DESCRIPTION

Saint Paul, also known as Saint Paul de Vence, is one of those little “perched villages” in the mountains of the Moyen Pays (middle country) in Provence. It retains the ramparts and walkway, canons and other remnants of its past as a military base. However, exploits in battle are certainly not responsible for its reputation.

After the Second World War, the Côte d’Azur became popular, particularly amongst artists with its special light, peace and quiet, sea, and tranquillity... Painters, writers, musicians and film-makers flock here from all over the world to go to Cannes, Saint Tropez, Antibes, Monaco and Menton. Lost in the mountains, Saint Paul de Vence did not however miss out on attracting special tourists: Jacques Prévert, Marc Chagall, Yves Montand, Lino Ventura, Henri Matisse, Fernand Léger, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Simone Signoret, James Baldwin, Auguste Renoir, Mylène Farmer, et al. All have come to Saint Paul de Vence to enjoy this «little Paradise on Earth», play pétanque, and devote themselves to the arts, thus making Saint Paul de Vence a place of legend..

WALKS

This small traditional village has retained all the charm of yesteryear. Strolling through the alleyways, guided by the fragrance of gingerbread, visitors will discover this little «royal town», its status established by an official act passed by Louis the III.

To this day, Saint Paul has retained the remnants of its military past. The medieval town has managed to preserve its ramparts despite demilitarisation efforts around the year 1870. The mayor of the time bought them at an auction for a sum which today seems laughably low: 400 francs. In the historic heart of the town, you can explore the ruins of the Château, the Eglise de la Conversion de Saint-Paul (church), the Chapelle Saint-Clément (chapel), the country market and the Auberge de la Colombe d’Or (Golden Dove Inn), a renowned place where artists get together. Small pedestrian paths enable walkers to enjoy the local area fully. Similarly, the Jardin de la Fondation Maeght (gardens) is a sightseeing "must". Several events punctuate life in Saint-Paul.

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS

The town of Saint Paul is located close to the villages of Vence and Coursegoules. Also, not far away are Tourettes-sur-Loup, La Colle-sur-Loup, Saint-Jeannet, La Gaude and Cagnes-sur-Mer with large cities along the coast being a little further off, including Mandelieu, Cannes, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Nice and Monaco.

By air :
Nice Côte d’Azur International is the closest airport to Saint Paul de Vence (16kms).
By road :
Take the A8 motorway (exit 48 when heading for Nice/Marseille and exit 47 when heading for Marseille/Nice). Saint Paul is situated about 15 minutes from the motorway.
By train :
The closest railway station is at Cagnes-sur-Mer. You can then take the number 400 bus.

See all Hotels in Saint-Paul.