Alpes-Maritimes Holiday Guide
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Alpes-Maritimes - a perfect holiday destination
The Alpes-Maritimes has been a favoured holiday spot for many years, and has been especially popular with the rich, famous and even royal. This is hardly surprising, as the department really does have everything. There's a fabulous coast, offering swimming, sailing, water sports and beach fun, stunning mountains with great skiing and the sunniest weather in France. Add in the sophistication of cities such as Nice, the beauty of the countryside and gorgeous character villages and you have a recipe for perfection.
Top 5 things to see and do in the Alpes-Maritimes
1. See the stars
Even if you are not a celebrity watcher, you can't help but be amazed by the trappings of wealth and fame that are so visible on the Côte-d'Azur. The harbour in Nice has privately owned yachts that seem as big as the QE2 and are at least as luxurious, while the treatment that the top stars receive at the Cannes Film Festival is nothing short of unbelievable. It's all great fun to watch, though!
2. Visit Monaco
The tiny and immensely wealthy principality of Monaco lies right beside the Alpes-Maritimes, and is definitely a good visit to add to your holiday agenda. Relive the romance of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, and enjoy the glimpse of a very privileged lifestyle. It's even better if you can arrange to have tickets for the Monaco Grand Prix as well!
3. Ski
The department offers not only the heat, sun and sophistication of the Mediterranean resorts, but also the sun, sophistication and snow of the Alps. There are times in early spring and or very late autumn when you can even find yourself faced with the decision of whether to go to the beach to sunbathe or to head for the mountains with your skis and boots. If you do decide on the mountains, the resorts of Isola 200, Auron and Valberg are well established and have excellent facilities, while there are a good number of smaller and less expensive resorts to find also.
4. Learn about the perfume industry
Grasse, a town of the Alpes-Maritimes, is the perfume capital of the world, producing perfumes not just for the perfume and cosmetics industry, but also for the food industry! It's a fascinating place to visit, as you can take guided tours of famous perfume houses, watch the processes involved in producing top perfumes, and try and buy in the exclusive shops.
5. Wining and dining
Cities like Nice and Cannes are packed with wining and dining opportunities at every level. The cities are known for their wealthy residents and visitors, but it is quite possible to take a delicious meal in a waterfront restaurant in Nice and enjoy three courses, wine and good service for around twelve to fifteen Euros (at the time of writing, 2010), if only at lunchtime. Evening meals in these venues tend to be more expensive, but then dining out doesn't get much better than this, so it's worth an extra Euro or two! To get the best from the experience, stick to local produce, with freshly caught fish, Provencal vegetables and Côtes du Rhône wines being usually the best value and the tastiest choices! Of course, expensive and sophisticated restaurants are also easily found, with fast food joints like pizzerias and McDonald's also present to keep the kids happy!
Top 5 towns and cities in the Alpes-Maritimes
1. Nice
The capital city of the Alpes-Maritimes is Nice. The Grand Lady of the south, Nice is a fantastic city in which to spend a holiday, be it short or long. Its setting, on a gloriously dramatic stretch of coast, is bewitchingly beautiful, and gazing out over the intensely blue waters of the Med from high on a hill above the town is an experience you won't want to forget. Nice is always buzzing with life, mixing business with pleasure, ordinary working lives with lives of unimaginable privilege and moving seamlessly from sunny days to starry nights. Go shopping for designer clothes and perfumes, dine in a harbour front restaurant or pack a picnic and hit the beach. Watch the world pass by on the Promenade des Anglais, find a quiet cove and dip your toes in the Med, or prepare to be amazed at the luxury yachts in the harbour. Whatever you do in Nice, you will certainly enjoy it.
2. Grasse
In addition to its world renowned perfume industry, the town of Grasse, which lies inland and west of Nice, is well worth a visit. If you are interested in the perfume industry you will already have decided how you want to spend your day, but if your interests lie elsewhere you will find plenty to entertain. Grasse is picture book pretty, perfectly Provencal in its colours and ambience, and extremely charming. Narrow old streets open onto pretty squares, cafés and craft shops line the paths and there are flowers everywhere, on window boxes, plant pots and gardens. There is a Romanesque cathedral complete with invaluable artworks inside, and there are several museums, chapels and even caves to discover.
3. Cannes
Cannes Film Festival is one of the most famous events in the world. Stars and wanabee stars flock to the town each year, and the eyes of the world turn to this seaside town in the Alpes-Maritimes for the duration. There is no doubt that Cannes is a glamorous location, whether or not the festival is taking place at the time. In fact, during the festival it can be almost impossible to get in or out of the town, so busy does it become! However, spending time there at other times of year is definitely recommended. The elegant Promenade de la Croisette is perhaps the most glamorous and best known beachside walk in Europe, and traces its path between the silver sands of the beaches and the luxury and glitz of the hotels, restaurants and cocktail bars that line the other side. Feel like a star, if only for a day, as there is something about Cannes that sprinkles stardust on everybody's shoulders.
4. Juan les Pins
"Where do you go to my lovely", sang Peter Sarstedt, telling us through the song that the jet set girl he was singing about spent her summers in Juan les Pins. The town is still a byword for chic, with its beautiful beaches backed by the palm trees of its name, and its summers a blur of sun, sea and fun. It's a wonderfully hedonistic lifestyle, perhaps not good for ever, but a supreme diversion from a humdrum everyday life! Juan les Pins is a suburb of Antibes, and if you are staying in Juan les Pins but seeking a little more history and culture, it takes a very short time to get to Antibes with its old architecture, museums and more.
5. Vence
If all the razzamatazz of the glamorous coast has become a little overpowering, then head for the tranquil mediaeval market town of Vence, in the mountainous hinterland of the department. It has charm in spades, being typically mediaeval with twisting narrow streets, squares and fountains, and has traditionally been known for attracting artists, most notably, Matisse. In fact, history and art go hand in hand in Vence, and make time spent here deeply pleasurable and a perfect foil to the non stop party attitude of resorts like Juan les Pins.
Food and drink in the Alpes-Maritimes
Nice is famous for its Salade Niçoise, a delicious salad of anchovies, olives and vegetables, while anchovies also star in another renowned Nice dish the Pissaladière Tart. All along the coast, fish and seafood rules, while inland the flavours tend to combine the best of seasonal vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and garlic, all dressed to their best with locally produced olive oil. The wines of the region are also excellent, with robust reds and aromatic rosés to enjoy.
How to get to the Alpes-Maritimes
Nice International Airport is very easily accessed from Britain, as it is served by numerous airlines operating from all over the UK and Ireland. British Airways, Air France, easyJet, Flybe, Ryanair and Bmi Baby are among those airlines which fly there.
