Open left menu Villefranche-sur-Mer. What is Villefranche-sur-Mer famous for?

Charming Villefranche-sur-Mer is an urban district of Nice and one of the most luxurious resorts on the Cote d'Azur. The bay, where its colorful streets, beaches and embankments lie, is protected on all sides by hills, so the sea here is calmer, and the water is clearer and cleaner. The tranquil atmosphere of the resort attracts celebrities to vacation here, magnificent yachts are moored in the marina in orderly rows, and the local beauty attracts numerous tourists from Nice, who are ready to literally “escape” to Villefranche-sur-Mer to enjoy the comfort and silence. In the 19th century, Russian aristocrats began to develop the town; for some time, there was even a base for the fleet of the Russian Empire on its territory.

How to get to Villefranche-sur-Mer

All roads to Villefranche-sur-Mer lead through Nice, from whose airport to the resort it is about 15 km.

Upon arrival at Nice airport, take buses No. 23, 51 or 52 to the nearest train station St. Laurent du Var or, in case of not very heavy luggage, reach it on foot along the Boulevard René Casin across the Pont Napoleon III (distance only 2 km). Trains towards Villefranche-sur-Mer run every 20 minutes, the travel time is also 20 minutes. The route uses commuter trains TER of the French Railways (office site in English)

For a taxi from the airport to the place, the meter costs 35-50 EUR. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Search for flights to Nice (closest airport to Villefranche-sur-Mer)

Transport

City bus routes No. 80-84 run along Bella Vista Avenue, Napoleon III and Corne Dore boulevards, as well as near the promenade and the beach. A taxi ride from the port to the beach will cost on average 10-15 EUR, although this path can easily be covered on foot in half an hour, moving along the sea and admiring the sights at the same time. Bicycles can be rented from the EcoLoc agency located on Duan Quay. Two-wheeled vehicles are allowed to travel on regular roads, observing all the rules on an equal basis with car drivers. You can park your car at a rate of 2-3 EUR per hour; there are no free parking spaces within the city limits.

Villefranche-sur-Mer Hotels

In general, there are not many hotels in the town due to its small size, and the price tag is slightly higher than in Nice. The average cost of double accommodation in a three-star establishment is 100-160 EUR per day. Apartments will cost less - from 80 EUR. The most budget hotels offer a room for 72 EUR. A larger number of hotels are concentrated closer to the port at the beginning of the Promenade des Marinières, in the so-called “Old Town”, where the beaches are just a stone's throw away.

You can rent a yacht and live right on it (booking systems also offer such options). For such a non-standard move you will have to fork out and pay from 500 EUR per night. Of course, without special rights to operate a ship, you will not be allowed to go to sea, but several people can fit in a cabin, and the total amount per person is low.

Beaches

The main swimming area in Villefranche-sur-Mer is the Central Beach of Mariniere, which stretches along the bay for 800 m. It should be borne in mind that it is quite narrow, there is a road and railway tracks near it. People are sunbathing just across the road from cars parked against a stone wall. There is no entertainment there other than a boat ride, but there are several open cafes and fast food stalls. Mariniere is covered with small pebbles, which are often confused with sand, and has a gentle entrance to the sea. The beach is free, there are no sun loungers or umbrellas for rent, so you need to bring your own. The infrastructure includes showers, toilets and changing cabins.

There are two more beaches in the city: the pebbly Darcet - a very tiny and unequipped strip of coastline behind the yacht marina, and Angers Gardien, which starts immediately behind the Marinières.

Cuisine and restaurants of Villefranche-sur-Mer

Along with establishments of haute French cuisine and places serving seafood, Villefranche-sur-Mer also has quite affordable cafes. For example, in Cofee Ship, a city coffee shop and part-time burger bar, a complete set (sandwich plus salad) with a cup of coffee costs 10-15 EUR. Dinner or lunch in a not too expensive restaurant with wine will cost from 35 EUR per person.

Classics of the Côte d'Azur: Niçoise salad, Bouillabaisse fish soup, Topinade cold appetizer, Pissalder onion pie. Among the street foods, Provençal pizza and chickpea pancakes deserve attention.

The city has a lot of pizzerias (due to the proximity of the Italian border), cocktail bars and pastry shops.

Attractions

The main goal of tourists in Villefranche-sur-Mer is to enjoy sunbathing and swimming in the clear water of the gentle Mediterranean Sea, which can be diluted with tasting gourmet dishes, yacht trips along the coast and evening promenades. But you should not ignore the architectural sights of the town, especially since there are not so many of them and an inspection will not take up precious hours.

