7 Stunning Places to Visit in the French Riviera That Aren’t Nice or Cannes

The first time I went to the French Riviera, it was very much about the touristy spots. We spent most of our time in places like Nice, Cannes, and Saint Tropez, and I came away feeling a little underwhelmed. The second time was a whole different kettle of fish.

Instead of going for the glitz and glamor, we went for the undiscovered places that had stories to tell. We based ourselves in Villefranche-sur-Mer and headed out each day to discover somewhere new. It was on this trip that I fell in love with the French Riviera.

Now it’s your turn to fall in love, find those hidden gems we found, and understand how much more there is to this region of France than the jet-set areas the influencers post on Instagram.

7 Stunning Places to Visit in the French Riviera

You’re about to discover the real South of France with medieval villages where artists once lived, perfume capital towns that still produce for Chanel, and seaside spots that jazz legends loved. 

Sainte-Maxime

Monks from the Lérins Islands founded Sainte-Maxime around 1000 AD when they built a monastery and named it after Saint Maxime. The settlement began as a fishing village and remained so for centuries, with residents shipping olive oil, wine, cork, and lumber from the harbor to Marseille and Italy. The defensive Tour Carrée went up in 1520 to protect against Saracen raiders and still stands today as a museum.

This stretch of coastline is very different from the crowded beaches further east. Ten kilometers of sandy beaches run along the northern shores of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, protected from the Mistral winds by the Massif des Maures mountains behind the town. And even though Saint-Tropez sits directly across the bay, Sainte-Maxim hasn’t managed to avoid becoming a victim of mass tourism. 

On August 15, 1944, American forces landed on these beaches during Operation Dragoon. The fighting went house to house before the Germans surrendered. Memorials mark the landing spots at La Garonette beach and by the harbor pier. That history sits alongside the Swedish royal family’s villa and the castle where film pioneer Léon Gaumont spent his final years. 

Top Things to See in Sainte-Maxime:

• Tour Carrée, the 16th-century defensive tower now housing a local history museum
• Plage de la Nartelle, a two-kilometer beach with clear water and water sports
• Weekly market in the old town selling fresh Provençal produce
• Ferry to Saint-Tropez from the harbor
• WWII memorials at La Garonette beach and the harbor pier

Where to stay in Sainte-Maxime >>>

Gourdon

The first fortress was built in Gourdon in the 9th century, when someone realized that a rocky spur 760 meters above sea level made an excellent defense against invaders. The current château dates from the 12th century, built by the Counts of Provence who controlled the region. After the Saracens were driven out by William of Provence in 973, the settlement grew into a proper fortified village with three round towers that still dominate the skyline.

In 1918, an American woman named Miss Noris bought the crumbling castle and spent years restoring it before opening it to the public. The gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre, the same landscape architect who created the grounds at Versailles. He laid out terraced gardens in the French style with centuries-old boxwood, and the whole thing hangs on the edge of a cliff. You can see 80 kilometers of coastline from Théoule-sur-Mer to Nice on clear days.

The village earned designation as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, which comes with strict preservation rules. Cobbled streets wind up toward the château through archways and past medieval houses. Artists have workshops here, glassblowers, and craft shops selling lavender products and local honey. The Chemin du Paradis, an old mule track, climbs 500 meters from Bar-sur-Loup to reach Gourdon if you want the workout.

Top Things to See in Gourdon:

• Château de Gourdon with gardens by André Le Nôtre
• Place Victoria viewpoint with panoramic coastal views
• Saint-Vincent Church from the 12th century
• Gorges du Loup for hiking and canyoning
• Confiserie Florian candy factory at Pont-du-Loup

Where to stay in Gourdon >>>

Tourrettes-sur-Loup

This medieval village earned the nickname Cité des Violettes because it’s the only place in France where violets are cultivated as the main agricultural crop. Farmers have grown the Victoria variety here since the early 1900s, picking flowers in spring for confectionery, harvesting leaves in summer for perfume distillation in Grasse, and cutting winter blooms for bouquets. The Fête des Violettes has run every March since 1952, with flower parades and violet-flavored everything sold in the streets.

