The villages of Pigna and Castelvittorio in the beautiful Nervia valley, a short hop from the French Riviera and a great culture shock!

An effortless excursion through the Nervia valley in Italy to the villages of Dolceacqua, Rocchetta Nervina, Isolabona, Apricale, Pigna and Castelvittorio, as well as some recommended restaurants.

Just across the border into Italy, the valley of the Nervia river (more colloquially known as “Valnervia”) is located just behind the eastern sections of Ventimiglia and is one of my favourite coastal valleys of the Riviera, with a winning combination of beautiful scenery, picturesque medieval villages and great Ligurian food at reasonable prices, all within only about 40 minutes drive from Monaco or an hour from Nice!

I would definitely recommend following this itinerary by car, as it affords far more flexibility than public transport, which is slow and tedious due to the very infrequent and unreliable bus lines, so you won’t really optimise your trip. Besides, the roads are well-paved, without too many bends and therefore easy to drive down since the valley is at a pretty low altitude, unlike most of its French counterparts. Also, the villages are a short hop from one another, around 10-15 minutes drive, so you can see everything easily within a day, or else just take your pick depending on what you fancy from the descriptions below.

After heading up from the eastern part of Ventimiglia into the hills through the flower-growing and rather unattractive industrial town of Camporosso, the valley narrows down and the scenery become greener, and within a few minutes, you’ll be in Dolceacqua.

Dolceacqua

The Doria castle and the Ponte Romano of Dolceacqua

The largest village in the valley, Dolceacqua is also the first you will see and is one of the most spectacular, with the very impressive ruins of the Doria castle perched high on top of the hill on the eastern bank of the Nervia. The village is divided into two sections: Terra, which is the oldest section on the eastern bank directly beneath the castle, and Borgo which is the more “modern” part of town on the opposite bank of the Nervia (“modern” means there’s a supermarket and shops but apart from that, both sides are pretty ancient). Both sides are connected by the Ponte Romano, a beautiful 15^th century humpback bridge made of bricks: the view of the bridge and the Castle above it was immortalised by Monet in one of his late 19^th century paintings.

Claude Monet's 1884 vision of Dolceacqua, pretty accurate!

Just get lost in the small streets and staircases of Terra, which are full of art galleries, local olive oil and wine shops and are absolutely magical at night when the whole place is lit up. It’s quite a steep climb up to the castle ruins, so wouldn’t really advise bothering, especially in the heat of the summer – the castle is nicer from a distance rather than viewed from the inside. Then head off across the Ponte Romano to Borgo, which has a nice square with frequent markets and plenty of good places to eat (see the end of this article for recommendations).

View over Borgo and the Ponte Romano by night, the banks of the Nervia are a lovely place for an after-dinner scroll!

Every summer (generally the Saturday after 15 August), there is an excellent fireworks and sound and light show which is well worth it due to the spectacular backdrop of the bridge and the castle, despite the village being absolutely packed out so come early!

Rocchetta Nervina

The unspoilt village of Rocchetta Nervina

Heading up the valley a few minutes north of Dolceacqua, you can do a slight detour and turn left off the main road towards the village of Rocchetta Nervina, about 5 minutes drive along a narrow but relatively easy road. This small village isn’t the most spectacular of the valley, but is extremely quaint, quiet and is located in a beautiful natural setting on the meanders of the river, with some canyoning possibilities if you are after some outdoor activities.

One of the green streets of Rocchetta Nervina

The countryside just outside Rocchetta Nervina

There are a couple of small restaurants on the square at the entrance of the village and plenty of medieval streets lined with potted plants to just wander around, so it’s a nice place for a quick wander around.

Isolabona   

Back onto the main road and heading up the Nervia Valley, it’s just under 10 minutes to the next village, Isolabona which is thus named because part of it is located on a small island in the middle of the Nervia.

Isolabona, located on a small island on the Nervia river

It’s worth stopping over for a walk around the village, which is pretty colourful and well-maintained, with the traditional olive oil and wine shops, a few beautiful squares (notably Piazza Piccola and Piazza Grande) and churches and another ruined castle built by the Dorias on top of a hill, though much less impressive than the huge one in Dolceacqua. Also the location is stunning, surrounded by the green hills of the valley and the luxuriant vegetation.

The heart of Isolabona

Apricale 

From the centre of Isolabona, turn off the main road into the Merdanzo valley and take a small detour to the perched village of Apricale, which is a short 5 minute drive away and well worth it – for most visitors, it’s the most beautiful village in the valley, though I personally prefer the slightly livelier and more accessible Dolceacqua.

Apricale, one of the main attractions of Val Nervia, just off the main valley

The setting is pretty stunning, perched a bit like Rocchetta Nervina on a rocky spur and it’s a very nice place to wander around, even though by now you’ll be pretty familiar with the layout of all the villages so they’ll all start to look the same! Of note is the large main square and the coloured facade of the 1863 town hall with its beautiful pink frescoes, in contrast with some of the stark brick facades of the other streets. The square is dominated by the 11^th century Castello della Lucertola which saw the domination of the village switch between the Dorias, the Savoy royal family and other local families. Apricale is also full of small shops, some small hotels and very typical restaurants (generally more upmarket than in the other villages), so is quite a nice base if you want to stay overnight, especially in the summer months.

Pigna and Castelvittorio 

The stretch of the valley north of Isolabona on the way to Pigna is probably the most beautiful, with incredibly lush vegetation and the craggy summits of the Alps looming in the distance, making a great contrast between the palm trees and the rocky terrain just behind. Just the scenery makes the short trip up to the next villages worthwhile, even though the villages themselves are nothing too exceptional.

Castelvittorio viewed from Pigna

The village of Pigna is located on the side of a hill, Lord of the Rings style: getting up to the village from the main road is a bit of a climb and not really worth it as there’s not much to see up there apart from a large church and some typical medieval streets which are a bit more run down than the other villages (not that many restaurants either).

One of the typical streets of Pigna

One advantage once you’ve climbed your way up is the great view over the valley, especially north towards the rival village of Castelvittorio, only about 2 kilometres away as the crow flies – you can even hear the church bells from there.

The village is most famous for its nearby thermal baths, the Terme di Pigna, which are located in a rather uninspiring modern high-rise building just down the road (probably the only modern building in the whole valley north of Dolceacqua). If you want to relax, you can get a day pass for the use of the swimming pools, jacuzzi and sauna at a reasonable rate and there are also hotel rooms there, though the accommodation is rather overpriced according to most online reviews. Something else the village is famous for is its white beans, which are grown nearby and which you can find in the local game stews.

You can also head off to the nearby village of Castelvittorio, perched high in the green hills, which pretty much marks the end of the Nervia valley. The village is best viewed from afar in Pigna as the place itself is quite run-down, especially compared to the villages further south, though there are still some pretty streets, a nice square and some pretty good local restaurants (which I still need to try).

You can really tell that this is the final frontier before the southern Alps, as the Nervia valley ends just to the north and the atmosphere of the village is quite a bit colder than the other places. Also, despite them being close by, historically Castelvittorio spent quite a long time under the administration of Piemonte, whereas the neighbouring village of Pigna was under Genovese administration.

Once you’re done with the northernmost villages, it’s only a short drive back to the coastline in Ventimiglia (around 35 minutes) and then you can take the motorway or the coastal road back to the French Riviera.

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY?   

It would be a crime to travel to Val Nervia and not to taste any of the delicious regional specialities, which are very different from what can be found in France or even on the Italian coastline: the hearty specialities of the valley involve game (wild boar, deer, rabbit), roast meat including goat, lamb, cold meats, wild mushrooms, white Pigna beans and the local freshly-pressed olive oil, all washed down with the local Rossese di Dolceacqua red wine. Try out some of the very filling and reasonably-priced Italian set menus including hot and cold starters, pasta, meat and dessert.

