Top 10 Reasons to Go to the French Riviera

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the French Riviera

Eastern Riviera

Monaco, toy kingdom: Yes, Virginia, you can afford to visit Monte Carlo -- that is, if you avoid its casinos and head instead for its magnificent tropical gardens.

Picasso & Company: Because artists have long loved the Côte d'Azur, it is blessed with superb art museums, including the Fondation Maeght in St-Paul and the Musée Picasso in Antibes.

Èze, island in the sky: The most perfectly perched of the coast's villages perchés, Èze has some of the most breathtaking views this isde of a NASA space capsule.

Nice, Queen of the Riviera: With its bonbon-colored palaces, blue Baie des Anges, time-stained Old Town, and Musée Matisse, this is one of France's most colorful cities.

Sunkissed Cap d'Antibes: Bordering well-hidden mansions and zillion-dollar hotels, the Sentier Tirepoil is a spectacular footpath along the sea.

Western Riviera

St-Tropez à go-go: Brave the world's most outlandish fishing port in high summer and soak up the scene. Just don't forget the fake-tan lotion.

Les Gorges du Verdon: Peer down into its vertiginous green depths and you'll understand why this is one of the most dramatic natural sites in France.

Picture-perfect Moustiers-Ste-Marie: Best known for its faïence, this town is also worth visiting for the sight of houses clinging to the cliffs -- often with entrances on different levels.

A gothic château extravaganza: In Mandelieu-La Napoule, discover the most bizarrely extravagant house of the coast -- the Château de la Napoule, festooned with tapestries, peacocks, and art students.

Beguiling Cotignac: With almost no boutiques but a lively weekly market, this is a place to experience Provençal life in the slow lane.