The village sits on a rocky spur between two gorges, which gave it natural protection in medieval times. Houses from the 15th century form the outer defensive walls in a half-moon shape around the château. Three arched passages under these houses still serve as the main entrances into the old town. Nothing is symmetrical. Every street curves differently, every house has unique stonework, and the whole thing looks exactly like it did 500 years ago.

Around 30 artists maintain workshops and galleries along the Grand Rue. You’ll find painters, sculptors, weavers, potters, and glassblowers working in studios that have been here for decades. French poet Jacques Prévert rented a house here in the 1940s and wrote the film that gave us the song “Autumn Leaves” while living in Tourrettes. The Saint-Grégoire church from the 12th century sits in the main square with a small pagan altar built into the structure, and the Château des Villeneuve from the 15th century now serves as the town hall.

Top Things to See in Tourrettes-sur Loup:

• La Bastide aux Violettes museum and violet farm
• Saint-Grégoire church with 12th-century architecture
• Grand Rue artist workshops and galleries
• Château des Villeneuve and Place de la Libération
• Violet Festival in early March

Where to stay in Tourrettes-sur-Loup >>>

Juan-les-Pins

Jazz came to Juan-les-Pins with Sidney Bechet, the New Orleans saxophone player who married here in 1951 in a wedding that turned into one of the biggest street parties the French Riviera had ever seen. After Bechet died in 1959, the city created the Festival Européen de Jazz in his honor. The first festival ran in July 1960 at the Pinède Gould, a pine grove right on the Mediterranean, and featured musicians from 12 European countries competing to form the best new jazz band.

Ella Fitzgerald performed here in 1964 and famously improvised a duet with a chirping cicada. Miles Davis recorded an album at the 1969 festival. Count Basie, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, and Charles Mingus all played under the century-old pines with the sea as a backdrop. The festival became legendary enough that Claude Nobs, who founded the Montreux Jazz Festival, said it wouldn’t exist without Jazz à Juan.

The resort town itself became fashionable in the 1920s, when wealthy Americans began building villas, and the Hôtel Juana opened in 1931 as one of the first air-conditioned hotels on the coast. F. Scott Fitzgerald vacationed here with Gerald and Sarah Murphy, bringing their love of jazz with them. The Pam-Pam nightclub hosted Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra, and jazz musicians held jam sessions in the back room. 

Top Things to See in Juan-les-Pins:

• Jazz à Juan festival every July at Pinède Gould
• Hôtel Juana, the 1931 Art Deco landmark
• Weekly market with local specialties
• Beaches along Boulevard du Littoral
• Ferry service to Saint-Tropez

Where to stay in Juan-les-Pins >>>

Grasse

Grasse made its fortune from leather tanning in the 12th century, which created a massive problem. The tanning process involved urine and feces, and the smell offended the nobility who bought the finished gloves. In the 16th century, a tanner named Jean de Galimard solved this by creating scented leather gloves. He gave a pair to Catherine de Medici, who loved them so much that the trend spread through the French court and high society. Tanners became glove perfumers, then eventually dropped the leather entirely and focused on fragrance.

The microclimate here made the difference. Grasse sits 350 meters above sea level, warm enough for flowers but sheltered from sea air, with abundant water after the Siagne canal opened in 1860. Jasmine, brought by the Moors in the 16th century, thrived alongside roses, lavender, orange blossom, and wild mimosa. 

By the 18th century, the perfume industry had completely replaced leather production. When Coco Chanel wanted a signature scent in 1920, she came to Grasse and worked with perfumer Ernest Beaux to create Chanel No. 5.

Today, the town produces over two-thirds of France’s natural aromas for both perfume and food flavorings. The industry turns over 600 million euros annually. Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard, the three historic perfume houses, offer factory tours and workshops where you can create your own scent. 

