I visited the city of Antibes in July 2023 as a guest. Antibes Tourist Office, and I fell in love with it at first sight. The combination of an ancient city with a fascinating history, azure sea, and wonderful cuisine is exactly what I look for wherever I visit in France, so it is no surprise that I highly recommend spending a few days in this city. Don't believe me? You are invited to watch this short video that will show you all the wonders of the city.
One of the advantages of being a guest of the local tourist board is that they, not I, set the itinerary. As a result, I have been to several places that I would not have been likely to visit on my own, as they are not all in the tourist books and since my main area of interest is history, when I build a trip for myself, I tend to miss other important and interesting elements.
The itinerary you'll find here contains things that interest me (e.g. cathedrals and museums) as well as other topics that will enrich the trip (e.g. a visit to a cellar where you can taste absinthe). Most of it focuses on the old town, but I added an additional section at the end, which deals with Cap D'Antibes and Juan Les Pins, which are about a 15-minute drive away and are definitely worth a visit.
The history of Antibes
Before we begin our trip, I highly recommend you take 5 minutes of your time to read this article. The history of Antibes: from a fortified city to a city of artThis article will put you in order in terms of the city's history and will greatly enhance your visit to it, as you will be able to better understand what you will see.
Old Antibes (Vieux Antibes)
Now that you know the history of Antibes, it's time to set off and visit some of the places mentioned in the chapter dealing with the history of the city. Try to choose a day that isn't particularly hot (we happened to have a typical July day and ended the trip burnt, sweaty but satisfied. I hope you end it simply satisfied and full 🙂 ).
Port Vauban and Boulevard d'Aiguillon
We will begin our tour of Antibes at the port, named after Vauban, the great French fortification architect, who fortified Antibes during the 17th century (1680 to be exact). Today you will not find warships here but millionaires' yachts, some of them huge - literally floating palaces!
One of the monuments that will immediately catch your eye is the “square fortress”, whose construction began in the 16th century and was expanded by Vauban. It is located at the end of the harbor and can be visited for a small fee (3 euros per person, as of July 2023) and offers a spectacular view of Antibes and the surrounding area. If you would like to visit the fortress, it is highly recommended to enterLink this, which contains opening hours and other important information.
By the way, when you walk there and look at the view, you might remember that the place appeared in Sean Connery’s film “Never Say Never” (his unofficial James Bond film from 1983). You can hear more about it in this video:
Another monument you can't miss is the Wanderer statue by Barcelona-born sculptor Jaume Plensa. It's a giant statue of a faceless man made of letters, looking out to sea. It's an allegorical sculpture that attempts to show the connection between man and the written word and was originally created for a temporary exhibition in 2007 and purchased by the city. Nice In 2010. If you live in Antibes, it is recommended to see it both in the morning and at night to enjoy its lighting.
From there, go to the Porte de la Marine and enter the old town through the old gate in the walls, straight onto Rue Aubernon, where you can see where fish used to be salted. From there, go to Bd. d'Aiguillon.
This street is named after the Duke of Aiguillon (Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis-Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon 1720-1788), a French military man and relative of the Duke of Marseille, the man who invented themayonnaise.
And why was a fountain erected in his memory? Because he was the one who renovated the ancient aqueduct of Antibes and made it possible to bring clean water to Antibes.
The street named after the Duke of Aiguillon is a very pleasant street with quite a few boutiques of various kinds and of course cafes and restaurants.
The boutique that is deeply etched in my memory is at number 27 and is the glassblowing studio of Didier Saba, a respected glass artist, considered one of the best in his field in the entire world. France.
It's simply a pleasure to stand for a moment and watch how he takes glass that has been melted in a furnace at a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Celsius and creates a work of art from it. Didier is a charming and entertaining person and you are invited to see him in action and perhaps even buy one of his works.
National Square
From Boulevard d'Aiguillon, continue straight and turn left onto Rue de Thuret. You will also find quite a few restaurants and food shops on this street. However, we will continue straight until we reach Place Nationale, or National Square, in the center of which you will find a column.
This column (5 meters high) is a gift from King Louis XVIII (reigned 18-1814), and was given to the residents of Antibes as a sign of respect for not allowing Napoleon, who had escaped from the island of Elba and landed in France, to enter the city.
The truth is, not only did they not allow Napoleon to enter the city and forced him to go to the city CannesThey also threw into prison the detachment of soldiers sent by Napoleon, as you can read in the article about Napoleon Road.
