From Nice: Hidden Riviera ‘Beyond Clichés’ Day Trip｜France

Begin your day trip with a departure from Nice. Head to Old Nice and learn about the city's Italian past, the wealthy families who wintered on the Riviera, and the artists and writers who lived in Nice. Hear about the heist of the century in July 1976.

Next, head to Villefranche-sur-Mer and visit the old port, the Citadel, and Chapelle St-Pierre. Discover the strategic military importance of Villefranche Bay, a naturally protected deep-water harbor, and its role in World War II and the Cold War. Learn about the U.S. Sixth Fleet in Villefranche-sur-Mer and the arrival of Hollywood and the Rolling Stones.

Continue to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the hidden capital of global wealth. Learn how the area transformed from a fishing village to a royal peninsula and hear about the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat and the royals who visited the Riviera, including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Next, visit the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild before heading to Monaco and Monte Carlo. Discover how the tiny state refused to disappear, the Grimaldi family, and Prince Rainier III, the builder of modern Monaco. Learn about Grace Kelly, the princess who changed Monaco forever, and Aristotle Onassis. Visit the casino lobby and learn why Monegasques cannot gamble.

Finally, head to Èze Village, a fortress above the sea. Hear about the village's history between Savoy and France, Nietzsche's connection to the village, and the development of the luxury perfume industry, including Fragonard.