The International Perfume Museum traces 5,000 years of perfume history. UNESCO added Grasse’s perfume-making expertise to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2018. Only about 40 people worldwide can compose entirely new perfumes, and most are trained in Grasse or Versailles.

Top Things to See in Grasse:

• Fragonard, Galimard, and Molinard perfume factories with tours
• International Perfume Museum with 5,000 years of perfume history
• Old town with 17th and 18th-century buildings
• Cathedral Notre-Dame du Puy
• Annual Jasmine Festival in early August

Where to stay in Grasse >>>

Èze

The area around Èze was first populated around 2000 BC, making it one of the oldest settlements on the coast. Greeks traded here, Romans built, and Moors occupied the hill for 80 years until William of Provence drove them out in 973. The House of Savoy took control in 1388 and built proper fortifications due to its location near Nice. 

The medieval castle crowned the rocky peak until Louis XIV captured the village in 1706 and ordered the fortress destroyed. According to locals, he couldn’t enjoy the stunning views from Paris, so he made sure nobody else could either.

The village sits at 427 meters above sea level, which is why it’s called an eagle’s nest. Every building climbs upward along narrow cobbled streets toward the ruins at the top. The oldest structure is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix, built in 1306 by the White Penitents, who helped plague victims.

The Church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption was built in 1764 and can be seen from far below because of its position and light ochre color. An Egyptian cross inside suggests even older roots, possibly a Phoenician temple to Isis.

The Jardin Exotique sits where the castle once stood, created in 1949 by the mayor who wanted to do something with the medieval ruins. Hundreds of cacti and succulents from around the world grow on terraced levels connected by steep paths. Sculptures by Jean-Philippe Richard appear among the plants. 

The real draw is the panoramic view from the top, stretching from Nice to Monaco and beyond. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote Thus Spoke Zarathustra while living here and walking the trail that now bears his name, a steep path connecting the hilltop village to Eze-sur-Mer at sea level.

Top Things to See in Èze:

• Jardin Exotique with 360-degree coastal views
• Medieval village streets and vaulted passages
• Notre-Dame de l’Assomption church from 1764
• Fragonard and Galimard perfume factories
• Nietzsche Trail hiking path to Eze-sur-Mer

Where to stay in Eze >>>

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

The fortified village dates from the 10th or 11th century and was declared a royal town around 1418. When the County of Nice joined the Duchy of Savoy in 1388, Saint-Paul-de-Vence sat right on the border with France, which meant serious fortifications went up in the 16th century. Those walls still stand, complete with the original gates, Porte de Vence, and Porte de Nice. The Donjon is the only surviving part of the medieval fortress, as the rest was demolished during the construction of newer defenses.

Artists started arriving in the 1920s. Paul Signac came, then Raoul Dufy, Chaïm Soutine, and Henri Matisse. Pablo Picasso spent time here. Marc Chagall lived in the village for 19 years and is buried in the local cemetery. The murals he painted for the Church of Notre-Dame de la Nativité are among his finest works. 

They stayed at La Colombe d’Or, a hotel and restaurant that opened as a café in 1920. The owner, Paul Roux, accepted paintings as payment for rooms and meals. Those works still hang throughout the property.

The village has 300 residents living inside the old walls and 3,200 more in the valleys below. Rue Grande runs through the center, lined with art galleries showing modern and contemporary pieces. The Fondation Maeght sits just outside the ramparts, a museum built in the 1960s housing 13,000 works by Giacometti, Braque, Chagall, Léger, Calder, Picasso, and Miró. The building, designed by Spanish architect Josep Lluís Sert, functions as much as a sculpture as a structure, with gardens where major works sit among Mediterranean plants. Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon moved here in 1970 and restored the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs with colorful murals that cover every interior surface.

Top Things to See in Saint-Paul-de-Vence:

• Fondation Maeght modern art museum and sculpture gardens
• Rampart walk around the 16th-century fortifications
• La Colombe d’Or hotel, with its legendary art collection
• Rue Grande galleries and artisan shops
• Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs with Folon murals

Where to stay in Saint-Paul-de-Vence >>>