The Provençal Market (Marché provençal) and the Absinthe Cellar
From Place Nationale, continue along Rue de Sade until you reach the Provençal market. Before I say a few words about the market itself, I must answer the question of how there is a street in France named after the man who (unintentionally) gave his name to the phenomenon of sadism (and along the way wrote a series of violent erotic novels).
The reason for this is prosaic: the Marquis de Sade was a scion of the de Sade family, which had lived and worked in Provence for many centuries, and it was they, not the famous Marquis, who gave the street its name. For quite a few years, the Sade family were ashamed of their title, but in recent years, following a kind of rehabilitation of the Marquis and his publicity, they have begun to use this title again.
From the carnivorous appetites of the Marquis de Sade, let's move on to talking about the meats, fish, and Provençal dishes sold at this Antibes market.
This market is open every day and is a kind of Provençal culinary school to me. You'll find people selling anchovies, tapenade, and even someone who will bake you Socca, a greasy blintz made from chickpea flour, typical of the region, right in front of you.
To make sure you don't miss the market, remember that it's open every morning from 6:00 AM to 13:00 PM (after that, the food market becomes a market for potters, sculptors, and painters who live in Antibes and the surrounding area). If you arrived too late, missed the food market, and want to drown your sorrows in a bitter drink, let me recommend l'Absinthe Bar, located in a 9th-century cellar in the market complex.
Absinthe, also known as the “Green Fairy,” is a drink with a very high alcohol content (70 percent or more) and during the 19th century it became notorious for causing addiction, hallucinations, and even blindness. None of this has affected the drink’s popularity, so much so that to this day Happy Hour (the time when alcohol is sold cheaply in cafes and restaurants) is called “l’Heure Verte” in French.
Quite a bit of absinthe has flowed since then, and today you can consume this drink containing alcohol, anise, and a plant called Artemisia Absinthium, which gave the drink its name. And there is no better place to try absinthe than at an absinthe bar.
You descend into a mysterious basement with posters on the walls, some of which are advertisements for absinthe and some of which were actually created to get people to stop drinking it.
If the poster didn't make you climb the stairs back to the street level, you can sit at the table and there the ceremony will begin.
The waitress will ask if you want the white version (stronger) or the green version (slightly less strong) and after you choose, a glass will be placed on your table with a spoon and a sugar cube on it. In the center of the table is a dispenser with taps from which water comes out that slowly dissolves the sugar cube and seeps into the absinthe glass. Eventually, when the sugar has dissolved, you drink the drink.
I'm happy to say that I left the place with the same vision I entered with, and if you also want to try it, you'll be happy to find out that it's open every day from 09:00 AM to 02:30 AM.
Address: 25 Cr Masséna.
The best piscina on the Riviera (and maybe in all of France)
Pissaladière is a kind of Provençal “pizza” made from dough with caramelized onions and anchovies, but without Cheese And without tomato sauce. Anyone who travels inProvence You have to eat one of these, at least once in your life.
So if you haven't had the chance to taste a pisadeliya yet or if you, like me, are in love with this dish, I am happy to introduce you to someone who is considered, and rightly so, the best pisadeliya baker on the Riviera (and probably in all of France and pretty much the world).
I am of course talking about Jean-Paul Veziano, who is much more than just a Pissaldire baker, but also the man who baked the bread at the Prince of Monaco's wedding. Beyond the breads and Pissaldire you will find there, you will also meet a charming and warm-hearted man, who even visited Israel and made sure to bake together with Jewish and Arab bakers, in order to bring peace through dough.
Address: 2 rue de la Pompe
Open Wednesday-Sunday 06:30 AM-13 PM. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Safranier Quarter (Quartier du Safranier)
After you've eaten a piece of the pisadel, continue through the charming Bas Castelet neighborhood, with its many colorful houses. This is where a bohemian district begins, which declared independence in the 60s and has been electing its own "mayor" ever since.
Continue on and you will eventually reach the square named after the writer Nikos Kazntzakis (1883-1957), who lived in Antibes and wrote Zorba the Greek there, which most of you know thanks to this dance:
Picasso Museum and Antibes Cathedral
After you finish visiting the church, go up the steps in the square until you reach the Grimaldi Castle, where it is now located. Picasso Museum.
