11 Fun Things to Do in Villefranche-Sur-Mer
Are you looking for a seaside village to visit in the South of France?
The Cote d’Azur is gorgeous all year round.
Especially summer, where it is a glittering playground for the rich and famous.
Antibes. Cannes. St. Ferret. Monaco.
These famous, sun-soaked villages have their charms
I’ve visited them all.
And spent several weekends as a guest in exclusive hotels like Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes, and Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat.
And of course, I’ve enjoyed every single minute staying at these luxurious resorts.
I mean, what can be more relaxing than lying on a cushioned beach chair enjoying a coupe of Champagne?
All while looking over the blue Mediterranean sea?
Of course, it was fun.
And I will certainly weekend at these resorts again.
Yet for a real taste of what a true Mediterranean seaside village is, consider Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
The word “Mer” means sea in French, so as an FYI this village should not be confused with Villefranche-sur-Saône and Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
The “Undiscovered” French Riviera
The famous French painter Jean Cocteau described Villefranche-Sur-Mer as ‘a source of myth and inspiration.”
And maybe that is the secret to its subtle, bewitching charm.
Now it is possible that you will not read a review of Villefranche-Sur-Mer in Vogue, Travel & Leisure, or any other glossy publication.
Though ONCE I did see the name of this seaside village on a dress at Neiman-Marcus.
Villefranche-Sur-Mer: A Must Visit
Even so, please take my word for it that Villefranche-Sur-Mer is a “must visit” when you are in the South of France.
In fact, if you are driving from the Nice Airport to St. Tropez, you’ll drive right by my summer apartment on the main road, the Avenue du Maréchal Foch.
My Summer Apartment in Villefranche-Sur-Mer
Yes, it is true.
I spent the better part of four summers in Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
My lovely apartment had a fantastic view overlooking the village and the Old City.
And most important, the gorgeous blue harbor.
Each morning, a few large Ocean liners would sail into the port.
One would think that this influx of day trippers would disturb the quiet of the town.
Yet the city never felt super busy.
Not even in the height of summer.
I loved going to the gorgeous, relatively uncrowded Villefranche-Sur-Mer beach.
On Saturdays and Tuesdays, there was also a fresh market in the flower-lined park right in front of my apartment.
It was a great way to get the freshest colorful vegetables and the best possible cheese.
The Fromager, a young guy with an enormous beard, sourced the cheese from farmers from all over France.
And when that gigantic wheel of cheese was finished, it was done!
Avenue du Maréchal Foch, this small town “main street,” had almost everything anyone would need.
Like a hair salon, stationery shop, and of course more than a few cafes and bars.
Where is VilleFrance-Sur-Mer?
This magical village is located between the bustling Harbor city of Nice, and the elegant forested retreat of St. Ferrat.
It is a gently curving 20 or 30 minute drive from the Nice airport along the gorgeous azur coast.
In fact, if you were speeding down the highway from Nice, you might miss Villefranche-Sur-Mer completely.
There is no dramatic “Hollywood” like sign marking it as such.
And the lovely port, with its restaurants in a horseshoe shape along the promenade, can not be seen from the road.
Only a spot of green – the quaint Villefranche-Sur-Mer Park, and the subdued Tourist Office on the corner – will alert you that you have arrived.
What is VilleFranche-Sur-Mer (and how did I end up there?)
In 2009, I realized I traveled to France so often it was high time I learned the language.
I began to teach myself French using the computer-based Rosetta Stone, and got pretty good at comprehension.
Then I thought why not just spend a summer in France in some sort of immersion program.
I searched the Internet and found there was an immersion school in the South of France, and off I went.
What to Do in Villefranche-Sur-Mer?
There is a lot to do in Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
For most people (friends traveling together, couples, and families with children) a few days will be more than enough to explore the many attractions.
Yet to get a real feel for VilleFranche-Sur-Mer, and its delightful small village charm, you should consider renting an apartment for a week or more.
The Beach
The Beach at Villefranche-Sur-Mer is beautiful.
After class at the Institute de Francais, a lot of my fellow students went for a swim.
Even at five o’clock the weather is sunny and gorgeous.