In the port area is the 14th century St. Peter's Chapel, painted by the artist Jean Cocteau in the 1950s. In the central part stands the Baroque Church of Saint-Michel with the oldest altar on the Côte d'Azur. Also interesting is the citadel of Saint-Elm, which houses the city hall, the City Museum with paintings by Picasso, Miro, Repin and Levitan, as well as a cultural complex.

• Where to stay: The luxurious and, to be honest, expensive resorts of the Cote d'Azur in terms of hotel facilities resemble each other like twin brothers. For example, it will be equally noisy, fun and elegant in both Nice and Cannes. Young people prefer to settle in Juan-les-Pins or Saint-Tropez, gambling fans prefer to live in

Villefranche-sur-Mer stretches along a bay lying between Mont Boron and Cap Ferrat. This bay, up to 65 m deep, is considered one of the most beautiful and safest in the Mediterranean.

City landmarks

From the railway station, a rather steep staircase leads directly to a small city beach.
Between the beach and the Citadel located to the south, along the shore of the bay, there is an embankment lined with brightly colored houses in the Italian style. The first floors of the houses are occupied by cafes, bars and inexpensive restaurants. To the north-west, up from the embankment, narrow winding streets go, in some places turning into stairs.

In 1857, after concluding an agreement with Sardinia, a landing stage and an infirmary for sailors were built in the port of Villefranche.
The government of France, to which the city passed in 1860, recognized the Russian-Sardinian Treaty as valid. The Russian naval base existed in Villefranche until 1880

Emperor Alexander II and other members of the Romanov family visited Villefranche several times.
The last official visit of a member of the Russian imperial family took place in April 1901, when Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich received French President E. Lube on board the well-known cruiser Aurora.

After World War II, the US 6th Fleet was based in Villefranche Bay.

Sights of Villefranche

Chapel of St. Peter The medieval chapel was built in the Romanesque style.
For a long time, fishing nets were stored in it.
In 1957 it was restored.
Jean Cocteau, wanting to give a gift to his friends - local fishermen, painted its walls with scenes from the life of the Apostle Peter, who himself was once a fisherman.

The chapel is open from March to May daily from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00.
During the summer months the chapel is open to visitors daily from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 20:30
From September to mid-November, St. Peter's Chapel is open daily from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.
Mid-December to February - daily except Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00
November - mid-December, December 25, 2 €.

Rue Obscure

This short medieval street, only 130 m long, is a continuous covered gallery with 13th-century vaults.

During World War II, the residents of Villefranche used it as an air-raid shelter.

Citadel

Within the walls of the Citadel of Villefranche, there is a city hall, a concert hall, two art galleries with paintings and sculptures of buxom beauties, a collection of medieval ceramics and the Memorial Hall of the 24th Alpine Battalion.

A walk along the walls of the citadel guarantees beautiful views and impressive photo shots.

Entrance to the Citadel is free.
The Citadel is usually closed on Tuesday.
Opening hours vary depending on the season.

Which is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the entire Mediterranean. Its magnificent panoramic views delight the eye from the moment you arrive in the city by sea, train or mountain roads.

Filled with light, Villefranche-sur-Mer, lying at the foot of a vast range of crescent-shaped hills, with its 16th-century port and Citadel, picturesque coastline and constant play of colors, has retained many traces of the past and is rightfully considered a city of art and painting.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is located 5 km east of, on the shore of a picturesque bay between Mont Boron mountain And Cape Car Ferrat. Essentially it is an eastern suburb. The Bay of Villefranche is one of the deepest Mediterranean harbors, allowing large cruise ships to come close to the shore and passengers to admire the beauty of the landscape.

The name Villefranche translates as "free city", since in the Middle Ages the residents of Villefranche had a number of tax privileges.

The pride of the picturesque old quarters is the oldest Obscure street(translated from French - Dark, rue Obscure), famous for the vaults that cover it. This street is 130 meters long and runs along the walls of the citadel. The name should be taken literally: it is a tunnel carved into the rock. During storms and enemy attacks, local residents took refuge here; during World War II, the street was used as a bomb shelter, and now it is chosen by wine and cheese merchants: the tunnel is always dark and cool.

Another attraction of the city is located in the area Port de la Santé. This Chapelle Saint-Pierre, patron saint of fishermen. This 14th century Romanesque chapel, where local fishermen once prayed.

For a long time the building served as a warehouse for fishing nets and was nothing remarkable, but in 1957 Jean Cocteau, who spent a lot of time on, painted its walls with scenes from the life of the Apostle Peter.

