Riviera: Côte d'Azur mon Amour

As early as the 19th century, members of high European society spent the winter months on the French Mediterranean coast. People came to stroll among lemon and olive trees, oleanders and blooming flowerbeds in the warm light of the south, to breathe in the sea air, listen to the gentle lapping of the waves and enjoy French cuisine. One of the Côte d'Azur's regular guests was Queen Victoria of England, who spent five consecutive winters in Nice shortly before the turn of the century.

After the Second World War, it was the cinema that spread the fame of this coast to the world, thanks to films such as "Over the Rooftops of Nice" with Grace Kelly, who met her future husband Prince Rainier of Monaco here and delighted the world with a fairytale Riviera romance. The Cannes Film Festival, founded after the Second World War, with its numerous starlets in bikinis, which gave the Côte d'Azur and its beaches a slightly disreputable aura, also played a major role in this.

But the region also has a lot to offer in terms of scenery, especially the city of Nice with its colorful old town houses and an atmosphere that is strongly reminiscent of Italy. The neighborhoods from the 1920s and 1930s, whose architecture shines in the splendid Art Deco style, are just as characteristic. Particularly impressive: the famous Promenade des Anglais, the elegant Boulevard Victor Hugo and the Quartier des Musiciens, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fragrance capital

In the hills above Cannes lies Grasse, the world capital of perfume. Since the 17th century, precious fragrances have been composed here from local flowers such as jasmine, rose and orange blossom. The city is the heart of French perfumery - and a place of pilgrimage for anyone interested in the magic of aromas.

Traditional houses such as Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard open their historic factories to visitors and offer guided tours of their fragrant production facilities as well as workshops where you can create your own personal fragrance under expert guidance. It's a unique and sensual experience that brings the history, craftsmanship and elegance of French perfume to life.

In the Jardin des Plantes, the historic botanical garden, you can stroll between palm trees and olive groves, accompanied by the beguiling scent of roses, citrus blossoms and pine trees. Here, you can discover the full diversity of Provençal flora: from wild herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage to exotic plants that were once brought back by French sailors.

Educational panels tell of the healing power of plants and the importance of the rose in French culture: in medieval poetry, it stands for love and seduction in the famous "Roman de la Rose". In the 20th century, it became the political symbol of the Socialist Party. And it's also indispensable in the art of perfumery: Rosa centifolia, also known as the Provence rose, is a central element of many classic French fragrances.

The Jardin des Plantes is a place to stroll, pause and marvel - and perhaps the most beautiful proof of how lush, colorful and fragrant the history of Provence is.

The Route du Baroque leads to the most important buildings of the 17th century in the region - including magnificent churches, chapels and palaces. It also provides access to numerous other buildings, villas and gardens.

One particularly impressive example is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat - an architectural jewel that combines Baroque and Neo-Renaissance elements and is surrounded by extensive themed gardens. Today, the villa houses a museum dedicated to the glamorous life of the eccentric baroness and art collector Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, among other things.

Of course, it's also worth making a detour to nearby Monaco, where a square meter of living space is one of the most expensive in the world and more and more skyscrapers are rising to dizzying heights between the coastal cliffs; but where a visit to the pompous Prince's Palace is also a must on any trip.

The daily changing of the guard by the Carabiniers du Prince at exactly 11:55 a.m. in front of the Prince's Palace is a crowd puller - a strictly staged spectacle that signals more representation than defense, but works so well precisely for this reason.

In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, meanwhile, the thoroughly worthwhile Fondation CAB, a branch of the Brussels-based private collection of entrepreneur and art collector Hubert Bonnet, opened in 2021. It's housed in a magnificent and lovingly renovated building from the 1950s.

In addition to various traveling exhibitions and the permanent exhibition, which is dedicated to works of minimalist and conceptual art, the almost mythical and demountable living hut by architect Jean Prouvé is also on display and can even be rented as overnight accommodation.

The Fondation fits seamlessly into the history of the town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which has attracted artists since the beginning of the 20th century.

Many of them also visited the legendary restaurant and hotel "La Colombe d'Or", where they paid their bills with works of art; and so you dine here in a magical ambience among original paintings by renowned painters such as Matisse, Miró and Chagall - all of whom have contributed to the reputation of the sunny Cote d'Azur with its unique light as a home of choice and source of inspiration for world-class artists.