A typical cold meat starter at the Lago Bin hotel: note the wild boar ham stuffed with porcini mushrooms, delicious!

Some of the typical Rossese di Dolceacqua wines from Val Nervia

A word of advice though if you take this kind of menu: go easy on the pasta dish as otherwise you won’t be able to eat the meat or the dessert, which would be a shame. Most restaurants in Italy add a cover charge of around 2 to 3 € per person depending on the level of the restaurant, technically to cover the price of the bread sticks and other stuff provided on the table but mainly a trumped-up tip – up to you to decide if the service is good enough to deserve an additional tip afterwards (if they are friendly, which is generally the case in the Nervia Valley and outside of the main tourist spots in Liguria, I tend to add another 10% to the bill, which is more than enough in Italy).

Dolceacqua

-          The Pizzeria Il Borgo located on the main square in Borgo (across the river from the Castle) is open both for lunch and dinner serves excellent pizzas and other local dishes at prices impossible to find on the French side of the border.

-          La Rampa, located on the main square is famous for having some of the best pizzas in Italy. It’s open only at night and doesn’t take reservations, so you need to turn up at 7pm when it opens or risk waiting a bit. However, when I went there, I was slightly disappointed by the pizzas which whilst being pretty good, weren’t as exceptional as the hype suggested.

Eating out in Dolceacqua at night, here locals from the valley having pizza at La Rampa

-          There are two traditional “agriturismi” on the opposite side of the river in the Terra part of the village beneath the castle and lost in the small streets behind the large church which I’ve never tried but which have a great reputation amongst the locals: U Fundu and I Gumbi da U Zena (the latter is only open from Thursdays to Sundays). Both have typical gastronomic menus at between 20€ and 30€ and have their own olive oils, so well worth trying – I’ll definitely stop by to review them on my next trip to the valley.

Rocchetta Nervina

-          On the road to Rocchetta, about 1 km before the medieval village, you cannot miss the Lago Bin Hotel and restaurant, which is a pretty comfortable resort with a swimming pool that I like to visit to take a quick weekend break in the spring or the autumn. Prices are reasonable in basic 3-star rooms which are nothing special but afford a nice place to sleep overlooking the valley and the possibility of waking up, enjoying a great view from your balcony and having breakfast in the peaceful valley is absolutely priceless. Watch out for special off-season deals on their website. The restaurant, without being exceptional, is pretty decent too, with good quality and very filling local fare and a reasonable wine list. Just be aware that the decoration of stuffed animals can be rather jarring at the dinner table, as are the crowds of locals indulging in wedding parties on weekends with some very cheesy live music.

Breakfast al fresco at the Lago Bin Hotel in Rocchetta Nervina, great to breathe some fresh air in the morning!

Apricale

-          La Favorita, located on the left of the main road just before arriving in the centre of the village (about 500m before the entrance), has great roast and grilled meat.

-          La Capanna da Baci’ is another more upmarket place in the village just underneath the main square that has an excellent reputation with the locals who live in the valley. It also has some rooms for people wanting to spend the night on the spot.

-          If you want to spend the night in the village, check out the Apricus Locanda guesthouse which has a limited amount of pretty traditional and renovated rooms, though not particularly cheap (around 100€ per night). I’m mainly recommending it because it has some very good reviews and standards of family-run places of this type are generally pretty high in the region. For those staying in Apricale, be aware that the  whole village is pedestrian, so if you have luggage, you’ll need to park at the foot of the village, then drag your cases uphill.

Isolabona

-          There’s nowhere decent that I know of in the centre of the village, but if you carry on about a kilometre north towards Pigna, I can definitely recommend the U Cian agriturismo (on the left hand side of the main road, watch out for the signs), which has a very refined and reasonably priced gastronomic menu that, although filling, puts quality before quantity. The setting is also very traditional, with great views over the valley.

Serving the delicious pasta course in copper bowls at U Cian

Pigna and Castelvittorio

-          There is a great family-owned place where I once had lunch at the bottom of the village (opposite a pretty ancient petrol station which seems to come straight out of the Sicily section of the Godfather film) – unfortunately I can’t remember the name but there’s a great view over Castelvittorio and the aforementioned petrol station.

View over Castelvittorio from the excellent but un-named restaurant in Pigna, this should help you track it down!

The food was really excellent, with a delicious goat stew simmered with some Pigna beans at a very reasonable price. Next time I head up there, I’ll take note of the name but if you know it in the meantime, please let me know! Apparently there are also a couple of good restaurants up in Castelvittorio which have great reviews, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try them yet, so if you know of any, please feel free to comment below.

GETTING THERE

-          By car: By far the recommended option, from Nice or Monaco just take the A8 motorway across the Italian border and exit in Ventimiglia. From there, cross the city centre (avoid Friday mornings due to the market-related traffic) and once you’ve crossed over the railway tracks at the eastern end, head inland towards Dolceacqua. The road is very well-signposted so you can’t miss it.

How to get to Val Nervia by car from the Riviera, it's not far at all!

-          By public transport: not recommended unless you’re going to a specific spot in the valley (for example staying in a guesthouse in Dolceacqua or Apricale). In that case, take a train to Ventimiglia station then a bus to Dolceacqua and the other villages – you can find the timetables here. Just make sure you’re not in a hurry…

Global view of Old Nice from the Bellanda Tower on Castle Hill, you can see Cours Saleya on the left, running parallel to the waterfront

The Old Town of Nice (or Vieux Nice as the locals call it) is one of the city’s main attractions and a must-see for any visitor… Not particularly because of a huge amount of unmissable historical sites, but because it is a hive of activity, buzzing both day and night, which is ideal to wander around, to get lost in and to get a drink or a good traditional meal whilst enjoying the unmistakable baroque Mediterranean vibe. So here’s a quick walking tour to make sure you don’t miss any of the nicest parts, even though I’d advise the most adventurous to just get lost in the meander of streets and follow your instincts to make the most of the place – after all, it’s too small to get really lost and the sea is never too far away!

The triangle-shaped Old Town is surrounded by the Paillon river valley to the north (the river is buried underground but on top the local authorities are currently planting a very attractive new garden called the “coulee verte” which will be ready by 2013), by the Castle Hill to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, just across the Quai des Etats Unis.

-          Starting from Place Massena, just take the pleasant rue St François de Paule, which is lined with some classy shops with the beautiful Belle Epoque Opera of Nice on the right.

The picturesque rue St François de Paule, linking Place Massena to Cours Saleya

One of my favourite shops in Old Nice in terms of decoration, the wonderful Auer chocolate and sweet shop on rue St François de Paule, dating from 1820 when Napoleon was still alive: the inside is still decorated in pure 19th century style.

Just after the opera on the left, you will get a glimpse of the large Palace Square (referring to the rather bulky and unattractive Palace of Justice/law courts) which has some terraces but isn’t the most pleasant part of the Old Town to stop over in, so just keep going straight down the road until you hit the pedestrian area where the street becomes the “Cours Saleya”.

-          The Cours Saleya (or “Corso” in the local Nissart dialect – all the streets names in the Old Town are both in French and Nissart), running parallel to the sea, is one of the liveliest streets of Old Nice.

The Cours Saleya looking eastwards towards the Castle Hill

In the morning, the central part of the street becomes a market: mainly for flowers but also for jumble sales or fruits and vegetables depending on the days. The strip is also lined with plenty of restaurants which are reasonably priced but varying in quality, so be wary, though the appeal of people-watching and soaking in the incomparable Mediterranean atmosphere can just about justify paying slightly more than elsewhere for a coffee or a quick meal. It’s also a great place to grab a portion of socca at Chez Theresa (see below in the food section) if she’s around.

