This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you buy or book through one of these links, I may earn a small commission .
Have you been lured by the immense beauty of France’s Cote d’Azur? You aren’t the first. Artists have long been drawn to this region, leaving their mark from the hills of Provence down to the shimmering Mediterranean. If you want to follow in the footsteps of masters like Chagall, Picasso, and Matisse, this day trip itinerary will lead you through stunning hilltops towns like Saint-Paul-de-Vence and beyond.
Although it’s easiest to explore at your own pace with a rental car, it’s not a requirement. This trail can also be done via public transportation and guided tours (suggestions below). Also, while I started my day from my Airbnb in Antibes, you could easily make this drive from other home bases along the compact Cote d’Azure.
I recommend doing this road trip itinerary between Wednesday and Saturday to avoid site closures. Otherwise, be sure to charge your camera because this itinerary features endless gorgeous scenery. Allons-y!
One Day Retracing the Footsteps of Artists in Saint-Paul-de-Vence & Beyond
This day trip will see you visiting the following three towns:
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence to wander a dreamy hilltop town where Picasso once hung out and Chagall spent his final days.
- Vence to visit the glorious Rosary Chapel designed entirely by Matisse.
- Cagnes-sur-Mer to see where Renoir chose to live out the last years of his life.
I started my journey around 8:30am, driving my Renault SUV rental car about 45 minutes in the morning traffic from my base in Antibes. The journey began on Route D6098, whose waterfront route soothed the frustrations of rush hour. Soon, I was following Route des Serres on a 30-minute climb into the winding hills overlooking the Mediterranean.
Travel Savvy Tip
It’s nice to arrive into Saint-Paul-de-Vence by 9:30am at the latest to enjoy a little serenity on the cobblestone streets before the large bus tours arrive for the afternoon. Just remember to factor traffic into your travel time. Here are average times from some popular cities along the Cote d’Azur:
- From Antibes (estimated from I where I parked at Port Vauban): 1 hour
- From Nice (estimated from where I stayed for two days at the Best Western Hotel Lakmi): 1 hour
- From Cannes: 1 hour
- From Monaco: 1 hour and 10 minutes (route may have tolls)
There are plenty of places to park around the pedestrian center of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, from covered parking garages to roadside spots.
9:00am: St. Paul de Vence
Art often collides with history – I realization I had when studying canvases depicting long lost medieval windmills at Paris’s Montmartre Museum. This overlap exists in Saint-Paul-de-Vence too, as Romans walked this hilltop long before painters ever did.
The town became a strategic position in 1388, when neighboring Nice broke away to join the County of Savoy. Francois I oversaw the building of the ramparts we see today between 1543 and 1547.
Artists didn’t start coming to Saint-Paul-de-Vence until the 1920’s during WW1, beginning with Paul Signac, Raoul Dufy, and Chaim Soutine. Today, the town mainly caters to tourism while continuing this artistic legacy, with numerous galleries densely packed into the winding cobblestone streets.
Here are all the sights you shouldn’t miss during an artsy stroll through Saint-Paul-de-Vence:
1. Get Lost in the Maze of Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Enter under the archway of Rue Grande to discover local art galleries, jewelry shops, and cafes overlooking the lush hillside.
Try to notice the little surprising details that are strewn throughout this town. For example, you may notice cobblestones arranged in a floral pattern below your feet. These were added during the 1950’s using stones from the beach at Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Additionally, you’ll encounter sculptures everywhere and even some that are suspended over archways. While you may not catch all of them, the large steel SECRET POINT by Jean-Claude Farhi in the roundabout outside town is very hard to miss.
My favorite hidden square was La Placette, where I found a moment of solitude next to a tiny fountain and former wash basin. Take a look at the entryway to Galerie Jean Carre to the left -you can see the stone outline of arches from when this structure served as a stable!
Want to ensure you don’t miss any details in Saint-Paul-de-Vence? Consider taking a guided walking tour. Will you be around during a July or August evening? Try this lantern-lit night tour!
