Antibes
Walled Riviera Town Where Picasso Worked In 1946, With The Picasso Museum In The ChâTeau Grimaldi, Port Vauban'S Superyachts And The Cap D'Antibes · Antibes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Antibes is a walled old town on the Riviera between Cannes and Nice, founded by Greek traders as Antipolis and later fortified by the French kings against Savoy. Its old quarter, Vieil Antibes, is a compact maze of narrow lanes and shuttered houses behind sea walls, with a covered Provençal market in the Cours Masséna. On the ramparts stands the Château Grimaldi, where Pablo Picasso worked for a few productive months in 1946; it is now the Picasso Museum, holding the paintings, drawings and ceramics he made there. Below the walls, Port Vauban is one of the largest yacht harbours in the Mediterranean, with a quay reserved for some of the world's largest superyachts, watched over by the star-shaped Fort Carré. South of town, the wooded Cap d'Antibes is lined with grand villas and a rocky coastal path, and Juan-les-Pins on its west side has sandy beaches and a well-known July jazz festival. The coast railway makes Antibes an easy base or day trip, and it feels more lived-in than its glossier neighbours.
Vieil Antibes and Port Vauban, Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, Antibes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
The old town, the ramparts walk and the harbour are public spaces open at all hours. The covered Provençal market in the Cours Masséna runs in the mornings, every day in the summer season and usually closed on Mondays the rest of the year; confirm the current schedule, and note that in the afternoon and evening the hall is often taken by craft stalls or cafés. The Picasso Museum keeps daytime museum hours, closes one day a week, commonly Monday, and on some public holidays, with a lunchtime closure in some seasons; confirm before visiting. Fort Carré is open for visits on a limited timetable and may close in winter or bad weather. The Sentier du Littoral on the Cap d'Antibes is free and open in daylight, but the municipality closes it with gates in rough seas and strong winds, sometimes for days after storm damage. The Villa Eilenroc gardens and the Thuret botanic garden have restricted opening days, often only a few days a week; check each. Juan-les-Pins beaches have lifeguards in summer, and private beach clubs run from spring to autumn. The jazz festival takes place in July with evening concerts.