On the French Riviera a lot of great places worth visiting. One of them - village of Eze, which is attached to a rock, situated at an altitude of 427 meters above sea level.The village was founded in 600 BC, when a municipality is organized…Read More

On the French Riviera a lot of great places worth visiting. One of them - village of Eze, which is attached to a rock, situated at an altitude of 427 meters above sea level.

The village was founded in 600 BC, when a municipality is organized shepherds settlement. The main part of Eze, which still exists today, was established in the tenth century. Each building is decorated with great attention to detail.

According to legend, the village received its name on behalf of the Egyptian goddess Isis. It is in her honor allegedly consecrated the temple colonized these lands the ancient Phoenicians.

Completely surrounded with a stone wall, the village has only one entrance / exit. Today is home to less than three thousand inhabitants, and once one of them was the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Held here 18 years of his life, he wrote many of his works. It was here, walking through the neighborhood, admiring the beautiful views and enjoying the silence, he considered his main work - "Thus Spake Zarathustra." Most of it is written here. In our days hiking trails that go down from the village to the sea, so called - "The path of Nietzsche."

Medieval streets, rooftops, courtyards, wells, create a sense of mystique and mystery. It is best to come here in the spring. And if you arrive in the morning, it almost does not find people, and can, as Nietzsche once, enjoy the peace and quiet.

And, despite the fact that in the village are a large number of art galleries and shops, not know about it, and many Frenchmen, not to mention the tourists, they still prefer to Cannes and Saint Tropez.
You can get here by car and by bus number 82 and 112 from Nice.    Close

Whether people go up for the Exotic Gardens or just for the view is questionable. These Exotic Gardens are set high atop the village of Eze with the Castle ruins by their side. At just 2.50 euros each, you are getting a bargain,…Read More

Whether people go up for the Exotic Gardens or just for the view is questionable. These Exotic Gardens are set high atop the village of Eze with the Castle ruins by their side. At just 2.50 euros each, you are getting a bargain, as the views from here are spectacular to say the least.

There are several hundred varieties of plants in the gardens, most of them appear to be cacti in all shapes and sizes. We did find several plants to be wrapped in plastic. We could only guess that it is to protect them from the cold at night as the days were sunny and warm, but the nights were a bit cold.

If the skies are clear you can see all the way to the French island of Corsica from the gardens. Normally, you can see the coastline from Italy to St. Tropez, France.

The castle dates from the 14th century, which was destroyed in 1706. You can sit among the ruins and soak up some sun and relax after that climb up here.

Telephone number: +33(0)493 41 10 30 Open year round, 9am-noon and 2-5pm. From July 1st to August 31st, the hours are extended: 9am to 8pm.

It can be hard work to get up here, but it is worth it. Take your time along the way. Stop at the little artisan shops, it can be quite interesting. In no time you will find your way to the top. Interestingly, you will find no mention that there is a fee to enter the gardens, even though it is well-signed concerning how to get there.

This church, dated from the late 1700s. It is highly recognizable on the rises of Eze village, situated near the top. Its unmistakable bright yellow colour draws you near. "The stripped facade of the Church Notre-Dame-de l'Assomption, the building of which began…Read More

This church, dated from the late 1700s. It is highly recognizable on the rises of Eze village, situated near the top. Its unmistakable bright yellow colour draws you near.

"The stripped facade of the Church Notre-Dame-de l'Assomption, the building of which began in 1764 and which was consecrated in 1772, contrasts strongly with the magnificence of its nave. The nave and the choir are remarkable thanks to their baroque decoration and the paintings in tromple-l'oeil. Inside the church, an Egyptian cross reminds us that the roots of the village date back to the time when the mysterious godess Isis was worshiped. The Phoenicians are said to have erected a temple in her honour."--quoted from Welcome to Côte d'Azur

The inside of the church is in contrast to the plain yellow and white building outside. You would never think that this plain building can hold such beautiful treasures. It is gold-gilded with heavenly images above the altar. There are ancient, yet beautiful, paintings scattered around the church. The church exudes a very strong Baroque impression upon you.

Outside, near the church, you will find a tiny cemetery. Its claim to fame seems to be Francis Blanche, a famous French comic actor who was buried here back in 1974.

Besides this church, you will also find The Chapel of Sainte Croix (also known as Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs) in Eze which dates back to the 1300s. It is claimed to be the oldest building in this ancient village. Unfortunately, we didn't go into this chapel. Something to put on the list for next time!

