Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
Two months in Villefranche-sur-Mer
As I mentioned in a previous post, a few years ago, I was lucky enough to spend 2 months in Villefranche-sur-Mer, walking, exploring, and photographing the French Riviera.
Almost 30 years earlier, I had been on a bus that drove through the town; it was so pretty and I remember thinking, I’d love to come back here someday. And I finally did. It was even prettier, and the whole area even more beautiful, than I remembered. In this second French Riviera travel post, I wanted to share some of my favorite things about this little gem of a town.
I have also created a free, printable travel guide with practical tips, fun facts, and lots of images. Just click the image on the left or the button below to get the guide.
I arrived on a beautiful morning in May, landed in Nice after a stopover in Dublin (I flew Aer Lingus from Boston) and took an Uber over to Villefranche-sur-Mer. The drive is absolutely stunning, and the driver couldn’t have been nicer. Between his pretty much non-existent English and my very rusty French, we had the most hilariously absurd conversation that had us both in stitches at times. He even pointed out the school where he was going to learn English that summer. 😃
villefranche-sur-mer
Villefranche-sur-mer
Old Town
The apartment I had rented was on the edge of Old Town, super convenient for walking to everything, including the train and the bus stop for buses to Nice and Monaco, Menton, etc. The apartment is no longer available to rent, but it was right down the street from Hotel Le Provencal,
I used to love getting up early before the busyness of the day began and amble along the narrow streets, camera in hand, while sounds of breakfast preparations and the morning news came drifting out from behind the curtains of open doors and windows.
Villefranche is such a pretty town, the streets are lined with stone houses in all shades of pastel colors, and cool details are everywhere.
Beautiful window in a striped building
Trompe l’oeil details on an apartment building
Left: Not the same building, and not even in the same part of town, but the exact same color scheme! I thought that was fascinating.
The image to the far left is the facade of Église Saint-Michel in Old Town, and to the right of it is Chapelle Saint Pierre at Quai de l’Amiral Courbet. The interior of Chapelle Saint Pierre is decorated by Jean Cocteau and looks amazing. In pictures. I have to confess I did not go inside (why?!?), but wish I had. Next time!
Villefranche-sur-mer BEACH
Plage des Marinières
Everything in Villefranche-sur-Mer is close, and the main beach in town – Plage des Marinières – was just a short walk through old town from my apartment. There’s a little walkway right along the beach where I loved to go for a stroll early in the morning when the water was calm and the beach empty.
Tranquil morning in the bay
If you go to the end of the beach at that time of day, you’ll have a nice view of the town as the morning sun hits the buildings and all those pastel colors are reflected in the water.
The sun rose fast and it didn’t take long for the atmosphere to shift from “serene morning” to “happy day at the beach”. If you want to glam things up a bit, rent a sun lounger for the day at the trendy Les Bains Deli Bo beach club and watch the scenery and boats in the bay from the shade under your parasol with a glass of rosé.
If you go up on the main road leading out of town towards Beaulieu-sur-Mer (Boulevard Napoleon III), you have a fabulous bird’s eye view of both the beach and the town.
Villefranche-sur-mer
The Citadel
Also down the street from me was the Citadel, an impressive stone fortress with a drawbridge, built in 1557 to protect the County of Nice from invaders. These days, it houses the Town Hall, a couple of museums, and an open air theatre.
There is also a beautiful, lush park with a rose garden, sculptures, and views of the old harbor. The whole Citadel area is another great spot to just stroll around, the park especially, which feels like a hidden oasis.
Villefranche-sur-mer
The Old Harbor
The Old Harbor, Port de la Darse, was one of my favorite parts of town. It’s a little bit removed, but still only a short walk from old town.
I used to take the waterfront walkway that runs next to the wall that surrounds the Citadel – the views both out over the water and inland are spectacular.
Above left: Inland views on the way to the old harbor / Above right: Villa Le Castel Florea, built in 1912. According to the Côte d’Azur France Tourism Board, “the most notable owner was Madame Keuyelan whose dog Barry feared the summer heat of the coast, so a house was rented for him in Chamonix, where staff took turns to look after him for 3 months.” I hear you Barry, it’s brutal! 🙂
I loved strolling around the old harbor any time of day – in the beautiful, soft morning light, in the bright and slightly more busy midday, and in the evening when everything was tranquil and peaceful.
Villefranche-sur-mer old harbor
The Marina Workshops
The old harbor also has the marina workshops, which are housed in a beautiful arched old stone building with an amazing ceiling. The workshops “played a part” in the Bond movie Never Say Never Again – this is where the motorcycle chase ends.
Villefranche-sur-mer old harbor
The Rowing Club
Competitive rowing boats right outside the workshops. I honestly don’t know a lot about the club, but I loved the colors and shapes of the boats! 🙂
Villefranche-sur-mer old harbor
La Corderie Restaurant
Because I still had many food allergies at the time I was staying in Villefranche-sur-Mer, I very rarely ate out, but I did stop for a glass of wine at the La Corderie restaurant in the Old Port one evening. It is such a cute and cozy spot, and a perfect place to end the day.
I sat outside under the large plane tree, just chilling, people watching, and enjoying the wine and life in general until the sun went down.
I strolled home along the water as tenders were bringing yacht dwellers back to their ships for the night. It was a magical evening – that pale blue of the sea and sky, the calm water, the peace and quiet. An evening walk to remember.
Villefranche-sur-Mer Art Prints
PS. If you love a particular image in this post that you would like as a print but don’t see in my store, just get in touch and let me know which image it is, and the size you would like. I’m happy to do a custom print whenever possible!