-          Once you get to the end of the Cours Saleya, you can either turn right and head towards the waterfront and enjoy some sumptuous views over the whole Baie des Anges from the Castle Hill, or else carry on the tour of the Old Town and go left. Running parallel to Cours Saleya is the rue de la Préfecture which heads back towards Place du Palais and comes to life in the early evenings at around 5 or 6pm, which is aperitif time in Nice. The street is lined with bars (mainly English-style pubs or more upmarket lounges) and some pretty decent restaurants.

-          North of the rue de la Préfecture, towards the top end of the triangle, the streets get narrower as cars are banned and this is the ideal place to just wander around the area up to Place Garibaldi to the north.

The narrow alleyways with great natural ventilation north of rue de la Préfecture

This area is full of bars and restaurants, especially the southern end, around Place Rossetti, which is another of the nerve centres of the Old Town and an ideal place to just sit down and have a drink on a terrace, under the shade of the beautiful baroque Cathédrale Sainte Réparate, built in the late 17^th century.

The baroque Cathédrale Ste Réparate on Place Rossetti

Place Rossetti, a perfect place to chill-out with a coffee and an ice cream

It is also a perfect place to have an ice cream at the famous Fenocchio parlour, see the description below. You’ll note that Old Nice is very cool, even in the heat of the summer – this is because of the shade and the very ingenious natural ventilation system devised by the locals when they designed the houses and alleyways hundreds of years ago.

-          As you head north of Place Rossetti, towards Place Garibaldi, the roads get slightly less lively and a bit more downmarket (plenty of kebab and fast food shops) but there are a few excellent restaurants.

The quieter alleways between Place Rossetti and Place Garibaldi

Also, make sure you visit the fish market (marché aux poissons) that is open every morning except Mondays until about 1.30pm on Place Saint François. Just bear in mind when walking round Old Nice that it’s not just a tourist area but also a prime residential neighbourhood – plenty of expats and locals live there due to its central location, mainly the younger ones given that most buildings are 4 or 5 stories high and don’t have lifts. This explains why there are plenty of grocery stores and regular shops catering for the locals, especially in this part of the neighbourhood.

A beautiful old bakery in Old Nice with wood-fired oven

-          Once you’ve reached Place Garibaldi (recently renovated in honour of the Italian freedom fighter), you can either walk towards the port, 5 minutes away, or head up the Castle Hill for some stunning views over Old Nice and the rest of the city and region – for more tips on how to enjoy your stay in the city, see my article Nice in a nutshell. For those leaving Nice by train, take the tram back towards avenue Jean Medecin and the railway station and for those taking the interurban buses, just saunter down Boulevard Jean Jaurès to the bus stop to head towards Monaco or Cannes.

Where and what to eat and drink?

-          A trip to Old Nice cannot be complete without sampling the main local dish, socca. This is a delicious pancake made of chick pea flour, water and olive oil and baked on a very wide cast iron pan – you can also find it on the Italian side of the border where it is known as farinata.

A typical plate of socca being prepared and cut up after baking (photo courtesy of www.annmah.net)

Portions generally tend to be reasonably priced: the big pancake is cut up into little strips and covered in black pepper, then eaten with the fingers (careful, the strips can be very hot if they are served straight out of the oven, as they should be). If you want to find out more about this delicious speciality, the New York Times ran an interesting article with an easy recipe (as long as you have easy access to chick pea flour) a few years ago.  Amongst the best places to sample it is Lou Pilha Leva, located on a small square at 10 rue du Collet, not too far from Place Rossetti (I just noticed it had rotten reviews on Tripadvisor, but I personally like it so I’ll stand by my selection – if you try it out and disagree, please let me know!).

Eating socca al fresco at Lou Pilha Leva

The place is pretty rustic, as you eat on benches outdoors, but the socca is very good and reasonably priced at 2.80€ a portion so ideal for a quick snack lunch whilst exploring the Old Town – they also serve some more elaborate typical dishes like petits farcis niçois (vegetables, generally onions, tomatoes and courgettes stuffed with meat) and pasta with daube (beef stewed in red wine with mushrooms) sauce. There is also another place recommended for its socca called Chez Theresa on the Cours Saleya. I’ve never tried eating there but this video will give you a good idea of the atmosphere on the Cours Saleya in summer!

-          If you want to stick to typical Niçois cuisine but with a sit-down meal, there is a multitude of places to choose from in Old Nice. My general rule of thumb would be to try to get a glimpse of the waiters and the chefs: the older they are, generally the better the food is – normally because the business is family owned and run. The same applies to the decoration – the good addresses don’t need fancy furniture to attract clients as long the food is good – and whether the place is packed with older locals or just tourists! My personal favourite for the moment is L’Escalinada, located slightly off the beaten track near Place Garibaldi at 22 rue Pairolière, with great specialities in a friendly atmosphere, you can find the whole menu on their website. Also highly recommended for their great value for money and typical dishes are Chez Acchiardo (38, rue Droite), Restaurant da Gesu (1, Place du Jésus), le Bistro d’Antoine (27, rue de la Préfecture) and la Merenda (rue Raoul Bosio).

-          A decent place I recently tried, if you want something a bit different from Niçois cuisine, is La Villa (14, rue de l’Abbaye), which specialises in Corsican dishes. I stumbled on this restaurant by accident a few months ago and had a truly excellent meal at a reasonable price, so I can definitely recommend it.

-          No trip to Old Nice would be complete without a visit to the famous Fenocchio ice cream parlour located on Place Rossetti. There is always a big queue due to the quality of its Italian style ice cream and the huge selection of flavours, including some rather exotic ones that you can’t really find elsewhere, like tomato and basil, violets or chilli. But the traditional flavours are just as good! There is also another shop at 6, rue de la Poissonnerie, close to the eastern end of Cours Saleya but note that they only open from March to November.

The delicious Fenocchio ice cream parlour on Place Rossetti

-          Finally, if you want to get a drink, there are plenty of English or Irish style pubs and more continental lounge bars in the Old Town, most offering happy hour prices around aperitif time (generally from 5/6pm to 8pm) – most of these are located on Cours Saleya or rue de la Préfecture, but there are also quite a few in the streets around Place Rossetti. Just be wary late at night as there tend to be more and more fights around closing time on weekends, especially in summer (at around 2 or 3am) and generally avoid the darker streets of the Old Town, even though Nice at night is no dodgier than other any large French city.

If you find any other good addresses in Old Nice, I’ll be happy to test them out – please let me know in the comments section below. Same applies if you have any feedback on the places I recommended, I’d love to hear from you.

Getting there

• From the Nice Ville train station: either walk about 20 minutes down avenue Jean Medecin through Place Massena or else take a short tram ride (1€)

• From the bus stops, arriving from Cannes (to the west) or Menton/Monaco (to the east): until the completion of the new bus station in 2016, most buses will terminate. near avenue Felix Faure: just cross over the large esplanade and you’ll be in the Old Town, you can’t really miss the spires of the churches when you get off the bus!

The city of Nice, lying directly on the Mediterranean Sea

Most visitors to the French Riviera will pass through Nice at one point or another, given its central location, the fact that it is by far the largest city of the region and its role as the main transportation hub of the region. But Nice is far more than just a transit zone, it’s honestly a very beautiful city which is well worth spending at least a day visiting.