Before setting off on our journey to the south of France we realized that this area is famed for perfume production. We had two choices in perfumeries to visit on our holiday--Fragonard or Gallimard. Because of its proximity to our flat, we chose…Read More

Before setting off on our journey to the south of France we realized that this area is famed for perfume production. We had two choices in perfumeries to visit on our holiday--Fragonard or Gallimard. Because of its proximity to our flat, we chose Fragonard.

You can find Fragonard on the Moyenne Corniche (also called the N7), right off of the main road near the entrance to the village. If you don't see it right away, you can ask someone and they can point it out to you. The telephone number is 33 (0) 4 93 41 05 05. The boutique is "open 10 am to 7 pm (closed 12.30 pm to 2 pm November to February)". They are open for free tours of the on-site factory also. The factory is open "every day, Sundays and public holidays included, from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm (closed 12 noon to 2 pm November to January)". They offer tours in several languages. To find out more information about the perfumerie, visit their website at Fragonard.

We arrrived just as a tour bus was unloading. Luckily, these tourists spoke German, so we got our own private tour guide in English--even if we did have to wait some time for them to go find someone to do an English tour.

We followed a French lady who appeared to be in a hurry and didn't seem to want to show us around. She was very informative in her presentation, though. She talked to us about the different parts that make up the perfume and showed us a map of the world and where they get their ingredients. We went from the raw materials through the small factory all the way to the end where several workers were filling bottles of lotion.

At the end of the tour you are escorted into the "boutique" where there are many, many things to choose from. Our guide showed us all of the different lines such as "Natural", "Fruity", and "Exotic". There were several perfumes to choose from depending on which sort of fragrance you were seeking.

Naturally, they also had a men's line of cologne. They carried lotions, soaps, cosmetics, and all sorts of gifts. It was all quite overwhelming. My friend and I decided to purchase a small box of 5 bottles of our choice for something like 40 Euros. That way I could give my Mother and Sister each a perfume of their choice.

They have a comprehensive website where they describe all of their scents. You can order just about anything they had in their shop. They also have a good map to show you where they are located.

For anyone in the area, I would highly recommend a stop into the Perfumerie for a tour. You don't need reservations, you just show up and they fit you into the next tour available. Buy yourself or someone you love a gift of fragrance; you won't regret it!!

For the view shown in the photo below, you'll need a rental car. Take the 'Haute Corniche' and follow directions to 'Astrorama', the observatory. Once you reach the observatory, continue driving (the road will turn right) until you reach a parking area. A bit further…Read More

For the view shown in the photo below, you'll need a rental car. Take the 'Haute Corniche' and follow directions to 'Astrorama', the observatory. Once you reach the observatory, continue driving (the road will turn right) until you reach a parking area. A bit further on is a fort which was used in World Wars I and II. In this area you will find an orientation table which also gives an astounding view of the French Mediterranean coastline, and Eze. Best visited in late spring, early summer or late fall, when the sky is clearest. Midsummer and early fall have hazy skies.   Close

Guide books list the ancient perched village of Eze as one of the sights along the Cote d’Azur, theRivera in English. They have it backward. Eze is THE sight to see, all the rest—Monte Carlo,Nice, Menton, Cannes, etc.— are incidentals in the vicinity…Read More

Guide books list the ancient perched village of Eze as one of the sights along the Cote d’Azur, the
Rivera in English. They have it backward. Eze is THE sight to see, all the rest—Monte Carlo,
Nice, Menton, Cannes, etc.— are incidentals in the vicinity of Eze.

Eze is the best preserved of the “perched villages”, ancient towns built at the top of the cliff that
runs along much of the Rivera, some 1,200 feet above the Mediterranean. These fortified villages
were located, not on the coast, but high above the sea, for protection from raiding pirates
long ago. When the coast was clear, seaside settlements took over, leaving behind the old
perched villages, which was great for tourists since they remained frozen in times long ago.

Cars are banned from the narrow cobblestone streets of Eze, so park just outside the old city gate.
The 17th century gray stone, town wall, remains mostly intact. Inside the walls, the well preserved
old town is an obvious tourist trap, but it’s tasteful and impressively preserved, and wandering the
streets is a treat. Boutiques, art shops, and souvenir stores line the streets.

There are spectacular views from the church tower and square, the Botanical Gardens, and the nearby
Eze overlook, and the Trophee des Alps. On the other hand, they are all pretty much views of the
same thing, the coast, so there is no point doing them all on the same visit.


Getting there: When driving, the scenic way to Eze is to ascend the cliff from Monte Carlo, but traffic is terrible.
The easy way from the inland expressway (E80) that parallels the coast.


A meal at the Chateau de la Chevre d’Or (castle of the gold goat) is not to missed. Excellent food
and a drop dead view of the Mediterranean coast 1,200 feet below. Just make sure you dine during
daylight hours   Close