French Riviera

The French Riviera, an irresistible destination on France’s sun-blessed coast

Provence’s eastern coastal area, known as the French Riviera (or Côte d'Azur), has beach resort towns that have handily seduced innumerable hedonists. Provence and the Riviera are gorgeous, diverse, and culturally rich, offering everything from amazing art museums to white-hot nightlife to a distinctive cuisine that blends the best of the mountains and the sea. As you're heading to the south of France to luxuriate in life along the sunny Mediterranean, recognize that Provence has its own language and customs.

The glittering French Riviera lured artists and writers, who flocked to the Riviera in the 1920s and early 1930s in a well-documented "hunt for happiness."

If you’re on a similar quest, don’t miss St-Tropez, chic Cannes, and bustling Nice (the region’s capital). Take in the best of the beaches, too, but save time to travel to some of the world's best galleries and museums of contemporary art; the Riviera has both in abundance.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.