Auguste Renoir bought the « Domaine des Collettes » in 1907 after discovering Cagnes-Sur-Mer and also because of health problems.

It consisted of an old farmhouse on 3 hectares of land with century old olive trees, and orange trees. He built a neo-provençale style villa designed by the architect Jules Febvre and it was here that he sculpted and painted and lived with his wife, Aline and their children, Pierre, Jean and Claude.

His property inspired his paintings and he also sculpted with Richard Guino and Louis Morel. Famous artists such as Henri Matisse, Aristide Maillol, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet all were his guests at the « Domaine des Collettes ».

The domaine was inherited by Claude Renoir, who lived there until 1960.

The town of Cagnes-Sur-Mer bought the domaine in 1960 to create a museum dedicated to the artist. Over time, the museum has enriched it’s collection with works of other artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Aristide Maillol and others. Today, the musuem has 30 sculptures, 16 paintings of Renoir, as well as his furniture and other personal items. The domaine also offers a panoramic view towards the Cap d’Antibes. Well worth the visit !

The Socca is a Mediterranean speciality, very popular in the region of Nice.
It is a super size pancake or crèpe made of chickpeas, olive oil, and water and cooked on a round copper plate in a wood oven. It is very popular on the market place of Nice, the Cours Saleya, particularly from Chez Thérésa (since 1920) and Chez Pippo.
It’s reasonable, about 3 euros, and must be eaten very hot straight out of the oven. It is popular with a glass of rosé wine as an aperitif in the old town of Nice.

The Socca was originally the dish of the poor because it was so cheap and much appreciated by workers, fishermen and dockers. It’s origines are uncertain, but was probably introduced to Nice from Italy.

A haven in front of Cannes. Hiking, snorkeling, beaches, wine tasting and a stay in the abbey of Saint Honorat.

One acces is the port of Cannes by boat.

If you’re visiting the Côte D’azur, a walk along one of these capes will get you into touch with the true beauty of the Alpes Maritimes.

Cap Martin

Cap Ferrat

This cape offers 11 kilometres of coastal paths around the millionaires' peninusula with sumptuous villas in a peaceful luxuriant setting. The Promenade de la Saint Hospice is about a 45 minute walk and is lined with Aleppo Pine trees. Another path is an hours walk between the Anse Lilong and the Plage de Passable.

Mercantour is a national park established in 1979 and has a surface of 685m2 and mountains more than 3500m high.
It’s not far at all from the busy coast, so even possible to do as a day tour.

To Tende, it’s possible to take the train ride but if you want to visit a bit more it’s better to have a car.

To access the park you can take the road along the river Roya to Tende where you find the museum Musee de Merveille (the museum of the wonders) where you can see and learn a lot of interesting things.
For a more genuine mountain experience continue up to Casterino some 1500m above sea level. Very small and quaint – don’t expect a flashy ski resort with after-ski to the sound of clomping ski shoes and disco. No here, it’s nature and peace and quiet. You will find a small hotel that also serve food and it’s possible to arrange a ride with a dog-sleigh in the winter and horse-back riding in the summer.

On the way back down to the coast, you should visit La Brigue, a charming little city with around 700 inhabitants also known for its church – Notre Dame des Fontaines and its mural paintings.

Fort de la Revere – breath-taking hike from Eze Village

There is a lot of hiking possibilities in the region, along in general very well marked trails. There is a very nice walk to take from Eze village situated on the Moyenne Corniche that will take you up all the way up above the Grand Corniche, offering spectacular views of the coast and St Jean Cap Ferrat.