The Côte D’Azur Overview

A sunny place for shady people. —Somerset Maugham

Between Marseille and the Italian border, sun-drenched beaches and warm Mediterranean waters form the backdrop for this fabled playground of the rich, famous, and glamorous. Now one of the most touristed places in the world, the Côte d’Azur began as a Greco-Roman commercial base. Prosperous villages sprang up around 600 BC only to be razed by barbarian invaders. Since then, the Riviera has been working toward its modern resort status.

When English and Russian aristocrats began the luxurious habit of wintering on the Côte d’Azur to escape their abominable weather, Nice and its surrounding coastlines became the vacation destination of the world’s idle rich. When Coco Chanel popularized the Provençal farmer’s healthy tan in the 1920s, parasols went down, hemlines went up, and sun worshipping was born. Today, sunbathers bronze au naturel on beaches, high rollers drop millions in casinos, sleek yachts crowd lively harbors, and travelers wander ancient fortifications. Nightfall reveals the Riviera’s real pastime: nonstop partying. In July and August, Europe’s most extravagant—and often most exclusive—nightclubs overflow with the young, beautiful, and debaucherous until the wee hours.

The Riviera has been the inspiration of artists from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Picasso as well as the chosen resort of celebrities from Brigitte Bardot to Bono. Many towns along its eastern stretch boast a chapel, room, or wall decorated by artists like Cocteau, Chagall, or Matisse. Idyllic villas on plunging cliffs are reminders that the Riviera is an international luxury mecca. Hedonism aside, the Riviera boasts an unmatched cultural richness and vibrancy. Each May, high society makes its yearly pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival and the Monte-Carlo Grand Prix, while Nice’s raucous Carnaval in February and summer jazz festivals—less exclusive and more budget-friendly—draw a diverse crowd. Despite the Côte d’Azur’s reputation for glitz and glamor, penny-pinchers can soak up the spectacle and their share of sun, sea, and sand.