The cultural life of Villefranche is concentrated within its walls Citadels (La Citadelle). This majestic fortress was built in 1557 by order Duke of Savoy Emmanuel Philibert in order to protect the city. This decision was made after the city suffered greatly from the actions of the Franco-Turkish army. Its restoration began in 1979, and since 1981 it has housed the city hall, congress center and 4 museums (Musées de la Citadelle): Volti Museum, Goetz-Bumester Museum, Roux Collection.

Also noteworthy Church of Saint-Michel (Eglise Saint-Michel). It was built in the Baroque style in the 18th century. Here you can see a sculpture of a reclining Christ made of fig wood, made by an unknown convict. You can also admire the organ, built by famous craftsmen from Nice - the Grinda brothers (1790) and included in the list of historical heritage.

Villefranche Bay is not only remarkably beautiful, but also quite deep (up to 95 meters), so it was equipped Europe's first cruise ship berth. In the 19th century Russian was stationed here naval base, A after World War II - US Sixth Fleet, patrolling the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The life of military sailors was more like a vacation in a sanatorium than a service: they shocked decorous old ladies with their naked torsos, ate bouillabaisse in the port restaurant La Mère Germaine and made love with city beauties. When the Americans returned home, the French were left with multi-colored children and a sign on the Quai Courbet thanking the residents of Villefranche for their warm welcome.

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Illefranche was once considered a democratic, almost bohemian place: in addition to artists, writers came here (Aldous Huxley, Katherine Mansfield); The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards rented Villa Nellcôte here in the early 1970s, where the band recorded the album "Exile on Main Street". In recent years, reporters have become more interested in fabulously expensive and unprecedentedly scandalous Villa Leopolda on Cairo Hill (Col de Caire) near Villefranche. In 1902, the middle-aged Belgian King Leopold II built this villa for the young French courtesan Blanche Delacroix. But he miscalculated: the gift did not make the right impression on the courtesan. The frivolous girl did not even think of refusing her other lovers. Later she had children, and the unfortunate Leopold tried in vain to figure out whether he was the father. In the end, the 74-year-old king married Blanche Delacroix - and after 5 days of family life he died. The Belgian court did not recognize this marriage; the villa went to Leopold’s nephew, Albert I. The palace with a luxurious park, which requires at least 50 gardeners to care for, changed hands more than once, and recently another scandal broke out. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was planning to buy a villa from the widow of Lebanese banker Edmond Safra for 500 million euros, but abandoned the idea because he was offended by the French, who detained him on suspicion of involvement in an international prostitution ring. The Russian oligarch wanted to get the deposit back, but the French court refused him this.

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On the asphalt. I don’t understand anything, but the one on the right is very similar to Obama))


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Eh, it’s a pity, something terrible happened to my settings (


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The Church of Saint-Michel, in the heart of Villefranche's old town, was built in the 1750s in Italian Baroque style on the site of an older 14th-century church.

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In the port of Villefranche there is a chapel of St. Peter, who is the patron saint of fishermen. It was abandoned for a long time; fishing gear and equipment began to be stored in it. In 1957, the famous Jean Coteau vacationed in Villefranche. He wanted to make a gift to the city and painted the chapel inside and out. The frescoes inside reflect episodes from the life of St. Peter and the Mediterranean lifestyle.


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Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to look inside. But here's what pictures on the Internet show:

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Another opportunity to compare the painting with the original. True, I couldn’t find an angle from where the church could be seen.

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Villefranche-sur-mer(Villefranche-sur-Mer) is a city and commune of the canton of Beausoleil, district of Nice, department of Alpes-Maritimes. Located between Nice and Monaco, on the Cote d'Azur, it is a city of history, culture, art, gastronomic delights and nature.

