 1965 and is buried in the village of Cap Martin.  The path winds its way along the coast, offering fine views of the skyscrapers of Monte Carlo, the older buildings of Monaco Ville as well as hang-gliders diving from the mountains and landing on the beaches if they are lucky or the sea otherwise…  If you’re interested in the amazing views offered by this, see the site of the local hang-gliding club.  Various very secluded luxury villas with amazing views can be spotted if you are able to take your eyes off the water views and look upwards: the building pictured here is just the “seaside lodge” of the huge residence located on top of the hill and hidden away by rather impressive gardens!

There are plenty of lovely private villas on the Cap Martin coastal path - this is only the "pavillion" of one of the huge properties on top

At the end of the footpath, you can get a decent view of the medieval village of Roquebrune, which is a stiff walk uphill but worth it as the ancient castle has amazing bird’s eye views over Monaco and the surrounding mountains.

The medieval village of Roquebrune, viewed from the coastal footpath

After this, you can either head back to Nice or wherever from Roquebrune-Cap Martin train station or sample the delights of the long and sandy Golfe Bleue beach: Le Corbusier also built a beach house on the Plage de la Buse, just before that.  It is also possible to walk back to Monaco, also following the coastline: allow about 45 minutes for this.  As with the Cap d’Ail itinerary, French speakers can find some excellent and detailed background information on the regional government website.