Côte d'Azur

exploring villefranche-sur-mer and eze

07.10

villefranche-sur-mer, france

After a whirlwind week in Provence, Meghan and I made the drive to Nice to explore some of the coastline cities. To be honest, I didn’t love Nice – we decided to stay there because of its proximity to the other places we wanted to go, and we had difficulty finding good AirBnBs elsewhere. With that said, everywhere we went outside of Nice was amazing!! After freshening up at the AirBnB (SO. MANY. STAIRS!), we set off for afternoon/evening. Our first stop was to Villefranche-Sur-Mer, a colorful little commune a short (but somewhat nauseating!) drive away from Nice!

I wore this fitting Gal Meets Glam dress – I thought the yellow and green floral print would be perfect for such a bright and happy seaside village like Villefranche-Sur-Mer! I adore the tie straps and flattering fit-and-flare silhouette… plus, it has pockets! Can’t go wrong.

While there were some people enjoying drinks down by the water, the area was pretty quiet – it was a nice escape from the crazy, crowded streets of Nice! I bet during the busier part of the season this place is popular though. The entire town is super cute, featuring a bunch of small restaurants and bars down the hill and along the water/marina.

After exploring Villefranche-Sur-Mer for a couple of hours, we got an uber back to Nice and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Comptoir du Marché. Highly recommend the grilled terrine and the pork + polenta dish. One of my very favorite meals our entire trip!

Villefranche Sur Mer, France // French Riviera
Villefranche Sur Mer, France // French Riviera

Jardin Eze Views //  France

eze, france

The next morning we ventured out early to Eze! We decided to forgo driving and got an Uber, because we’d heard the drive can be a little scary while winding around the coastline and up the hills. So glad we did that! We got there right about 8:30am and barely beat the tour buses that started arriving around 9am. If you want to explore this tiny village without a ton of people, I’d suggest going before 9! After the buses arrived it was pandemonium.

The garden at the very top of Eze opens right at 9, and thanks to being so early we were first in line. It’s a beautiful botanical garden, but the highlight is climbing to the very top for panoramic views of the surrounding area! That’s where I took the photo above – so gorgeous. We also popped by Chateau Eze, but unfortunately you can’t dine or grab drinks on their terrace unless you are a guest of the hotel. We did manage to snap a quick pic of the view from the terrace, which you can see below!

After exploring the garden, we walked back down the hill and visited the Fragonard store. There are actually two Fragonard stores right in the same area – the first one is right near the entrance to Eze, while the other is a short walk further down right off the main street. The one on the main street is AMAZING! It features a bunch of beautiful dresses, robes and coverups, as well as many a candle, bath products, gifts and more. That’s where I found my souvenir and gifts for my mom, sister and grandmother! If you visit Eze, definitely plan a stop at the big Fragonard store.

theShop

View All