Most of Nice’s particular charm and character comes from the Italian feel of the city, which only joined France in 1860 after a long spell as part of various Italian kingdoms. In fact, the Italian freedom fighter, Giuseppe Garibaldi, was born in Nice in 1807 and there is still a statue of him in one of the central squares. Greece and especially Ancient Rome also had a strong influence in its history

For those with just a day to visit Nice, here are some of the main attractions of the city in a nutshell:

-          From the train station, just turn left to quickly avoid the seedy surroundings that are typical of train stations all over the world and you will soon get to Avenue Jean Medecin, which is the main shopping street of Nice and which, since 2008 and the launch of the Nice tram, has become a pedestrian area.

Avenue Jean Medecin, the main shopping thoroughfare of Nice

On the avenue, heading down on your right, you will notice the immaculately white (and formerly dark grey) Notre Dame Basilica, which is the largest religious edifice in the city and just got a long overdue spring cleaning of its facade.

The newly-cleaned Notre Dame Basilica

As you head south, the shops and the avenue in general will get progressively more upmarket and about 1 km from the train station, you will get to Place Massena, a beautiful square surrounded by red Italianate facades and some bizarre post-modern sculptures. This square, which is criss-crossed by trams, is really the nerve centre of the city and from here you have various options about what to see next.

Plac Massena, also recently renovated with a new tram line, snazzy paving and bizarre humanoid sculptures sitting on poles.

-          If you head straight across Place Massena, you will quickly get to the waterfront, with the Promenade des Anglais, the world-famous boulevard that stretches for 7 kilometres along the Baie des Anges between the port of Nice on the eastern side and Nice airport at its western tip.

The famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice

It’s a great place to wander along, cycle or roller-blade with the most interesting section being between the eastern tip (near the port, although strictly-speaking, this stretch is called the Quai des Etats Unis) and the Negresco hotel. Here is a link to one of the more conveniently located stores where you can rent some outdoor equipment (unfortunately only in French). You will be able to admire some of the beautiful Belle Epoque architecture of the top-end hotels (and also some of the inevitable 1960s eyesores, if you happen to be into that sort of thing) and also have a small walk through the charming Jardin Albert 1er. Alternatively, you can just sit on one of the blue chairs which are made available and enjoy the view of the Mediterranean sea. The beach is also an option as the blue water is very appealing in the summer and generally pretty clean; just don’t expect any tropical white sand – the beach in Nice is full of large pebbles! Also, given that most of the beach is public, watch your belongings carefully and don’t bring anything precious along.

The public beach in Nice - not exactly the fine white sand of the Maldives but the water is nice, warm in the summer and relatively clean!

-          Turning right from Place Massena, there is a rather busy pedestrian district with souvenir shops, snack bars, coffee shops (not of the Dutch variety) and some rather touristy restaurants which is pleasant to walk around but nothing too much to write home about – mainly a good place to buy your French Riviera mug, t-shirt or fridge magnet on a Sunday if everywhere else is shut.

Nice's pedestrian district, a good place to buy souvenirs if everything else is shut on a Sunday...

-          Turning left from Place Massena, you will head into the medieval old town, Vieux Nice, where the city started off. This is a rather large triangle separated by the Paillon river (buried underground) to the north, the Baie des Anges to the south and the Castle hill to the east. The best thing to do there is to wander around the narrow alleyways and soak in the traditional baroque atmosphere, best done in the early morning before the hordes of tourists have arrived. Main spots to visit are the Cours Saleya (a wide street parallel to the waterfront with plenty of restaurants and where there is a market every morning), Place Rossetti, which is the main square and the various Baroque churches hidden in the streets.

A glimpse of Old Nice, Place Rossetti.

Old Nice also a decent place to have lunch or dinner, with some wonderful gems where you can sample some of the traditional Niçois cuisine, as long as you know where to go and where to avoid – as always there are tourist traps… Can’t really say which, but generally places with a large laminated menu in 4 or 5 different languages are to be avoided, it’s just a question of common sense. For more information, please check out my walking tour of Old Nice with a lot more details on this beautiful part of town and some recommended addresses.

-          Afterwards, you can just head north and enjoy the view from the top of the Castle Hill that dominates most of the Nice waterfront. Despite its name, you won’t find a castle on top, as it was flattened by the French during a siege early in the 18^th century.

The Bellanda Tower and Castle Hill, viewed from the waterfront

However, there’s a very pleasant park on top and some wonderful views over the whole city, especially from the waterfall that is visible from the waterfront. If you want to do some exercise, you can always walk to the top (it’s not that difficult as long as you’re reasonably mobile) but there is also a free air-conditioned lift that takes you up from the bottom of the hill near the waterfront, always useful in the summer. Once you get to the top, you’ll enjoy a splendid view towards the west along the whole Baie des Anges towards the airport, the Cape of Antibes and the Southern Alps behind (see the photo at the top of this article to get an idea) – on a clear day, you’ll be able to see the Esterel mountain range and the Gulf of Saint Tropez. The view eastwards isn’t bad either, over the port of Nice, which was at the heart of the ancient Greek settlement (which was known at the time as “Nikaia”).

Another view of Castle Hill, taken from the hills north of Nice. From this angle, it looks a bit like the Acropolis in Athens - the old town is to the right and Port Lympia is to the left.

-          You can walk down the opposite side of Castle Hill and have a drink on the port (also known as Port Lympia), which has just been completely redesigned and become much more pedestrian-friendly. From there, just hop on a tram from the nearby Place Garibaldi which will take you back past the old town, through Place Massena and up avenue Jean Medecin towards the train station.

-          If you still have energy, you can take a bus to the peaceful and beautiful neighbourhood of Cimiez to visit the monastery, the Roman arenas, the olive grove and the Matisse museum, whilst enjoying the opulent Belle Epoque architecture. For more information, please see the article dedicated to this part of town.

-          Finally, for museum and culture buffs, there is a huge choice in addition to the Matisse museum in Cimiez that I just mentioned: also note that access to all public museums in Nice is now free. The main ones are the Musée Massena (with an art collection set in a beautiful Belle Epoque villa by the waterfront), the MAMAC (a very modern and very large contemporary art museum with stunning views from the roof garden over Old Nice) and the Beaux Arts museum (another art collection), a bit further away. Amongst the main private museums (therefore with an entrance fee) is the Marc Chagall museum on the way up to Cimiez, which is probably only worth it if you’re a fan of his.

I hope that all this will have convinced that Nice is well worth a visit and is a beautiful and vibrant city in its own right. As always, if you find out any other tips or find any inaccurate information, please feel free to let me know.

Getting there:

-          By train: Nice is at the centre of the main railway line between Cannes and Ventimiglia, so is easily accessible from both directions. It takes about 40 minutes to get there from Cannes and 25 minutes from Monaco. Nice has three railway stations: St Augustin, Nice Ville and Nice Riquier. Nice Ville is the most central and the one I refer to in this article.

-          By bus: all inter-urban bus lines on the French Riviera only cost 1€ regardless of the distance covered. Line 100 follows the coastline east towards Monaco and Menton, whilst line 200 heads west towards Antibes and Cannes. Bear in mind that buses tend to be packed because they are so cheap and that there is plenty of traffic during rush hour so this option is less convenient than it appears on paper. The central bus station in Nice (close to the old town and the modern art museum) is currently being rebuilt so you’ll need to consult this website to see on which street exactly to take the bus (it depends on the line you’re taking).

-          By car: Nice is a large city which means that it’s hard to park and that underground parking is extortionate, especially during the day. I’d therefore advise you to take the train if possible. If you really need to take your car in the evenings, bear in mind that the public car park underneath Place Massena has a reduced rate from 8pm onwards, but the car parks inside the old town (especially the Cours Saleya parking lot underneath the flower market) do not.

