International Perfumery Museum

Grasse is the birthplace of luxury perfumes, born in the early twentieth century thanks to Francois Coty and where Coco Chanel launched the fashion for aldehyde rich perfumes. The 21st-century museum has symbolic value to the area and is the only museum of its kind in the world. The International Perfume Museum allows visitors to discover the history and uniqueness of the profession of manufacturers and large perfumery houses. The museum takes an anthropological approach to the history of fragrances in all its aspects, raw materials, manufacturing, industry, innovation, trading, design, and uses through a variety of forms - art objects, decorative arts, textiles, archaeological evidence, unique pieces or industrial forms.

The museum includes five sections, each representing a historical period and contemporary issues: elegance and classicism, magic and dynamism, frivolity and hygiene. The museum also offers history and information on soaps, make-up and cosmetics back for four thousand years through brilliant collections of objects and the staging of different industrial processes. The museum looks at the past, present, and even the future of the perfume industry. Guided tours are offered all year long.

2 Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon, 06130 Grasse, France

Provence Museum of Art and History, Grasse

Located in the 18th-century mansion built by one of the oldest families of medieval Provencal nobility, the Grasse family, the Museum of Art and History presents the history of Grasse and its region. The mansion is richly decorated and furnished retaining its original distribution of staterooms and private spaces. Reconstructions of rooms and dedicated exhibitions coexist harmoniously on three levels opening onto the south side, to the garden.

The museum offers large collections devoted to both everyday life in Eastern Provence since prehistoric times and Fine Arts and Decorative Arts from the 17th-century to the first half of the 20th-century.

2 rue Mirabeau, 06130, Grase, France

Chemin de Nietzshe, Eze

The Nietzshe Trail is a famous route from Eze-bord-du-Mer up to Eze Village that the German Philosopher would walk daily as he contemplated his theories and thoughts which inspired his writings. The trail takes about an hour (or less) to climb to the village and offers magnificent views to the sea, tropical flowers, and amazing natural beauty. About two-thirds of the way up the trail you will find a path to the right that leads to a tall waterfall, a refreshing oasis when the sun is high. Chateau de La Chevre D`Or is perched on the east side of the village with magical tiered gardens built into the mountains looking out to the sea. Once you reach the village you can wander around to boutiques and restaurants, or just take in the beautiful atmosphere the old town has to offer with cobbled paths and alleyways.

Eze village to Eze Borde de Mer, Eze, France

Exotic Garden of Eze

The Exotic Botanical Garden of Eze is set on an ancient medieval fortress at 1,407 ft above the Mediterranean Sea. It was created after WWII in the ruins of the town`s castle, by town mayor Andre Giaton and Jean Gastaud. Located on the steep hillside of the perched medieval village of Eze, the view is one of the most magnificent of the Riviera carrying to the mountains of the Esterel and the Gulf of Saint Tropez. The gardens allow you to soak up the atmosphere of the French Riviera and discover Eze`s history and traditions as you stroll through them. The garden is not only about plants as you will also discover places to relax and reflect upon art and pathways that weave around the Cliffside and below the castle ruins.

Le Jardin exotique d`Eze, 06360 Eze, France

Museum of Classical Art, Mougins

Located in the heart of the old village of Mougins, The Museum of Classical Art offers an extensive selection of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt as well as selected interpretations of classical works by modern artists. The large and diverse collection includes works by artists who spent time in Mougins such as Francis Picabia, Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso. The museum embraces a concept of displaying ancient, neoclassical, modern and contemporary art side by side to show the pervasive and lasting influence of the ancient world.

The artwork is spread over four floors chronologically with sculptures, vases, coins and jewelry, and the world`s largest private collection of ancient arms and armor. The founder of the museum is Christin Levett, a British Investment Manager with a passion for ancient art. In 2008 he decided to place his collection on display to benefit the public in a museum setting.

32 Rue du Commandeur, 06250 Mougins, France

Foundation Maeght, St Paul de Vence

The Foundation Maeght is a famous museum of modern art on the Colline des Gardettes, a Hill overlooking Saint-Paul de Vence. The Foundation is a brilliant example of integration between art, architecture and a breathtaking landscape. Collections include works by many important artists from the 20th-century including Marc Chagall, Ellsworth Kelly, Joan Miro, Sam Francis, just to name a few. The garden encircling the main building is an open-air gallery, where Mediterranean trees coexist and sculptures by Giacometti and Miro, mosaics by Chagall, the Pool by Braque, and many other artworks.

623 Chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France

The Loup River, La-Colle-sur-Loup

The Loup River is one of the main attractions of La-Colle-sur-Loup offering an oasis of freshness. The river is famous for fishing trouts, and the water is appreciated by all during the hot summer days. The river flows through some of the most beautiful scenery in Provence and passes through the Gorges du Loup, then flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The word Loup is often conceived as meaning wolf, but in the south of France, it also means a bass.

Olive Oil Mill, Opio

The Opio olive mill in the Provencal countryside has been pressing olives and manufacturing oil and other products since 1848. If you come in the winter time, you can tour the mill when the production season is in full swing and get up close view of how olive oil is made. In the summertime, you can enjoy exceptional sites and tour the mill and sample the various olive oils that have been flavored with lemon, orange, herbs and many other local specialties. The shop here is a delight and houses all the old presses, and machinery. In the shop, you can buy olives, a large range of oils, tapenade paste, local herbs, jams, chutneys, and soaps.

2, route de Châteauneuf, 06650 Opio, France

Hill Top Villages and Towns

The charming hilltop towns and villages of the French Riviera perched high on top of lush green hills combine allure of medieval architecture with birds-eye views of the Riviera coast and mountains. These medieval towns and villages themselves are impressive attractions of the Cote d`Azur. The center of each village hosts a maze of streets that are pedestrian-only. Just wandering the streets is the greatest pleasure boasting medieval architecture, panoramic views, cobbled streets, some topped with arches and punctuated with a church and bell-tower.

After a postwar period of neglect, these villages gained new life when coastal residents restored the crumbling townhouses to serve as second residences. Next, artists and artisans moved in and set up boutiques and galleries to show off their work. Now, most villages have thriving commercial life catering to tourists, retirees, and part-time residents.

Parking, though limited, is available at the edges of the villages. There is bus service to most villages, usually from coastal cities such as Nice and Cannes.