Villefranche sur Mer, Cap Ferrat & Beaulieu, stunning and star studded (and a bit of history)

Set in the heart of one of the world's most beautiful bays, the original Old Town of Villefranche sur Mer sits at the base of a natural amphitheatre of mountains and terraced hills. This is one of the reasons so many people fall in love with Villefranche - the views from most properties are quite staggering. The bay itself is very deep and during the summer many of the Mediterranean's largest cruise ships stop in the bay disgourging well-healed tourists into the restaurants of the Old Town.

Included under the totallyvillefranche area are the nearby areas of Mount Boron, which looks down over the bay from the West; and St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu sur Mer and Eze Village and Eze Bord de Mer to the East.

VilleFranche Photo apartments villas

This is a busy town in a busy part of the Côte d'Azur. A couple of features that make it attractive to visitors are the seaside, with long sandy beachs, terrace cafés and restaurants, and the very nice old town, vieille ville.

From the main road above, you can look down across the red tile roofs of the old town, with the distinctive church and bell tower in the center. Like the medieval villages of the "back country", the narrow cobblestone and bricked streets slope steeply down (in this case towards the sea) or traverse along the slope, with vaulted passages beneath the houses. There's quite a medieval feeling here, with just the many little restaurants to remind you you're in tourist country. There are also quiet little squares, like the Place Félix Poullan beside the church, and the Place de l'Eglise just below, with a bench circling a beautiful big tree.

Villefranche Old Town apartments villas The most extreme example we've seen anywhere of a vaulted passage is the Rue Obscura, a street about a block in from the seafront that's completely covered for about half its length (see picture right). Lit only by white, wire-gridded lamps in the roof, the "obscure" street reminds you of the days when the town's population sheltered here from bombardments.

This is very unusual architecture even for France and transports the walker back to Medieval Times. Cross streets open out onto the sunny upper village or the even brighter seafront below.

History

Founded in the 14th century by Charles d'Anjou a duty-free port, Villefranche's steep narrow streets and stacked up dusty-rose, ochre and apricot houses with trompe l'oeil frescoes redefine the term 'picturesque'. On the tiny cobblestoned port, you might still see old women mending fishing nets. In the old town rue Obscure, a dark and eerie vaulted passageway, has changed little since the Middle Ages. One could walk up and down for hours not actually doing anything but enjoying oneself nonetheless. The Combat Naval Fleuri, held on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, is a surreal sight as dozens of fishing boats bedecked with flowers invade the harbour.

The deep harbour between the headlands of Mont Boron to the west and Cap-Ferrat to the east was used as a naval base until France withdrew from the military wing of NATO in 1966.

The quayside has become a haven of high class since the days when it used to service sailors; lined with restaurants and brasseries, it overlooks a long strip of sandy public beach. At the western end of the old port is the postage stamp-sized Chapellede St-Pierre-des-Pecheurs once a storehouse for fishing nets. In 1957, JeanCocteau covered the walls with lively frescoes recounting the life of St Peter. At the summit of the old<