Story
The territory of Villefranche-sur-Mer has been known since ancient times. At that time there was an anchorage for various types of ships, but very often it was attacked by barbarian tribes.
At the end of the 13th century. Duke of Provence Charles II of Anjou encouraged his subjects to settle on the sea coast, granting them exemption from paying duties, and named the new city Villa Franc (Free City).
In the 16th century Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy built 2 fortresses here - in the port and on Alban Hill. Subsequently, this place was under the rule of the Turks and finally came under the control of the County of Nice.
In the second half of the 18th century. Russian squadron under the command of Admiral Count A. Orlov, she used the bay as a stopping place in the Mediterranean Sea and it was from here that she went to sea to defeat the Turkish fleet in Chesme Bay (after the battle on June 24 and a huge fire on the night of 25 to 26 of the same month, 1770). ).
After the Crimean War lost by Russia, the Russian fleet was deprived of bases on the Black Sea and therefore the government’s eyes turned to the Mediterranean Sea. In 1856 Dowager Empress Alexandra Feodorovna visited Villefranche-sur-Mer. After concluding a corresponding agreement with the Sardinian kingdom, in 1857. A landing stage and an infirmary for Russian sailors were built in this port. Villefranche-sur-Mer only became a French city in 1860. after the annexation of Nice to France. The government of the French Empire recognized this treaty as valid.
Russian naval base existed in Villefranche-sur-Mer until 1880. Emperor Alexander II and other members of the imperial family came here several times.
In April 1901 The last official visit of a member of the imperial family took place in Villefranche-sur-Mer - then Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich received the President of France E. Lube on board the cruiser Aurora.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the territories of the communes of Beaulieu and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat were separated from Villefranche-sur-Mer, to which they previously belonged.
At the end of World War II, ships of the US 6th Fleet were based in the local port.
For a long time, the history of this settlement was associated with the presence of representatives of the Russian aristocracy here. Since the 18th century. The imperial nobility preferred to spend winters on the Cote d'Azur rather than endure the very cold winter period in snowy Russia. Villefranche-sur-Mer began to enjoy greater popularity on the Cote d'Azur, for its port was very convenient for anchoring warships in its roadstead. The presence of Russians and even members of the Imperial family here led to the formation of a Russian colony, the construction of Orthodox churches and a chapel in Nice.

Oceanography
In 1893, an expedition of Russian scientists from Kyiv arrived here to conduct oceanographic research, because the Villefranche-sur-Mer raid was very interesting from the point of view of studying the sea currents that passed here. Research continued until 1930, when the building built in its place became the Oceanographic Observatory of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Attractions

It should be noted that all local attractions are very close to each other - approximately a few tens or hundreds of meters from each other.
Citadel (fortress) Saint-Elmo was built in the 16th century. During its construction and later, it served to protect the town from attacks from the sea. Nowadays there is the administrative center of the city - the mayor's office, the town hall and the city police, as well as a cultural center, including several free museums, 2 small art galleries, a concert hall and the Green Theater, as well as the Memorial Hall of the 24th Alpine Battalion.
St. Peter's Chapel was built in the Romanesque style and dates back to the 14th century. In 1957 it was painted by the very famous artist Jean Cocteau with scenes from the life of St. Peter (the patron saint of fishermen) and fishermen - both inside and outside. It contains many paintings and sculptures. The chapel is open to the public every day and the entrance fee is 2 euros.
Church of Saint Michel built in 1750 in the Italian Baroque style and is located in the center of the Old Town on the site of another 14th century church. It houses the organs of the Grinda brothers, which are among the oldest in the Alpes-Maritimes, classified as historical monuments in 1990; In addition, there is also a large sculpture of Christ by Gissar, carved from a whole piece of fig tree wood.
You can stroll along the 130 m long Obskyur (“Dark”) street, which runs through the Old Town along the embankment; on it there is a long passage dating back to the 13th century. Since 1932 it is registered as a historical monument. During World War II, the basements of its houses were used as bomb shelters.

Shops and restaurants
Among the main attractions in Villefranche-sur-Mer are private food markets and shops, replete with various local products and fish, and numerous souvenir shops. There are 6-7 restaurants on the shore with a different range of dishes.

Beaches
Everyone can enjoy a wonderful holiday on the central beach (Plage des Mariniers - Sea Beach), covered with very small pebbles; There is another small beach in the city - Plage de la Darse (“Inner Harbor Beach”).

Holidays and festivals
One of the most famous holidays in the city since 1902. A magnificent and colorful day is held - the “Sea Battle of Flowers”, in which numerous boats and yachts participate, richly decorated with flowers, accompanied by the music of various orchestras.

Bay and boat trips
Villefranche-sur-Mer Bay was previously called “Orlov Bay”. Now one of the deepest natural harbors with a depth of 65 m, you can admire cruise ships and super yachts over 150 m long. Here you can also book a yacht excursion along the coast and engage in water sports.

City tours
In the city you can see the beautiful building of the railway station. The city buildings are located in tiers on the mountain along the shore of the bay and it would be a shame not to admire the houses built in the Italian style and the numerous villas that amaze with their luxury. It is worth noting that country real estate in Villefranche-sur-Mer is the most expensive in the world.
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Cinematograph
Villefranche-sur-Mer has been repeatedly featured in various works of cinema: in Alfred Hitchcock's film "To Catch a Thief" starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, in one of the "Bond" films - "Never Say Never Again" with Sean Connery, as well as in Ronin with Robert De Niro.

Excursions

A visit to Villefranche Bay is included in all sightseeing tours of the Cote d'Azur and Nice.