Fun Things to Do on the French Riviera
The French Riviera has a reputation for being glitzy and expensive, but there are plenty of fun things to do that are free or cost very little. Not everyone who lives in or visits the French Riviera goes to the Cannes Film Festival or to the casino at Monte Carlo. You can have a good time without being the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo.
Eat a Mouthwatering Local Delicacy
Chez René Socca
1 rue Pairoliere, 06300 Nice
Venture into a Hidden Street beneath your Feet
Rue Obscure
Discover an Art Gallery in a Hotel
Hotel Negresco
Walk past the Hotel Negresco on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais and you’ll see a colourful sculpture of a jazz musician by Niki de Saint Phalle near the entrance. Walk inside, though, and you’ll see more work by this French artist, and by other artists, collected over the years by the hotel’s former owner, Jeanne Augier, who died in January 2019 at the age of 96. There are more works in public areas on all floors of the hotel, so take the elevator and start exploring. The hotel is used to it, though you might want to ask at reception for directions.
Taste the Riviera in its Grapes
Château de Bellet
A 20-minute drive north of Nice is the area’s closest wine-growing region, where they have three unusual grape varieties: braquet noir, folle noire, and rolle. Look for them on restaurant menus or, better still, go to the source and taste them where they grow.
See a Tomb with a View
Cemetery of the Old Château
Montée du Souvenir, 06500 Menton
The climb up to the cemetery is worth making, not only for the peace and quiet away from the town, but also for the wonderful views over Menton and along the coast. It also has the grave of William Webb Ellis, the man credited with inventing the game of rugby, at Rugby school in England. He died in the South of France in 1872 and for many years his grave was neglected. It was rediscovered in 1958, when it was renovated and is now looked after, fittingly, by the French Rugby Federation.
Find a Mediterranean Forest near the Coast
Serre de la Madone
74 Route du Val de Gorbio, 06500 Menton