Vieil Antibes

Antibes


Ringed by sturdy medieval walls and criss-crossed with lanes and shady squares, old Antibes is a delightful place for a wander. The wonderful Marché Provençal is old Antibes' beating heart, sheltered by a 19th-century cast-iron roof and packed with stalls selling olives, cheese, vegetables, tapenades and other Provençal goodies until around 1pm.

Along the edge of the old town, views from the sea walls stretch all the way to Nice (spot the runway) and inland to the snowy Alps. There's one section of the ramparts overlooking place du Verdun where you can walk along and imagine yourself operating a medieval cannon.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Antibes attractions

1. Musée Picasso

0.04 MILES

Picasso himself said, ‘If you want to see the Picassos from Antibes, you have to see them in Antibes'. The 14th-century Château Grimaldi was Picasso’s…

2. Cathédrale d'Antibes

0.05 MILES

Antibes' cathedral was built on the site of an ancient Greek temple, and has an impressive neoclassical façade (currently undergoing renovation). Its tall…

4. Plage de la Gravette

0.14 MILES

Right in the centre of Antibes, you’ll find Plage de la Gravette, a small patch of sand by the remparts (ramparts).

5. Bastion St-Jaume

0.3 MILES

Stroll along the rampart walkway to the harbour, where luxury yachts jostle for the limelight with Nomade (2010), an 8m-tall sculpture of a man looking…

6. Fort Carré

0.63 MILES

The impregnable 16th-century Fort Carré, enlarged by Vauban in the 17th century, dominates the approach to Antibes from Nice. It served as a border…

7. Plage de la Salis

0.77 MILES

This beach, with unbeatable views of old Antibes and the Alps, is 20 minutes from Antibes.

8. Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret

1.24 MILES

In the centre of Cap d'Antibes, this serene, 3.5-hectare botanical garden was created in 1856 and showcases 2500 species – the perfect opportunity to…