Turquoise sea, hilltop villages, festivals and a light that drew the greatest painters: the Côte d’Azur, known in English as the French Riviera, is one of France’s most famous destinations. Here are the places not to miss, from Menton to Saint-Tropez, and the French vocabulary to talk about them.
Key points
- The Côte d’Azur runs along the Mediterranean, from the Italian border at Menton to the Var.
- The name Côte d’Azur comes from a book by the writer Stéphen Liégeard, published in 1887.
- Nice has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021.
- The Cannes Film Festival takes place every May.
Nice, capital of the Riviera
France’s fifth-largest city, Nice is famous for the Promenade des Anglais, the colourful lanes of Old Nice and the Cours Saleya market. The city is listed by UNESCO as the Winter Resort Town of the Riviera. In February it hosts its famous carnival.
Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Tropez
- Cannes: the Croisette, the Palais des Festivals and, offshore, the Lérins Islands.
- Antibes: its ramparts, its harbour and the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi.
- Saint-Tropez: the former fishing village that became a jet-set symbol, with its harbour and beaches.
Hilltop villages and the hinterland
- Èze, clinging to its rock above the sea.
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a walled artists’ village.
- Grasse, the world capital of perfume. The perfume-making skills of the Grasse area have been on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2018.
- Menton, near the Italian border, famous for its lemons and its Lemon Festival in February.
Nature: islands and coves
Off Hyères, the island of Port-Cros is part of the Port-Cros National Park, created in 1963, one of the first marine parks in Europe. Coastal paths lead to coves, pine trees and crystal-clear water.
Good to know: Monaco, between Nice and Menton, is an independent principality, not a French town, even though French is spoken there.
Useful French vocabulary
- la côte (the coast), le littoral, une crique (a cove), une plage de galets (a pebble beach)
- un village perché (a hilltop village), l’arrière-pays (the hinterland)
- la Croisette, une promenade, le bord de mer (the seafront)
- une station balnéaire (a seaside resort), la haute saison, la basse saison
Going further
Discover Normandy and the Deauville American Film Festival, and review how to say holidays in French. Take our free French level test and practise in our French conversation lessons.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Côte d’Azur come from?
From the book La Côte d’Azur by the writer Stéphen Liégeard, published in 1887 and inspired by the colour of the Mediterranean.
What are the main towns of the French Riviera?
Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Menton and Saint-Tropez, plus Grasse in the hinterland.
Is Monaco part of France?
No. Monaco is an independent principality between Nice and Menton. French is spoken there.
When is the Cannes Film Festival?
Every year in May, at the Palais des Festivals on the Croisette.
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