Families with young children like the beaches in Villefranche-Sur-Mer because very small children can wade far into the water.
You will also find that his shallow water is great for water sports.
Rent a Boat
One great idea is to rent a boat and have your skipper take you around the coast line.
Renting a boat and a skipper in Villefranche-Sur-Mer is a bit more affordable than in Cannes.
Or the other glittering hot spots.
If renting a private boat is not for you, you can find organized boat tours with an Internet search.
Visit the Historic sites
Most people today just think of Villefranche-Sur-Mer as a vacation spot on the French Riviera.
Years earlier, the idea of just lying idly on the beach was incomprehensible.
Laughable.
This is because Villefranche-Sur-Mer has long been of great military importance.
The town owes its stature to its bay (la Rade de Villefranche).
This is one of the deepest natural harbors in the Mediterranean Sea (95 meters), allowing safe anchorage for large ships.
And thousands of years ago, this coastal region was important to the Greeks and Romans for trade and expansion.
Settlers in Villefranche-Sur-Mer were constantly under attack from seafaring conquerors.
Various rulers over the years erected military fortresses and citadels that stand today.
Taking The Old City Tour
The Old City is beautiful by day.
And mysterious by night.
And also … a bit scary.
If you have a vivid imagination, it’s easy to let nefarious illusions run wild.
This is especially true if you have read the dramatic history, as I have.
You will find a more detailed explanation of what to see and do at the end of this post, but here are my immediate suggestions.
On a bright clear summer day, you will love to see the colorful blue, yellow, and red facades of the ancient houses.
You will want to take thousands of pictures, as everywhere you turn is the perfect view.
And here’s the thing.
People live in close quarters in the Old City.
You will have a literal open window into other people’s lives.
If you tour the area at mealtimes, you will see families and groups of friends in the process of either cooking a meal or enjoying it on their patio or deck.
You will overhear their conversation, though most of the time it is in Italian or French.
In terms of seeking out monuments and points of interest, you might enjoy snapping some Instagram photos of the Saint-Elme Citidel.
Also the Saint-Pierre Chapel with its murals painted by Jean Cocteau.
Port Royal de la Darse.
My personal favorite place to visit is the Port Royal de la Darse.
This port was built in 1550 by the Ducks of Savoy to counter attacks by the sea.
One of my favorite restaurants overlooks this ruin.
I spent many wonderful moments eating fresh fish and watching the sunset against this dramatic stone fortress.
The citadel has been renovated.
Inside you can find an open air theater where Wednesdays (and possibly other nights of the week) you can watch films.
Musee Volti
I do recommend that you check out the Musee Volti.
Antoniucci Volti was is one of the most important Late Modern sculptors to have worked figuratively in the 20th century.
He made his home and studio in VilleFranche-Sur-Mer.
A museum dedicated to his art is located in the casemates of the Citadel.
Volti enjoyed working with iron and other metals, and most of his work focused on female nudes
Restaurants in VilleFranche-Sur-Mer
I ate out most nights in VilleFranche-Sur-Mer, with my plate principal (what we call an entrée in the USA) being a different type of grilled fish.
You will find some excellent restaurants in the “interior” of the old city (or in other words, tables scattered along the steep stairs that lead down to the port).
Yet virtually every night, I had dinner at one of the many restaurants lining the horse-shoe shaped port.
Prices were fairly similar across the board, though some restaurants “appeared” more expensive because in addition to a cut of fish, you would have a salad or side dish included in the price.
Quality was also fairly good across the board. The fish was always fresh (as it must be in a fishing village).
That said, the biggest difference between the waterfront restaurants was the attitude of the staff.
The more expensive restaurants had nicely uniformed, handsome young waiters who spoke excellent English.
They spoke other languages as well (German, Italian, Spanish).
The owners were invariably charming gentlemen of fashion, who would great old and new guests with great warmth and enthusiasm.
Where to Sit In Villefranche-Sur-Mer Restaurants
At the waterfront restaurants, you can sit inside and also outside.
Many restaurants have nicely designed interiors.
I usually prefer to sit outside with a sea view.
You have two choices for sitting outdoors by the sea.