Getting around Nice

There is an extensive and very reasonably priced bus network, which has recently been complemented by a tram line, all at 1€ for a single journey. For the trams, you need to buy your ticket at the bus stop before boarding and then validate your ticket as soon as you get on. As with everywhere, watch your pockets carefully in crowded spaces. For more information on bus and tram routes, consult the urban transport website.

View over San Remo from Bussana

Last month I took advantage of a beautiful and sunny January weekend to head down the coast to the Italian town of San Remo to do something I hadn’t done in about 10 years: ride a bike! A friend had told me about the new cycling path along the coastline between San Remo and San Lorenzo al Mare, close to Imperia, the provincial capital, so I figured it would be a nice change from the normal hiking and would give me a bit of exercise, especially given that it’s pretty much flat all the way.

The cycling trail is a nice way of converting the old railway track that ran along the coastline from San Remo to Imperia, and that was replaced about 15 years ago by the new underground railway line currently in use. Instead of having it turned into a derelict strip full of debris and graffiti, the local government invested EU funds into turning into a very wide cycling trail, away from the traffic and affording great views of the little-known but scenic Ligurian coastline.

The NoloBici rent-a-bike stall near the old San Remo train station

Bicycles can be rented in a number of stalls dotted along the 24 km stretch and run by a company called Nolobici where you can either take out or return the bikes: prices range from a very reasonable 3 € for an hour on a normal bike to 10 € for half a day, which is pretty much the time required if you cycle the full distance like I did. Electric bicycles are also available for those wanting to enjoy the scenery without sore thighs at the end… The easiest place to pick up a bike is directly opposite the old train station in San Remo, close to the coastline and the old town, amidst the palm trees and the Belle Epoque architecture.

The start of the cycling path, just next to the Belle Epoque old train station of San Remo

The cycling trail first meanders through the palm-lined streets of San Remo then down the rocky coastline with great views of the blue sea and beaches whilst passing through through some delightful little villages, such as Bussana, Arma di Taggia (crossing the Argentina river) and Santo Stefano al Mare (probably the most picturesque section of the trip). All of these are great for a stopover and a quick coffee or snack at prices impossible to find on the French side of the coastline. There are plenty of viewpoints for pit-stops on the way and the whole cycling path is very well signposted – just beware of some of the rather poorly-lit tunnels, one of them is 1.5 kilometres long, which gets quite tedious and you come out feeling like Gollum after spending so long in the dark.

The cycling trail looking back towards San Remo: two lanes and a section for pedestrians

The beautiful Mediterranean Sea viewed from the cycling path near Bussana

Naturally, one of the high points was being able to have a great Italian lunch before heading back. We stopped off at the end of the first leg (after 18 kilometres) by the sea in the village of San Lorenzo Al Mare and ate by the beach under the sunshine at Ristorante Emy Bar, which I can strongly recommend: some wine, a delicious local fritto misto with fresh fish, green salad, a meringata dessert and coffee all cost 20€, so some great value for money. My friends had some black and white ravioli stuffed with fish with a salmon sauce that was out of this world! In addition, the service was extremely friendly with the owners willing to give us additional information on what to see in the area, much more so than could be expected on the French side of the border in more touristy destinations.

At the half-way point, a delicious Ligurian lunch at Ristorante Emy Bar by the beach in San Lorenzo al Mare

A delicious Ligurian fritto misto on the beach in San Lorenzo al Mare

If you do not wish to do the full 36 kilometre return trip to San Lorenzo, you can always stop in Bussana (8km return), Arma di Taggia (16km return) or Santo Stefano al Mare (24km return).

The quaint village of Santo Stefano al Mare on the way back towards San Remo

In any case, I can definitely recommend this as a nice day trip to breathe some fresh air and discover an area seldom visited by tourists to the Riviera, as well as doing some exercise – I certainly felt very proud after propelling myself 36 kms with my legs and certainly deserved a delicious cappuccino afterwards!

Getting there

-          By car: by far the recommended option, San Remo is about an hour’s drive on the motorway from Nice and 45 minutes from Monaco. Just drive down to the historical centre and the old railway station, there is ample public parking just by the bicycle renting spot, at a pretty reasonable 1.50 € per hour.

-          By train: only if you don’t have a car, the most flexible way is to buy a ticket to Ventimiglia at the Italian border , then buy a separate Italian ticket to San Remo (about 15 minutes, 5.20 € return). It is possible to get a through ticket from France but they tend to be more expensive and cumbersome to buy if the person at the counter isn’t cooperative (which is the case most of the time with French railway staff). The new San Remo train station is about 1.5 kilometres away from the old one, so best to take a local bus or walk about 20 minutes into the centre.

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.

The stunning Exotic Garden of Monaco

The Jardin Exotique (Exotic Garden) of Monaco is one of these places which is stunningly beautiful but is generally neglected by most visitors to the Principality, simply because it is so far out of the way. Located on a rocky promontory at the north-western entrance of Monaco, jutting out over the Old Town and the Fontvieille area, most people just admire it from a distance whilst visiting the Palace Square without travelling up there, which is a bit of a shame. At the same time, the isolated location is part of its charm, affording stunning views over the whole of Monaco.

If you only have a few hours or a day in Monaco, I will be the first to tell you to stick to the main attractions, like the Old Town, the main port and Monte-Carlo, where the world-famous Casino is located. But if you are here for a bit longer or on a repeat visit and have a couple of hours to spare, I would definitely recommend a trip up the hill for a visit of the Exotic Garden and the newly-opened New National Museum of Monaco next door at the Villa Paloma.

The Exotic Garden

Some of the spiky plants on display at the Exotic Garden of Monaco

Built in the early 20^th century under the reign of Prince Albert I, what makes this garden so exotic is the abundance of cacti and other succulent (and spiky) plants that you wouldn’t want to get in close physical contact with. The garden isn’t very big, but since it is built almost vertically on the hill, you can just spend a while getting lost in the beautiful walkways admiring both the landscaping of the garden itself, with cactus plants growing out of the cracks in the giant rocks, and the stunning views over the Italian Riviera, the main harbour of Monaco, the Old Town and the neighbourhood of Fontvieille. Just bear in mind that the whole garden is built on a slope, which means that there are plenty of steps and bridges, so I definitely would not recommend this visit to anybody with limited mobility.

One of the stunning views over the Old Town and the Fontvieille neighbourhood from the Exotic Garden

Near the bottom of the garden, there is the access gate to the extraordinary Observatory Grotto (included in the 7 € entrance fee), which is well worth the visit if you can brave the 600 steps (300 down then 300 to get back up) which bring you down almost to sea level. This large natural limestone cavity, located inside the promontory (known locally as a baussu), was discovered in the 1940s and opened to the public in 1950 after plenty of work to make it accessible with lighting, walkways etc. There are regular guided tours which take you into the heart of this weird and wonderful place, which is full of strange geological formations like stalactites and stalagmites and which stays warm all year round, at a constant temperature of around 18 degrees. Obviously, this visit definitely isn’t recommended for people who cannot walk properly, given the amount of steps: also, make sure you have comfortable shoes and the ground tends to be quite slippery due to the humidity inside the cavity. Needless to say, don’t go down there either if you are claustrophobic, as you probably wouldn’t enjoy it much…

The main section of the Observatory grotto, at the bottom of the 300 steps

Another view of the wonderful Observatory Grotto, not for claustrophobes

Finally, also included in the ticket, is a visit to the Prehistoric Anthropology museum, located a bit higher up in the complex, in a rather nondescript concrete block inspired by the kind of architecture which was trendy in Moscow in the 1950s. Valiant efforts have been made to modernize the exhibition area which mainly contains a collection of various ancient animal skeletons (including a rather cool cave bear), but unless you have a particular interest in prehistoric anthropology, a long visit is not essential.