2. Visit the Tomb of Chagall
Visit the Saint Paul de Vence Cemetery on the Plateau du Puy at the edge of town to find the burial site of artist Marc Chagall. He lived in Saint-Paul-de-Vence from 1966 until his death in 1985.
Long before the cemetery’s arrival, this plateau served as a central point in the village between the years 1000 and 1100.
Open every day from 8am-6:30pm
3. View (or stay at) the Maison de Jacques Prévert
It wasn’t all painters that expressed their creativity in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There were writers, filmmakers, and even actors roaming the village. One such example is Jacques Prévert, one of the most famous and widely read poets in France.
The poet lived in this home during part of the 15 years he spent in the village, until he moved to Paris’s legendary artistic arrondissement, Montmartre, in the 1950’s. Today, Prévert’s former vine-covered French Riviera home prettily overlooks the mountains to the north and sea to the south.
Travel Savvy Tip
You can make this well-appointed 12th century home your artistic abode for the night, as La Maison du Poete is available to rent on Airbnb! You won’t need to rush back to Antibes or Nice for the night and you’ll get to experience Saint-Paul-de-Vence at its quietest.
4. Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs
Jean-Michel Folon was a Belgian artist who was part of the Saint-Paul-de-Vence community for 30 years. His last work before his death in 2005 was decorating the 17th-century interior of The White Penitents’ Chapel (The Folon Chapel). Today you can visit the chapel to see his work as well as learn more about the artist’s longstanding relationship to the greater community.
Consider also visiting Church of the Conversion of Saint-Paul (The Collegiate Church) just a tiny walk around the corner. Built between the 14th and 18th centuries, various stylistic influences over the centuries can be discerned in the architecture.
Admission for the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs costs €8.50 per person. Open every day from 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-6pm from April 15th through October 14th. Closed Tuesdays and open from 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-5pm from October 15th through April 14th. Closed November 15th-30th, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The Collegiate Church (free) is open Monday to Friday from 8:15am to 4:15pm and Saturday/Sunday/Public Holidays from 10am to 6pm.
5. Visit the Fondation Maeght Art Museum
As a final artistic sightseeing stop before lunch, walk or drive uphill to The Foundation Maeght. France’s first private art institution features a vast collection of 20th century and contemporary art, with works in the permanent collection by the likes of Marc Chagall and Joan Miró.
This is a lovely place to slow down and pause as you stroll the sculpture garden that contains mosaics by Marc Chagall and Georges Braque, among pieces by other accomplished artists. To go even deeper to notice all the little details where art has touched this village, it is best to do a guided tour. Just be sure not to leave before checking out the Miro Labyrinth, which features works made from ceramics, Carrara marble, iron or bronze and concrete.
Admission costs €18 per adult. Open every day from 10am-7pm
6. Have Lunch in Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Saint-Paul-de-Vence offers a charming lunchtime atmosphere. Here are some popular dining suggestions:
- Colombe d’Or: Lunch where artists like Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso used to gather. Located just outside the ramparts, this hotel saw many artists pass through, who often traded paintings for meals and lodging. Some of their art still hangs on the restaurant walls, giving the impression that you are dining in an art gallery. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Closed between end of October and Christmas
- La Fontaine: Dine on traditional French and Mediterranean cuisine while overlooking Saint-Paul-de-Vence’s historic town center. Right below the restaurant is Place de la Grande Fontaine, where a namesake fountain marks the site of the 17th century village market. The dark space behind the fountain was once a washhouse.
- Western Ramparts: This compact part of town offers a couple scenic terraces with views from the mountains to the sea. I dined at Chez Andreas, where I ate house-made foie gras while watching moody gray storm clouds crawl my way from over the lush hills.
2:00pm: Vence
It’s worth devoting the entire morning to sightseeing around Saint-Paul-de-Vence. However, there are still some impressive art-related stops beyond this scenic village. One such example lies just 15 minutes north into the hills of Vence.
