Sounds of Music on the French Riviera Shores

Delightfully situated, Juan-les-Pins is a charming seaside resort on the Côte d'Azur (Azure Coast). Aside from its sandy beaches, the town offers a marina, a casino, several museums and a world-famous jazz festival.

The world heard about the area first time almost two hundred years ago. On March 1st 1815 Napoleon landed on the beach of Golfe Juan returning from his island of Elba’s exile. But Juan-les-Pins remained a sleepy fishing village on the shores of the Juan Bay for another hundred years or so (the tall longleaf pines common on the peninsula added suffix to the settlement’s name).

The beach resort first achieved real fame in the 1920s bringing visitors from all over the world, especially America: Scott Fitzgerald, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolf Valentino, to name a few. In the newly fashionable Juan-les-Pins, it was jazz music that was heard at the casino, in the luxury hotels and in the clubs. First came Cole Porter who stayed on the Cap in 1922 and loved having parties for his friends there. Sidney Bechet and his Old Colombier line-up came to visit, Claude Luter and Maxim Saury in the lead. Sidney Bechet loved the area so much that he chose to have his wedding party here and all the guests paraded through the streets to music he had composed specially for the day.

Nowadays Festival International de Jazz is held in mid-July for 10 to 12 days, attracting jazz masters and their fans. Concerts are presented within a temporary stadium custom-built for the event within Le Parc de la Pinède (tickets range from €18 to €30).

Part of the reason people flock here is that the town's beaches actually have sand, unlike many of the other resorts along the French Riviera, which have pebbly beaches. In 1930, the vacationers invented water-ski sport here. Plage de Juan-les-Pins is the town's most central beach. Further south you will find two other public beaches - Plage de la Salis and Plage de la Garoupe. La Salis, on the edge of Le Cap d'Antibes, is our favorite beach in the area. The Garoupe Beach on the Cap d'Antibes is very nice too. The beach is divided into sections, two of which are free to public. Plage Joseph on Plage de la Garoupe is really good fun for children and the Petit Plage has shallow warm water and interesting rocks to play around.

Quick Tips:

During your stay in Juan-les-Pins you will enjoy visiting:

- Nice sandy beaches

- Promenade du Soleil

- Casino

- Boat trip to the Lerins Islands

- In June: International Festival of Young Soloists

- In the beginning of July: Music at the Heart of Antibes (at Villa Eilenroc in the heart of Cap d'Antibes)

- In Mid-July: International Jazz Festival (in 2005 it will be July 14 – 24)

The places of interest in Antibes area are:

- The Château Grimaldi with Picasso Museum

- Vielle Ville, the old town

- The Fort Carré and port Vauban

On the Cap d’Antibes:

- The Jardin Thuret

- La Garoupe Chapel and Lighthouse

- Naval and Napoleon Museum (a really knock-out view from the tower)

Best Way To Get Around:

We stayed a week in Juan-les-Pins half-way between Antibes and Cannes. Juan-les-Pins is connected by rail and bus to most other Mediterranean coastal resorts, especially Nice (trip time: 30 minutes). There is a regular bus service (# 200) between Cannes, Antibes and Nice from Place Charles de Gaulle. Alternate buses go to Nice Airport and to Cap 3000, a large, pleasant but quite expensive shopping center near Nice. A bus leaves for Juan-les-Pins from Antibes at place Guynemer daily every 20 minutes and costs € 1.50 one-way (trip time: 10 minutes).

We booked this excellent apartment through the local French Riviera agency using their website called Guest In Riviera (www.guestinriviera.com). The location could not be better – in the center of Juan-les-Pins, 1 minute from La Pinede, 3-5 minutes from the beach, with a few supermarkets nearby, and 7 minutes from local train station. The comfortable villa on the corner of Ave Des Lauries is surrounded by gardens and tall Mediterranean pines. The external staircase leads to the unit (it is on the second floor), which is an immaculate one-bedroom apartment with kitchen, shower, and TV. It cost us €483 per week.

The hosts are excellent people; in addition to French, they speak English, German, and Italian. We enjoyed every minute here and recommend the place.