The skeleton of a prehistoric cave bear, probably the most interesting exhibit in the Anthropological Museum, that says it all!

The New National Museum of Monaco at Villa Paloma

The brand new museum at Villa Paloma, for an interesting experience and a bit of culture after visiting the Exotic Garden

This is located in the Villa Paloma, located next door to the exotic garden: visitors with a combined garden and museum ticket (10 €) can just follow a passageway through the side of the anthropological museum into the National Museum and there is an immediate change of atmosphere.

The museum was opened in 2010 after extensive renovation work on a residential villa and is therefore extremely plush, modern and original. There are currently no permanent exhibits there so it all depends if you are interested in what is going on during your visit. The choices made are pretty eclectic: for example when I visited last week, they had just launched a 3 in 1 exhibition including a fascinating collection of photos of Monaco taken between 1860 and 1880 (so rather different from what it looks like today), an artistic film which I didn’t have the time to see and an exhibition of artistic photos of Princess Caroline of Hanover taken between the 1970s and today by artists like Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld. The presentation is resolutely modern and rather appealing, with plenty of iPads available to get additional information on the exhibits. And there is a very nice panorama from the museum gardens, where the local schools have planted a vegetable patch (I did mention that the museum was quite original).

So if you are already in the area and have the whole morning or afternoon, it is probably worth getting the combined ticket and having a look around after visiting the Exotic Garden.

Finally, since I’m already covering this topic, I’ll also mention that the Villa Paloma has a sister museum, also part of the “New National Museum of Monaco”, called Villa Sauber. This beautiful building is located on the opposite side of town in Monte-Carlo, close to Larvotto beach and directly opposite the Grimaldi Forum conference centre. This mainly contains a vintage doll collection, some of which are automated, as well as some temporary exhibitions, which share the same intelligent and original presentation as in Villa Paloma, so the Villa Sauber is probably worth visiting if you are interested in that kind of thing (unfortunately I’m not that into vintage dolls).

Getting there   

By bus: the Jardin Exotique is located at the end of the very convenient number 2 bus line which crosses most of the major tourist attractions of Monaco and is therefore directly accessible from the Old Town, the port of Monaco, from the Casino (tourist office) and from the upper exit of the railway station. All buses in Monaco cost 1 € per journey (you can also get a one-day pass for 3 €) and buses on the number 2 line run about every 10 minutes on weekdays. However they are much less frequent on weekends (every 15 minutes on Saturdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays). Here are some full timetable details. I would recommend this mode of transport if you don’t have a car as the walk up is pretty uphill and boring, crossing a rather bland residential neighbourhood.

By car: you can park your car at the Jardin exotique public car park, located about 5 minutes away. Here is some information about the prices and how to get there: careful, the first hour is free but it gets expensive if you stay longer.

Useful links

Jardin Exotique de Monaco: more information about the Exotic Garden, Observatory Grotto and the Anthropological Museum, as well as the latest prices and opening times. The current entrance price is 7 €, giving you access to the three above-mentioned sites.

Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber: same information for the two components of the New National Museum of Monaco. At the moment, the entrance fee for each one is 6 € but there are various combines ticket options if you want to see both.

I would definitely recommend the 10 € combined ticket for both the Exotic Garden and the Villa Paloma if you have time to see both.

Ventimiglia, the Italian border town on the Riviera - hardly Rome, Florence or Venice but suitably picturesque for an "I've done Italy in a day" moment...

Some readers may not be aware of this, but Italy is just round the corner from the French Riviera… In fact, if you are in Menton, you can easily walk across the border! The Italian town of Ventimiglia is located at the terminus of the coastal railway line that runs between Nice and Monaco, so you can easily have an “I’ve set foot in Italy” moment during your visit on the Riviera and add it to your countries’ list if you’ve never been to places like Rome or Venice.

Ventimiglia is pretty much like any other border town, so nothing too spectacular, but most visitors tend to travel there for its (in)famous Friday clothes and leather good market. I figured last month that I may as well give it a go one of these days to see what it is really like and if the crowded trains and traffic jams encountered every Friday were actually worth it, so I took a train early on a very warm and sunny September’s morning and gave it a go. Here’s my verdict…

Yes, the train that I hopped on in Monaco was actually jam-packed with elderly French people with shopping carts so I figured there must be some amazing deals at the Friday market. After a short 25-minute train ride along some stunning coastline (keep your eyes for some great panoramas of Monaco between Roquebrune-Cap Martin and Carnolès stations, as well as some amazing coastline and surfing beaches between Menton-Garavan and Ventimiglia itself), I got off in the rather grotty Mussolinian-style train station and followed the crowds through the rather picturesque “new town” towards the covered market.

This part, with typical local fruits, vegetables and fish and open virtually all week, not just on Fridays, is actually very pleasant and well worth the visit. The prices are generally lower and the quality higher than what you will find across the French border, with plenty of typical Italian produce such as dried tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The very Mediterranean fruit and vegetable section in Ventimiglia market, this is the kind of thing you would expect to find in Italy!

Some Italian salami and prosciutto in the Ventimiglia market

However, the typical Friday section left plenty to be desired: plenty of stalls of rather unoriginal and not so cheap (ie. more or less the same price as in the high street) handbags, shoes and clothes: I’ll leave you to judge from the photos below. So the watchword for this part is: don’t bother braving the Ventimiglia crowds on a Friday, it really isn’t worth it.

Some typical "bargains" in the Ventimiglia Friday clothes market

And here's the handbags section... Not really worth braving the crowds on a Friday to see this.

Despite this, the rest of Ventimiglia is definitely worth a look around. The place might seem pretty shabby and run-down when you arrive and certainly not as pristine as the French side of the border, especially Menton, but has its hidden charms, which you don’t have to wait until Friday to discover, unless you want to share the town with “bargain” hunting tourists who will get ripped off.

Get away from the bustling shopping streets full of cheap and tacky alcohol shops surrounding the train station (yes, certain spirits like pastis are much cheaper in Italy than in France) and head towards the Roya river that separates the modern part of town (where the train station is) and the older medieval section, known as “Piazza”, on top of the hill. On the way, you can see some typical Mussolinian/fascist ie. rather ugly architecture in the town hall that dominates the square near the market and the river.

You can first follow the river down towards the beach which is extremely pebbly but affords lovely views of the coastline westwards in the direction of France, and where you can see Monaco and Cap Ferrat on a clear day. The beach area is nothing too special, just a long strip of beach restaurants which are quite dead anytime other than summer evenings.

Pebbly beach but lovely view over Monaco and Cap Ferrat from the beach in Ventimiglia, at the mouth of the Roya river

Then head back across the Roya with the pedestrian footbridge: the area is very pleasant, with fishermen, plenty of waterfowl (ducks, swans and coots) and very large trout swimming in the shallow and crystal clear river water.

The old town of Ventimiglia, or "Piazza", viewed from the Roya footbridge

Walk up the slope to the heart of the medieval old town: to be honest, Ventimiglia’s “Piazza” is quite picturesque with plenty of small alleyways, old stone houses, ancient shops and a little square but there are plenty of much more charming and original old Italian villages nearby, especially in the Nervia valley, a bit further inland. But if you only have a day in Italy, you may as well check it out. There are also a couple of churches worth a photo and some nice views over the Roya Valley and the coastline, even though some parts of the area, heading northwards, are nastily industrial and bisected by the Nice-Genoa motorway.

The main square of the Old Town of Ventimiglia - rather quaint but you can find nicer old towns elsewhere in the region.

Eating

One good thing about visiting Italy is always the food: generally prices tend to be similar to those found in France, especially in upmarket places, but the quality is normally much higher, so better value for money. In the bustling shopping streets of the “new town” surrounding the train station, you can find plenty of cheap and good quality bakeries and cake shops to get a nice snack, as well as some good Italian coffee and ice cream.