Don’t be fooled by the urban sprawl around this city. Vence has a historic core on par with that of Saint-Paul-de-Vence that sees way less tourists. While this itinerary leaves little room for exploring Vence, you have plenty of time for one special stop: the Rosary Chapel (Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence), designed entirely by Henri Matisse.
Marvel at Matisse’s Rosary Chapel
On the outskirts of medieval Vence lies the stark white exterior of Matisse’s Rosary Chapel. But did the artist leave the interior just as plain and how did he end up designing a chapel?
At the age of 72, Matisse underwent a major surgery. During his recovery in Nice, Matisse discovered a new lease on life and began a friendship with his nurse, Monique Bourgeois, who modeled for some drawings and paintings. In 1944, Bourgeois became a nun in Vence, by then home to Matisse, where a new chapel was badly needed. Still being in close correspondence, Matisse agreed to help Bourgeois bring her vision to fruition.
Matisse was involved in the design of the entire chapel from the architecture to the stained glass windows and murals. He even designed eye-catching garb in various hues for the priests to wear on special occasions. You can see these garments and learn about the work that was completed between 1949 and 1951 in the chapel’s adjacent museum.
As for the interior, (models shown since photos weren’t allowed) I loved how the blue and yellow tulips of the stained glass windows added levity to otherwise austere white walls and floors. In fact, the simplicity of the room allows the cheerful floral patterns to shine magnificently during daylight.
Don’t forget to turn around or you’ll miss the large black sketchings of the Stations of the Cross on the back wall.
Admission costs €7 per adult. Open from 10am-11:30am and 2:00pm to 5:30pm (until 4:30pm from November 1st to February 28th/29th). Closed Sundays, Mondays, public holidays, and annually from November 21st to December 12th.
Wander Around Vence
If not for pouring rain and a brewing hip injury, I would have loved to have wandered the pedestrian streets of Vence’s historical center. It’ll simply have to be added to the two-week Provence and the Cote d’Azur trip that I hope to return for with Aaron (my husband).
If you happen to have energy and an hour or two to visit Vence, I recommend giving it a stroll. Like neighboring Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence also dates back to antiquity and has defensive ramparts surrounding the city from the middle ages. Popular sights include:
- Musée de Vence: The former Château de Villeneuve features impressive rotating art exhibitions, as well as a permanent Matisse collection.
- Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Nativity at Vence: This 11th century Romanesque cathedral was built on the site of a Roman temple, houses a 6th century sarcophagus, and boasts a mosaic by Chagall (a Vence resident from 1950 to 1966). It is also the smallest cathedral in France.
4:00pm: Cagnes-sur-Mer
Cap off this art-themed day heading back towards the sea with a stop at the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Legendary Impressionist artist August Pierre Renoir undoubtedly found inspiration and comfort in this hilltop mansion overlooking the blue expanse of the Mediterranean.
Relax at the Musée Renoir
Renoir spent his last 12 years of life in the forgiving climate of the Mediterranean coast, tucked among olive and citrus groves on this property called Les Collettes. The location’s romantic landscapes and lighting inspired his painting and he also began exploring the art of sculpture.
Today, you can wander through each room of his former residence, viewing 40 of his sculptures on the first floor and 14 of his canvases on the upper two. The second and third floors also contain furnished rooms with large seaward windows where you can see as far as the Cap d’Antibes.
Outside of the house, you can visit Renoir’s old workshop (a reproduction) and wander through the gardens.
If you find yourself ahead of schedule, consider also visiting the nearby Grimaldi Castle Museum or Museum of Contemporary Jewelry. I personally opted to take my 30-minute journey through rush hour traffic back to neighboring Antibes.
Admission to the Renoir Museum costs €6 per adult. Open 10am-1pm, 2-6pm. Closed Tuesday.
• • •
I know sea lovers like me will find it hard to leave the coast for the day, but this art-inspired itinerary is so worth it. There is plenty to discover in the tiny villages that dot the hilltops of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Vence, and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Artists like Chagall and Matisse knew as much; maybe you’ll come away with some creative energy too!