This castle served the bishops of Antibes (although they preferred to live in Grasse for a significant part of the time) and from 1385 to 1608 it served the Grimaldi family. After that, the place became the residence of the ruler of Antibes on behalf of the King of France, the city council building and an archaeological museum.
Regardless of the Picasso Museum within its walls, Grimaldi Castle is definitely worth a visit for its historical value. During your visit, you can walk up the square tower, which was built during the 16th century, and enjoy the view from it. However, as mentioned, most of you will come here to see Picasso's works, and it is time to say a few words about them.
Picasso worked in Antibes from September to November 1946 and lived there with his then-partner Françoise Gaime Gilot (1921-2023), who died about a month before I arrived to visit the museum. Picasso was greatly influenced by Antibes' Greek past and Greek mythology, and the result is a series of paintings in which you can find satyrs, centaurs (some claim that the bearded centaur is Picasso himself), nude figures, and more. At the same time, you will find photographs of Picasso during his work in Antibes.
By the way, Picasso was not the only painter who worked in Antibes, so on the same floor you will also find works by the painter Hans Hartung (1904-1989) and the artist of Russian origin Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955), who lived in Antibes and where he tragically ended his life.
Lovers of modern art, and Picasso in particular, will find plenty of artwork here. Others will enjoy the historic building and the view from it. So, whether you like modern art or not, it's worth a visit.
Opening days and hours:
During mid-June-mid-September the place is open Tuesday-Sunday between 10:00-18:00. The rest of the year it is open Tuesday-Sunday between 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00.
Link for more information and ticket booking
Not far from the Picasso Museum, you will find the Antibes Cathedral (you can't miss its red facade).
This church has existed since the 5th century and has undergone quite a few upheavals, fires, and destruction (you can read more about this in the article dealing with theHistory of Antibes).
The facade of the church was built by Louis XV, after the War of the Austrian Succession. Inside you will find a painting of the Madonna by Louis Bréa (15-1450), perhaps the greatest of the Renaissance painters of Provence, and works by less famous artists.
From this church, continue on Rue du Saint-Esprit and then Rue des Arcaux, where you will find quite a few ancient buildings. From there, continue on Cour Massena and rue Aubernon, which will take you straight back to the walls of the old city and the gate through which you entered.
Our tour ends there, and from there I recommend taking a car or Uber and driving to Cap d'Antibes where we will continue our tour.
Cap d'Antibes and Juan Les Pins
Juan Les Pins is a resort town belonging to the municipality of Antibes. The place first entered history under the name Golfe Juan (Gulf of Juan), because it was here that Napoleon landed after escaping from the island of Elba. In 1882, this small village changed its name to Juan les Pins after the pine trees that grow there.
During the 20th century, Juan-les-Pins became one of the most popular holiday destinations on the French Riviera, not only thanks to the beach and the weather but also thanks to the jazz festival that has been held there since 1960 (you can find information about it atLink this). Therefore, it is not surprising that you will find quite a few hotels, restaurants, clubs and shops there. However, in my opinion, there is not much to see there in terms of architecture or natural beauty (I know that some of the people who read this article will want to stone me, but Joan Le Pen felt like Eilat with a little more chic).
To enjoy the beauty of nature and architecture, you should go to Cap d'Antibes, which is adjacent to Juan Les Pins. There you will find beautiful mansions and a promenade along the cliffs. However, almost all of these villas belong to all kinds of oligarchs and millionaires, so the most you can do is approach their gate and get a threatening look from some lady who guards it.
The only villa you can visit is Villa Eilenroc, built in 1867 by none other than Charles Garnier (1825-1898), known to us for hisParis OperaThe villa can be visited on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10:00 and 16:00, however, there are cases when the villa is closed to visitors for various reasons, so it is recommended to enter theThis site And make sure it will be open during your visit.
To reach the villa, and on the way to see breathtaking views of the blue-blue sea, you will have to walk along the road called Tire Poil in French, which means “hair-pulling” in Hebrew, because on some days the wind here is very strong and blows your hair away.
Unfortunately, due to lack of time, I didn't get to walk the entire trail (and it was also terribly hot because we hiked in July), but from the little I saw, I can highly recommend that you (literally) invest about an hour and walk along this entire trail from the beginning at Plage de la Garoupe to the end (it's very easy to hike along it and there's almost no chance of you getting lost).
With this lovely view, our trip to Antibes and its surroundings ends. Hope you enjoyed it!