Vence

The wonderful old town of Vence is located just 10 kilometers above the coast and Riviera. The hillsides surrounding Vence afford a lovely coastal panorama and are dotted with palatial homes and villas. Entering through the gates into the old village, you find dozens of tiny streets with interesting shops and little cafés where you can enjoy scrumptious pastries. The Place du Peyra was once the Roman forum and it’s now the colorful town marketplace. In 1941 Matisse moved here and, in gratitude for being nursed back to health by the Dominican Sisters, he constructed and decorated the simple Chapelle du Rosaire. (Follow the Avenue des Poilus to the Route de Saint Jeannet La Gaude.) (Closed Sundays, tel: 04.93.58.03.26.) Vence makes a wonderful base from which to explore the coast and the hilltowns, and its location affords spectacular views across the hills to the blue waters.