6 Best Sights in The French Riviera, France

Set 1,310 feet above sea level, this is one of the Riviera's most visited sites. Full of rare succulents and Jean-Philippe Richard sculptures, the botanical garden is also blessed with superlative views: from this crest-top locale you can pan all the way from Italy to St-Tropez—on a clear day, you can even see Corsica. Just a few feet from the entrance, take a timeout lunch at the Nid d'Aigle, an inexpensive eatery that features focaccias and salads and is quaintly set on stone levels rising up around a tall tree.

Along Promenade des Anglais, this luxurious garden stands over the delta of the River Paillon, underground since 1882. Every kind of flower and palm tree grows here, thrown into exotic relief by night illumination. Home base for many city festivals with its Théâtre de Verdure and also Ciné Prom in the summer, the garden is the starting point for Nice's Promenade du Paillon.

To fully experience the Riviera's heady hothouse exoticism, visit this glorious garden, established by botanist Gustave Thuret in 1856 as a testing ground for subtropical plants and trees. Thuret was responsible for introducing the palm tree, which forever changed the look of the French Riviera. On his death, the property was left to the Ministry of Agriculture, which continues to dabble in the introduction of exotic species. Tours from 90 minutes up to three hours can be reserved in advance.

Directly in front of the tourist office, the broad tropical Jardins Biovès stretches 2,600 feet across the breadth of the center, sandwiched between two avenues. Its symmetrical flower beds, exotic trees, sculptures, and fountains representing the spiritual heart of town are free to visit, except during the Fête du Citron, when they display giant sculptures constructed out of 15 tons of citrus fruit, and also at Christmas, when it has a more festive feel.

With a temperate microclimate created by its southeastern and sunny exposure, Menton attracted a great share of wealthy horticultural hobbyists, including Major Lawrence Johnston, a gentleman gardener best known for his Cotswolds wonderland, Hidcote Manor. He wound up buying a choice estate in Gorbio—one of the loveliest of all perched seaside villages, 10 km (6 miles) west of Menton—and spent the 1920s and '30s making the Serre de la Madone a masterpiece.

Johnston brought back exotica from his many trips to South Africa, Mexico, and China, and planted them in a series of terraces, accented by little pools, vistas, and stone steps. Although most of his creeping plumbago, pink belladonna, and night-flowering cacti are now gone, his garden has been reopened by the municipality. If you don't have a car, you can reach it from Menton via Zest Bus 7 (€2.10).

This garden is particularly delightful in the fall, when the hibiscus and brugmansias are in bloom. Planted by Maybud Campbell in the 1910s and cherished by connoisseurs, it bursts with rare ornamentals and subtropical plants and is adorned with water-lily pools and fountains. The tourist office can also give you directions to other gorgeous gardens around Menton, including the Fontana Rosa, the Villa Maria Serena, and the Villa Les Colombières.