We start our 4-hour tour at Port Gallice in the bay of Juan-les-Pins. Overhanging the port, the Chateau de Juan-les-Pins was the holiday place of Rudolf Valentino. In the 1920s, the Fitzgeralds held court at the Saint Louis Villa, taking the sea air and entertaining their circle of friends. The Belles Rives still contains rare wooden furniture from the '30s. Pablo Picasso, Gérard Philippe, Umberto d'Italie, Josephine Baker, Edith Piaf, and Miles Davis all stayed there.

Built in 1912, the La Vigie Villa was bought by Frank Jay Gould. His wife Florence entertained all the celebrities of the day there: Chaplin, Cocteau, Gide, and Estée Lauder, to name a few. Constructed in Art Déco style, the Provençal was one of the most elegant hotels in Europe. Le Juana Hotel was where Ella Fitzgerald, among others, stayed (today it is classified as a historical monument).

The temple of the International Jazz Festival, Pinède Gould, is to jazz players what La Scala in Milan is to opera singers. Two great jazz musicians, Jacques Souplet and Jacques Hébey, worked with the municipality to create the first Antibes Juan-les-Pins Jazz Festival in 1960, where they paid homage to the great man, Sidney Bechet. In Europe, this festival was a revelation. For the first time, audiences could see the famous jazz musicians live on stage. The festival later introduced to the European audience Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and many others.

Now let’s return back to the Promenade du Soleil, where the bather (work of sculptor Grebel) enjoys Mediterranean sun. If you want to try your luck, then a few steps from here is the Eden Beach Casino.

Or you may choose a visit to the beautiful Exflora Park. On its five hectares of paradise, visitors will explore several distinctive areas, including ancient Rome, Riviera, Italian, and Moroccan.

We start our second tour from Port Gallice. Follow Blvd. Edouard Baoudin, and it brings you to the Port du Crouton, home to the beautiful yachts. The writer Clive James described looking up at people on the deck of a yacht looking down at him, on their faces the expression "I'm on a yacht, and you're not". From here, turn left; a narrow lane winds up, bringing you to the Jardin Thuret. This green refuge, created in 1856 by botanist Gustave Thuret and praised by Gustave Flaubert and George Sand, receives numerous visitors each year. The garden is small, 3.5 hectares or so, but here visitors can find more than 3,500 types of trees and shrubs. Open Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm , admission is free.

The Chemin de Calvaire leads you to the Sanctuary of La Garoupe. A visit to the Chapelle de la Garoupe is an unforgettable experience. This place has been a spiritual place since the 5th century. The church has several nice icons, including a 14th-century Russian icon. La Garoupe also has a collection of votive offerings. The view from the terrace next to the church entry is breathtaking. The Orientation Table on the terrace contains the markings pointing to the important places. You can enjoy a panoramic view on the cape and the Mediterranean Sea, going from the Lérins islands, the bay of Cannes, Juan les Pins, the old Antibes, the ramparts, and the Garoupe Bay. A few steps from there, you will find the small shrine of Notre Dame des Amoureux. La Garoupe lighthouse is one of the most powerful in the region. It is open to the public, and it is possible to climb on its top to enjoy a great view of the Cape at 3pm every afternoon. If you take 103 steps to the summit, then you will be rewarded by enjoying one of the most beautiful 360° panoramas in the world. Locals say that the old lighthouse was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt by the Americans.

At the base of the steep hill lies La Garoupe Bay, celebrated for the beauty of its beaches. Along the way, you will have a glimpse of the beautiful villas. Among these sumptuous villas and luxuriant gardens is villa Ellen Roc, constructed according to the plans of Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris and Monte Carlo opera houses. Every Wednesday afternoon, the fragrant gardens are open to public.

Hotel Eden Roc is one of the most luxurious in the world. Anatole France, Ernest Hemingway, Julie Andrews, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Harrison Ford, and many others have stayed here. It was the original inspiration for The Hotel des Etrangers in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night".

Nearby you will find Naval and Napoleons Museum housed in a 17th-century fort and tower; the view of the coast from the top of the tower is fantastic. The museum is open every day from 9:30am to noon and 2:15 to 6pm, except Saturday afternoon and Sunday; admission €3.