The best places to eat can be found in the area across the Roya river, just below the old town, with a few cheap pizzerias and plenty of seafood and fish speciality restaurants – for those of you who like fish, you should try some Ligurian specialities such as fritto misto (fried anchovies and sardines) – in Italy you tend to get real fish as opposed to the frozen calamari rings and plastic “gambas” that you will find on the menu of some tourist traps in France.

The fresh fish market in Ventimiglia - apparently the quality is so good that some top Michelin-starred chefs based in Monaco buy their fish here

For pasta lovers, Pasta e Basta (see Tripadvisor page) is the place to go, just around the tip of the old town, facing the sea. The homemade pasta is absolutely out of this world, though far from cheap by Italian standards (anything between 10 € and 16 € depending on how refined your combination of sauce and pasta is). But honestly, I think it is worth it, given the size and quality of the portions. The place is very popular with people travelling across the border from France and Monaco for a nice meal, so make sure you book in advance, especially on weekends.

Getting there

By train: the easiest option is by far the train, as Ventimiglia is the terminus of the coastal line that runs from St Raphael, via Nice and Monaco. Allow about 25 minutes from Monaco (3.50€ single trip ) and 50 minutes from Nice (7 € single) – this option is the smoothest and the most comfortable but, as I mentioned earlier, try to avoid Fridays if you don’t want your ankles knocked in by shopping cart wielding old ladies looking for a pseudo-bargain at the market. Timetables on the French train website.

By bus: it is possible to get there by public bus, but a real hassle so only do it if you want to save some money but have a huge amount of time to spare, or else if you have an inexplicable phobia of taking the train… Take the line 100 bus from Nice or Monaco to its terminus in Menton (1 €, a bus every 15 minutes on average), then switch over to the 905 bus in the direction of Tende – it’s a 15 minute, 1 € ride to Ventimiglia but the buses on this line are very few and far between (see timetables here) so I would just take the train.

By car: nice and quick by the A8 motorway east from Nice (45 minutes) or Monaco (30 minutes) but you need to find somewhere to park once you get into town, try the railway station for minimal hassle. Don’t even try to venture anywhere near Ventimiglia by car on a Friday (this includes if you’re heading to any of the inland valleys) as the traffic across the town is a nightmare and you’ll immediately regret it. But if you follow my advice, you won’t be visiting on a Friday, so it won’t matter!

So in conclusion, if you only have a day to check out Italy and are using the train, Ventimiglia is just about worth the visit: the atmosphere is relatively pleasant and you definitely feel, coming from France, that you’re in a different country, which is your main reason for going there. Just don’t bother waiting for the Friday market, believe me, it really isn’t worth the hassle – on the contrary, try to avoid that day if you can. And bear in mind that if you have a bit more time, there are much nicer places to visit nearby in the hinterlands behind Ventimiglia or a bit further down the coast, as long as you have a car.   

Monaco: gorgeous, but not as expensive as you may think. Follow the advice below for a rip-off free experience!

Some of you may be contemplating a trip to Monaco in the near future but have this impression of the Principality as a place where you cannot get by with under 1.000€ per day. Naturally, if you do have the desire to spend that amount, you can easily find hundreds of exotic ways of getting rid of large sums of money in a couple of minutes!

The good news is that Monaco is also a place where normal people, not just multi-millionaires, live and work, and that there are therefore plenty of ways for the common of mortals to have a wonderful sample of what the country can offer on a very reasonable budget. Follow the advice below and you’ll find that, contrary to popular belief, Monaco is much cheaper than most major cities in Europe on several different levels.

1. WHERE TO STAY?

There are a couple of reasonable places in Monaco: just bear in mind though that they’re quite small and you need to book well in advance. Some examples are Hotel de Versailles and Hôtel de France, both located next to the Place d’Armes market square and 5 minutes from the harbour: double rooms there cost between 70€ and 100€ depending on the period (much more during the Formula 1 Grand Prix). You can find cheaper places elsewhere on the Riviera, but then again, you’re staying in the heart of Monaco and there is no cumbersome public transport to travel on each day.

Alternatively, you can find cheaper options in nearby Beausoleil which has several comfortable 2 star hotels within easy walking distance of the Casino of Monte Carlo or the Grimaldi Forum conference centre for business travellers.

Nice can be even cheaper, depending on the accommodation: travel is easy, a bus ride on line 100 takes about one hour from the terminus close to Place Massena but only costs 1 € for a single ticket along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world, so well worth doing if you are not in a hurry. A train ride is much faster, at 25 minutes, and smoother but is slightly dearer, at 3.50 € one way (a return is double the price).

Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu: this is the kind of view you get on the 3.50€ train or the 1€ bus coming into Monaco from Nice

2. GETTING AROUND MONACO

Monaco isn’t a very large place but getting around on foot can be quite tiring after a while due to the very uneven terrain and the heat in the summer. Fortunately buses are frequent and very cheap, with a very extensive network: a single ticket is just 1 € anywhere in Monaco and an even better deal is the one-day unlimited pass which just costs 3 €.

This pricing also applies to the wonderful “Bateau Bus”, an electric boat that crosses the harbour from one side to the other every 20 minutes, so is perfect to get from Monte-Carlo to the Old Town whilst taking a relaxing cruise amongst the yachts in the world-famous Monaco harbour. Can you imagine anywhere else in the world where that is possible for 1 euro?

View from the Bateau Bus - you can use this electric boat to take a mini-cruise across the harbour for just 1€

There is also an extensive night bus network within Monaco, starting at about 9pm and which costs exactly the same as during the day.

By the way, don’t bother with taxis, the minimum cost for any trip within Monaco is 12 € – go outside of Monaco and it will almost double if you go outside. Just in case you were considering it, a taxi fare to Nice is around 70 € and a trip Nice airport will set you back 100 € (the same as a helicopter ride if you’re alone), so just take a bus or a train.

3. SIGHTSEEING AROUND MONACO FOR FREE

You are now in Monaco and armed with your unlimited travel 3€ bus pass – there is a whole host of things you can do for free:

-          Head up on foot or by bus onto the Rock (the Old Town), follow my walking tour and soak in the atmosphere and the wonderful views. It’s best to do this early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds but if you have no choice, do it anyway, it’s worth it…! You can always stand in the sunshine on Palace Square and watch the changing of the guard ceremony with all the crowds if you enjoy that kind of thing, every day at 11.55am sharp. All the attractions are free (public gardens, the Cathedral etc) except for the inside of the Palace (8 €, tickets can now be bought online) and the Oceanographic Museum (14 € – steep but definitely worth it, bear in mind they have a rather large aquarium and need to feed the sharks!).

Wander around the streets of the Old Town

-          Walk to the tip of the gigantic semi-floating jetty sticking out of the Rock where the cruise terminal is (only if there are no cruise ships, otherwise it’s shut) and enjoy the fabulous panoramic views.

The view from the semi-floating jetty over France and Italy

-          Hop onto the Bateau Bus (full information here) towards the Monte-Carlo side using your bus pass, whilst enjoying wonderful views of the sea, the mountains and the yachts.

The electric Bateau Bus, an interesting way of getting from A to B and to get wonderful views of the harbour for the price of a bus ride.

-          Walk around the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit or follow it by bus (a combination of lines 1, 2 or 6), it will take around 1 hour, excluding photo stops and is highlighted on all the tourist maps (available for free virtually anywhere in Monaco).

View over the Grand Prix circuit during the actual race: you can walk down this waterfront the same evening, a few hours after the race!

