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The spectacular bay of Villefranche sur Mer is known worldwide
Villefranche-sur-Mer is located on the French Riviera in an idyllic setting, between Nice and Monaco, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is a resort and residence, which is among the most popular on the French Riviera.
On March18, 1988, Villefranche officially became Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Villefranche-sur-Mer, in the department of Alpes-Maritimes and the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, is a common boundary of Nice. Its inhabitants are called Villefranchois.
The bay is attended upon by the ancient Greek and Roman sailors. Over the centuries and until today, Villefranche-sur-Mer often changed hands, at the option of struggles for influence between France, Sardinia, Austria, and so on.
Villefranche-sur-Mer became a popular place and resort from the late nineteenth century by the Russian and English nobility. Later the bay of Villefranche will host the 6th American war fleet at the end of World War II as part of NATO between 1945 and 1966.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is the first cruise port in France.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is located on the French Riviera in an idyllic setting, between Nice and Monaco, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is a resort and residence, which is among the most popular on the French Riviera. Separated from Nice by Mount Boron, Mount Alban and Mount Vinaigrier and distant about only 10 km from Monaco, it spreads in bleachers on the sides of the bay of Villefranche, a natural harbours the deepest of the Mediterranean Western.
The famous bay of Villefranche offers a safe anchorage immune to the eastern winds. The bay regularly hosts many cruise ships to whom it offers a comfortable depth.
The limits of the town extend to the surrounding hills from sea level to over 500 m at Mount Leuze, its culmination. Villefranche-sur-mer is bisected by the three famous Cornices, three tortuous roads linking Nice to Monaco and Menton on the Italian border. Roads on the cornices offer stunning views on the French Riviera and the Mediterranean Sea.
To be done in Villefranche-sur-Mer
- The church of Saint-Michel, the heart of the old city, was built in the fourteenth century and then was transformed in the late eighteenth century to adopt the Italian Baroque style. There are some remarkable works of art, including a painting representing Saint Michel, a carved Christ of the eighteenth century (Christ's galley slave) and a polychrome wooden statue of St. Roch.
- The chapel Saint-Pierre on the fishing port, was decorated by Jean Cocteau in 1957.
- The port of Darse home to many activities (harbour, shipyard, etc.). It also hosts the Ocean observatory of Villefranche-sur-Mer which is located on the harbour. The observatory is engaged in research in the fields of marine science, marine geosciences and cell biology.
- The museum Goetz-Boumeester is located in the Citadel and presents a hundred works of these two artists.