On a point on Cap d'Antibes, the Grillon Tower overhangs the remains of an ancient battery. As the story goes, André Sella, manager of the Grand Hotel on Cap d'Antibes, had a large collection of documents and objects from the time of Napoleon's return from Elba. In 1952, the Navy granted him permission to use the tower to house his growing collection. Today the Musée Naval et Napoléonien displays paintings, sculpture and objects from that era. There is a fine bust of Bonaparte, sculpted by Canova in 1810, a statue of Napoleon on horseback by Renault, collection of sabers, swords, guns and pistols, figurines of soldiers and officers of the Grand Army in uniform – you get the idea. A wall painting shows Napoléon disembarking at Golfe-Juan on March 1, 1815.

A panoramic view of Cap d'Antibes, the Lérins islands, and the Alpes de Haute Provence mountain chain from the large terrace are worth a visit to the museum alone. After a tour of the museum, the neighboring Ellen Roc Park is well worth visiting.

The museum is open Monday to Friday 9:30-noon and 2:15-6pm; Saturday 9:30-noon. Admission €3 adults; €1.50 students. If you stay in Juan-les-Pins a week and are going to visit several other museums, I would suggest investing €10 in a combined ticket, valid 7 consecutive days for entry to Picasso, Archaeology, Peynet, Napoleon Museum, and Fort Carré.

The history of Antibes and the Juan-les-Pins area is several millennia old. Ligurians, Ionians, Phoenicians, and Etruscans frequented the peninsula before the Greeks installed themselves here in the 5th century BC to found a trading post in the future Antibes. Given special privileges by the Romans for supporting Caesar against Pompey, the wealthy Antipolis became Antiboul with the arrival of Christianity, and the installation, in 442 AD of Saint Hermentaire, first bishop of the town. A pontifical and royal city, Antibes became a stronghold due to its proximity to Italy. Louis 14th supported the development of Vauban, which made the ramparts impregnable. In 1794, Bonaparte moved to Antibes with his family, and was responsible for the defense of the coast. When Robespierre fell, Napoléon was imprisoned in the Fort Carré.

The world heard about Juan-les-Pins first time almost two hundred years ago. On March 1st 1815 Napoleon landed on the beach of Golfe Juan returning from his island of Elba’s exile. Here he gave the order to march first towards Cannes and Grasse, then further north: the route taken by Napoleon I as far as Laffrey, a small village to the north of Grenoble, is now known as the "Route Napoleon". Later, Antibes was awarded the title "Good Town" for its loyalty to Louis 18th in expelling the emperor from Antibes.

But Juan-les-Pins remained a sleepy fishing village on the shores of the Juan Bay for another hundred years or so (the tall longleaf pines common on the peninsula added suffix to the settlement’s name).

Juan-les-Pins first achieved real fame in the 1920s bringing visitors from all over the world, especially America: Scott Fitzgerald, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolf Valentino, to name a few.

In the newly fashionable Juan-les-Pins, it was jazz music that was heard at the casino, in the luxury hotels, and in the clubs. First came Cole Porter, who stayed on the Cap in 1922 and loved having parties for his friends there. Sidney Bechet loved the area so much that he chose to have his wedding party here. Nowadays Festival International de Jazz is held in mid-July for 10 to 12 days, attracting jazz masters and their fans.

Cap d’Antibes is a symbol of the life of luxury on the French Riviera. On our way to the Jardin Thuret, we passed countless villas and houses of the obviously quite wealthy.

On the Cap d’Antibes, one can find several green and beautiful gardens; the most popular one is the Jardin Thuret. It was created by Gustave Thuret in 1856 on the slope of La Garoupe hill to acclimatize numerous tropical plants. Many species were planted that were hitherto unknown in this area, such as eucalyptus. This green refuge praised by Gustave Flaubert and George Sand receives numerous visitors each year. If you would like to see some exotic plants in a marvelous garden, that is the place you need to go! The garden is small - 3.5 hectares or so - but here visitors can find more than 3,500 types of different trees and shrubs. The idea around the garden’s design was to respect of the Mediterranean climatic conditions (absence of regular watering and winter protection) and allow a natural selection of the plants most resistant to the dryness.