-          Check out the luxury cars in front of the Casino and the Hotel de Paris on Casino square, explore the lush casino gardens and wander through the marble alleyways of the Metropole shopping centre.

The entrance to the Monte-Carlo casino

-          Have a flutter at one of the casinos: the Café de Paris, the Sun Casino (located in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel just below) and the slot machine section of the main Casino are free to access but there is a very long list of things that are banned at each entrance (ex. shorts, cameras, phones etc). To access the much more elegant private section of the main Casino, you will need to pay 10 €, bring your passport and dress smartly, although a tux is no longer compulsory.

Entrance to the Sun Casino, located inside the Fairmont Hotel

-           Enjoy the great views over the whole of Monaco from the Casino terraces just behind (basically the roof garden of the Fairmont hotel) – probably my favourite view of the whole of Monaco.

View over the back of the Casino from the Casino terraces on top of the Fairmont hotel

-          Lie on the beach at Larvotto (several sections are private but there are also public sections – just find the bits with no plastic deck chairs) and have a swim in the clear blue waters, under 10 minutes’ walk from the Casino and just behind the Grimaldi Forum conference centre. There is also a rather rocky but lovely secluded beach on the side of the Rock between the cruise terminal and the Oceanographic Museum.

Larvotto beach: a great place to relax after a long day's sightseeing

-          Have a pleasant stroll through the authentic Japanese garden, located between the casino and the Grimaldi Forum.

The Japanese garden of Monaco

-          On the opposite side of town (easily accessible by bus no. 6 from anywhere central), have a wander along the second port of Monaco, that of Fontvieille, built on reclaimed land in the 1960s, which has its fair share of yachts as well as a lovely view of the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum. Then visit the lovely Princess Grace rose garden – just check with the tourist office beforehand if the roses are in flower or not.

Overhead view of the Port of Fontvieille, built on reclaimed land, and its unique "neo-Provençal" architecture

I think there’s more than enough free stuff to do in that list for you to have a very busy day!

4. WHERE TO GET DECENT FOOD AND DRINK ON A BUDGET

For lunch, I would suggest to eat something typical and good: the perfect place is around the Place d’Armes market which is where the locals eat (see my walking tour of the Old Town for a description). Go around the inside of the market and get for a portion of socca, a local chick pea pancake snack, for around 3€ in the bar called “Chez Roger”. You can also taste a barbaguian, a typical Monegasque sort of fried pastry stuffed with spinach or chard, cheese and a little bit of rice, or else some stuffed vegetables. A filling snack should set you back no more than 5 or 6 €.

The typical Monegasque barbaguian, a great snack for lunch

If you are really feeling the pinch, you can head over to the Carrefour supermarket just 5 minutes away in Fontvieille and get anything you want: honestly, supermarket prices in Monaco are pretty much the same as anywhere else in France and much cheaper than for example the UK, Scandinavia or even a Monoprix in central Paris.

Before dinner, after a long day’s sightseeing, you can have a pit stop at the Brasserie de Monaco, located right on the Grand Prix circuit on the harbour: they brew their own organic beer there according to Bavarian traditions (white, pils or amber ale) and you can even take tours of the place. Their half-price happy hour lasts from 5pm until 8pm and a pint of beer (50 cl, ie. a French pint!) costs just 3 €, a real bargain for beer lovers. A glass of organic wine costs the same amount and you can also get reasonably priced Monegasque snacks like pichade (a focaccia with tomatoes, olives and fried onions) or pissaladière (the same thing but without the tomatoes). You can even bring back a souvenir coaster!

Apéritif snacks at the Brasserie de Monaco on the harbour

Other bars on the same strip (known as the Darse Sud) have a similar Happy Hour: the famous la Rascasse bar and casino is located right on one of the bends of the Grand Prix circuit and has half-price drinks (4 € for a glass of wine) until 11pm. Don’t forget that wine by the glass tends to be considerably cheaper than beer on the whole of the Riviera, but there is less of a price difference than in Italy.

La Rascasse, good for happy hour drinks but also if you want to stay out a bit later (but drinks are more expensive after 11pm)

For a nice sit-down dinner, there are plenty of places where you can get a simple main course (top quality pizza, pasta or a dish of the day), a typical dessert (think tiramisu, panna cotta or profiteroles) and some wine for under 25€ in a nice location. Most of the places within this budget range are located in or around the area surrounded by the harbour and rue Grimaldi, so I would suggest that you walk around and choose what you fancy according to the location and what’s on the menu. Particularly pleasant are the restaurants on the pedestrian Rue Princesse Caroline (perpendicular to the main harbour) and on Boulevard Albert 1er, the departure grid of the Grand Prix running alongside the waterfront. So none of these places will break your budget.

There are also plenty of surprisingly good and even more reasonably priced places up in the Old Town, which tend to serve more local food – you can easily find a three-course menu for between 17 € and 22 €. Only go there for dinner though, as at lunchtime they are packed with tourists and you will have to slalom between the souvenir-buying crowds. But if you get dinner there, you will be rewarded by silence in the streets, a lovely atmosphere and a priceless “Monaco by night” view of the yachts in the glittering harbour below.

So I hope that all this information has convinced you that Monaco is hardly a rip-off destination as long as you know where to go – don’t let the myths dissuade you, just come here and sample the place for yourselves!

The Alps lurking just behind Cap Ferrat and Cap d'Ail, a great view thanks to British Airways!

What most visitors do not realise, especially in the summer months, is that the “Alpes Maritimes” area where the Riviera is based is named that way for a reason: basically because, just behind the coastal strip, lie the Alps in all their glory (actually, they’re quite visible on any flights heading towards Northern Europe).

The mountains, which go up to over 3000m in the Alpes Maritimes, cover almost 90% of the department, which makes for great hiking in the summer and skiing/other snow sports in the winter for those that way inclined. This is the main reason that Nice spent loads of money on an ultimately unsuccessful bid a couple of years ago to host the 2018 Winter Olympics: I thought it made sense, at least on paper and was a good idea to get away from the general stereotypes of the Côte d’Azur.

In this respect (and actually many others), the French Riviera is a bit like California: in April for example, you can go skiing in the morning and have enough time to get back to the coast and spend the afternoon lying in the sunshine on the beach, given that some of the ski resorts are only 90 minutes’ drive from Nice

The most easily accessible resorts from Nice are Auron and Isola 2000, with other resorts such as Gréolières-Neige, Valberg and Limone Piemonte (in Italy) also within easy access for a day trip.

Winter wonderland: the mountains just outside the ski resort of Valberg, about 90 minutes north of Nice

Limone Piemonte is my personal favourite, even though I’m not a great fan of skiing, mainly because of the culture shock you get crossing the border into the Piemonte area of Italy. It is located north of the Roya Valley just across the border, passing through the Col de Tende and its historical but rather dodgy and ancient tunnel. Access is possible by car (2 hours from Nice, 90 minutes from Monaco) or by a beautiful train journey from Nice, again through Ventimiglia – that takes slightly longer. The skiing is reportedly good (altitude of 1000m) but the main draw for me (you see where I’m getting!) is the quaint little village with excellent restaurants serving mountain-influenced Italian food: plenty of game, polenta and great pizzas at reasonable prices.

The mountain village of Limone-Piemonte

Naturally all these places are fully and more easily accessible during the summer and are wonderful for hiking, which I love, and all sorts of other “adventure sports”, which I don’t, as they generally involve dangling from great heights from a rather thin rope or getting very wet!

The hinterlands are generally separated in different valleys, the main ones being from west to east: the Var, the Tinée, the Vésubie and the Roya Valleys (my personal favourite, straddling the border between France and Italy), plus on the Italian side the gorgeous Val Nervia. I’ll write in a bit more detail about the individual valleys in due course.

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