One way is to sit outside directly in front of the restaurant.
The advantages to this are many.
1. You can easily get the waiter’s attention when you need something (another drink, a slice of lemon).
2. You have a better view of the people promenading down the cobblestone streets.
The Mediterranean sea will still be in front of you, but at a slight distance.
Here, you can still see people getting in and out of the little buoys that take people to and from their yachts.
The other manner of seating is to take a table on the other side of the cobble stone promenade.
There are also two advantages.
1. You are very close to the ocean. You may even see fish leaping out of the water.
2. It is VERY romantic.
If you both look out at the ocean you are not even aware hundreds of people are walking up and down the boardwalk.
At any rate, over the course of the summer I always visited different restaurants and tried different views.
Restaurants In VilleFranche-Sur-Mer
Below is a personal list of my favorite restaurants in Villefranche-sur-mer.
L’Oursin Blue
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Villefranche-Sur-Mer. I would take a bit more care to dress up here, even though the dress code in Villefranche-Sur-Mer is fairly casual.
There is an aura of elegance here and a very good management team. The owner is often present, and customer service is very good.
It is a great place to people watch (though every restaurant on the port has the same promenade view).
And also it is a great place to people watch people within the restaurant. A very elite crowd.
Le Mere Germaine
In the same category of L’Oursin Blue in terms of the sophisticated ambiance and attention to detail.
This is an older, highly respected restaurant with great service.
On Saturday nights, you can see Ferraris and other luxury class automobiles drive up from St. Ferrat.
Travestere
More casual than the previous two restaurants, I probably came here a few times a week.
The daily fresh fish was good, and it is the closest restaurant to the stairs leading up to the old port city.
Restaurant La Trinquette
I came here with almost the entire school from the Institute de Francais for an evening of dinner and (provided) entertainment from one of the instructors who had charm and great artistic musical talent.
The food was fine. We were inside, yet if you can snag some of the outdoor tables that would be suggested.
Hotels in Villefranche Sur Mer
While I have personally seen the rooms and two well-known hotels, the Hotel Welcome by the Port and the Hôtel Le Versailles across the street from my apartment on Avenue du Maréchal Foch.
The rooms at both hotels are fine, and the hotels are kept up nicely.
But it might be more fun for you to rent a great apartment with a patio where you can make your own breakfast.
Hôtel Le Versailles
This hotel was directly across from my apartment in Villefrance-Sur-Mer.
From my patio, I could even see people having breakfast and relaxing by the pool.
Some of my classmates actually chose to stay at this hotel rather than rent an apartment, so I had drinks on the patio a few times as well.
Though they have a very nice looking restaurant, I never dined there.
The hotel itself is modern and clean.
The one room I saw was perfectly fine for one person, but unless you got a bigger room it might be a bit cramped for two people.
It is nicely situated just off the Avenue du Maréchal Foch and the bus from Nice stops just in front of it.
You are also close to the park and the path where you will make your way down to the port and its restaurants.
Welcome Hotel
Just like its name, this is a hotel where the “locals” and groups of friends arrange to meet and hang out.
Though I never went there for dinner, I really enjoyed going there for drinks with friends.
It faces the water, and it is a good spot to people-watch.
In terms of a hotel, it has an excellent location right in the middle of the action.
Safety in Villefranche-Sur-Mer
It is easy to feel that you are in a small town when you are in Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
After all, if you walk down the street it seems as if everyone knows one another.
And usually they do.
I am the kind of person who likes to go everywhere alone.
Because the evenings are so beautiful, I usually walked back late after dinner rather than take a cab.
Yet many places in Villefranche-sur-Mer are very dimly lit, so it’s a good idea to take the usual precautions you would in any city.
Final Thoughts
I loved spending summers in Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
Typically, I’d go to Nice a few times a week.
Nice is just twenty minutes away.
Then you could also visit several attractions in the opposite direction, such as the city of Eze and the Villa & Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild.
Lunch at the Chevre d’Or is not to be missed!
Enjoy your time in Villefranche-Sur-Mer!
Visit the Villefranche-Sur-Mer Tourist Office