The plants push as freely as possible. As a result, the garden looks a little bit neglected or charmingly wild - there are no labels here, few benches, and one drinking fountain, but the place is definitely worth a visit.

The Jardin Thuret is open Monday–Friday 8am – 6pm, and admission is free. Located at 62 boulevard du Cap.

This Mediterranean village sits on the top of the hill like many others in the area. But this hilltop town always attracted artists and artisans. As far back as Roman times, Biot was a Potters' Village. In the 15th century, it was decimated by the plague and was completely repopulated by 48 families from Genoa. As a result, Biot then continued to flourish thanks to trade with the Genoese. Towards the end of the 19th century, clay pots used for transporting foods were gradually falling into disuse. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that Biot resumed its expansion, with the development of glassworks and decorative pottery. Its glassware is typically a clear or colored transparent glass with little bubbles. Yes, you can buy its amazing bubble-flecked products at several local stores. One of the most popular is Verrerie de Biot at 5 Chemin Combes. This Glass Factory/History Museum of Biot is worth the €5 guided tour and allows you to peak into the lives of glass artisans and the process of glass-making.

What makes Biot different from other hilltop towns in the area is amazing Fernand Léger Museum (1km southwest of the town center towards the coast). You will not miss it – a huge mural made by the artist, it's easy recognizable from the distance. The famous artist made his first ceramics here in 1949.

In the beginning of his artistic career Fernand Léger (1881-1955) was a major figure in the development of cubism; later he concentrated more on urban and machine imagery. During the Second World War Léger lived in the USA and taught at Yale University. His painting at this time consisted of compositions featuring mainly acrobats and cyclists. After his return to France in 1945 his works reflected more prominently his political interest in the working classes. The museum was built in 1957 on the initiative of his wife Nadia. It houses a unique collection of his works tracing the stages in Léger’s artistic career from 1905 to 1955. Open year-round every day except Tuesday, 10am – 12:30pm, 2pm – 5:30pm. Admission €4 adults; €2.60 students. Remember, though, that Biot is not on the coast. The Biot train station is on the main Cannes-Nice rail line, but it's on the coast 4km from the village. The museum is 2km from the station.

Old Antibes and the port of Antibes are on the mainland on the side facing the Baie des Anges, and the magnificent Fort Carré lies between the port of Antibes and the rest of the Baie des Anges. The largest marina in Europe nowadays shelters the most luxurious yachts but the Greeks were first who recognized its value building Antipolis.

Since antiquity, the site of the fort has been a place of worship, with a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury. This was replaced by one of the first churches in the town, Saint Michael's Church but was abandoned around the 6th century. Among the ruins, the more modest church of Saint Laurent was built. In 1550, Henry the 2nd ordered the construction of a circular tower in Saint Laurent chapel. Around 1680, Louis 14th commissioned Vauban to construct military fortifications in the town and in Fort Carré (that’s when the fort got its name – square fortress). The construction was specially adapted to military needs. In 1880, the County of Nice was attached to France. As the border was now further away and Antibes was no longer in the front line, it no longer held a strategic position. However, Fort Carré continued to protect the harbor of Antibes and still was used in the first and second World War.

Today Fort Carré is simply a nice star-pointed castle offering fantastic seascape views from its grounds. Access the fort from Antibes by walking the length of the perimeter of Port Vauban, up the coastal footpath and around the coast to double gates that mark the entry to the nature conservation area in which the fort is set. Access to the conservation area/botanical garden is free; here visitors can see a magnificent flora. A pathway winds up the hill and brings you to the fort entrance.

To visit the fort, you have to take a mandatory guided tour in French and English (runs every thirty minutes, first tour 10:15am, last tour 5:30pm in summer and 4pm in winter). Admission €5 adults; €2.50 students. If you stay in Juan-les-Pins a week and are going to visit several other museums, I would suggest investing €10 in a combined ticket, valid 7 consecutive days for entry to Picasso, Archaeology, Peynet, Napoleon Museum, and Fort Carré.