Must see attractions in Côte d'Azur

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    Vieux Nice

    Getting lost among the dark, narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now…

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    Promenade des Anglais

    The most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – is this vast paved promenade, which gets its name from the English expat patrons who paid…

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    Cabanon Le Corbusier

    The only building French architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965) ever built for himself is this rather simple – but very clever – beach hut on Cap Martin. The…

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    Colline du Château

    For the best views over Nice’s red-tiled rooftops, climb the winding staircases up to this wooded outcrop on the eastern edge of the old town. It’s been…

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    Musée Masséna

    Originally built as a holiday home for Prince Victor d’Essling (the grandson of one of Napoléon's favourite generals, Maréchal Massena), this lavish belle…

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    La Croisette

    The multi-starred hotels and couture shops lining the iconic bd de la Croisette (aka La Croisette) may be the preserve of the rich and famous, but anyone…

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    Musée Matisse

    This museum, 2km north of the city centre in the leafy Cimiez quarter, houses a fascinating assortment of works by Matisse, including oil paintings,…

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    Cours Saleya Markets

    Split between its beautiful flower market and rightly famous food market. On Mondays, flowers and food make way for a flea market.

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    Chapelle du Rosaire

    An ailing Henri Matisse moved to Vence in 1943 to be cared for by his former nurse and model, Monique Bourgeois, who'd since become a Dominican nun. She…

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    Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

    An over-the-top, belle-époque confection, this villa was commissioned by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild in 1912. She was an avid art collector…

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    Musée de l’Annonciade

    In a gracefully converted 16th-century chapel, this small but famous museum showcases an impressive collection of modern art infused with that legendary…

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    Cloître de la Cathédrale de Fréjus

    Fréjus’ star sight is its 11th- and 12th-century cathedral, one of the region's first Gothic buildings. Its cloister features rare 14th- and 15th-century…

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    Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins

    The brainchild of compulsive art collector and British entrepreneur Christian Levett, this outstanding museum contains 600 works spanning 5000 years. The…

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    Villa E-1027

    Irish modernist architect Eileen Gray designed this tour de force of a Mediterranean villa, complete with highly inventive furniture and fixtures, in the…

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    Plage Paloma

    A dreamy spot for swimming, sunbathing and water sports of all kinds, this secluded crescent of sand 1km east of St-Jean has an iconic bar-restaurant,…

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    Plage de Pampelonne

    The 5km-long, celebrity-studded Plage de Pampelonne sports a line-up of exclusive beach restaurants and clubs in summer. Find public entries (and parking…

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    La Ponche

    Shrug off the hustle of the port in St-Tropez’ historic fishing quarter, La Ponche, northeast of the Vieux Port. From the southern end of quai Frédéric…

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    Musée International de la Parfumerie

    This whiz-bang museum is a work of art: housed in an 18th-century mansion enlarged with a modern glass structure, it retraces three millennia of perfume…