If there’s a French village that oozes charm everywhere, it is Eze in the French Riviera or Cote d Azur. This was an easy day trip from Nice and for anyone visiting the area, this is a can’t miss destination.
Located between Nice and Monaco, the beautiful medieval village is perched on a hill with panoramic views of the Mediterranean. Here is a one day itinerary of things to do in Eze, France.
History of Eze
Much of Eze’s fortification was due to the House of Savoy or the Savoias which was an Italian royal family. They took leadership of Eze and ruled it in 1338 until the French took it from them a few years later. Way before that, the Moors ruled Eze for 80 years.
Unfortunately, the whole village burnt down during the Medieval Ages. But, the French rebuilt everything which is pretty much how the village currently looks including the stones on the streets. So, tourists, like us, were literally walking in the footsteps of the Medieval Ézasques (which Eze residents are called).
Visitor’s Center
We took the bus to Eze from Nice. More details on the tips section of how to get here. There were some signs that pointed to the Visitor’s Center once we arrived in Eze village. I highly recommend making this your first stop.
While this post aims to give you an idea of how we spent our day with tips, everyone has different interests, tastes and time constrains. The center has several maps, brochures and helpful staff to help plan your day and gave great recommendations.
The center also has restrooms with minimal charge. Be sure to get a map and to talk to the staff to assist with your visit.
The Medieval Village
There was one steep road to go up to the village so you can’t miss it. It took us about 20 min to go up on a leisurely pace.
I imagine it would be longer if some of the shops were open. The entrance to Eze was via La Poterne which was a “double fortified gate” that dates back to the 14th century.
Walking the narrow streets of this town is like being transported back to the Medieval Ages. Some alcoves , ivy and succulents, flower boxes waiting for summer blooms on many corners.
It is often called a “museum village” since there aren’t that many residents. But, also because it is just charming and beautiful. It looked straight out of fairy tale books.
Even their trash bins were pretty! I don’t think I’ve ever said that before of any place we’ve visited.
We were here in early March. The weather was great. One of the reasons we love traveling during the low season is avoiding the crowds. It was so wonderful to walk through Eze’s winding and quaint streets and hardly see anyone.
Eze Exotic Garden
If you can only visit one attraction, do not miss the Exotic Garden of Eze or Jardin Exotique d’Eze This was so beautiful and one of the best gardens we’ve ever visited. We enjoyed it so much that we spent most of our time in Eze here.
We live in San Diego where succulents are prevalent even in my own backyard. But, their arrangements and variety were incredible. Eze is perched high up on a cliff 1,400 feet or 429 meters above the sea level.
This garden, located on the old medieval fortress, has the best panoramic views of the Mediterranean, Eze and the French Riviera. They picked it as an ideal location for the garden due to its arid landscape with good drainage and protection from the north winds.
Many varieties of succulents, like cacti and agave, and other plants from all over the world greeted us when we entered the garden. Some of them looked familiar and some we’ve never seen before. Most of them arranged on terraces that took advantage of every corner along this hillside.
In order to fully appreciate this hilltop garden, one has to wonder how all this wonderful oasis of plants came about. The then-mayor Rene Gianton and Jean Gastaud, who is the father/founder of Monaco’s Exotic Garden, together created this Eze garden after World War II.
But, it took many men to carry huge amounts of boulders, stones, soil and plants on their backs and up the hill who really made this garden happen. It’s hard to imagine just how effort to create this whole landscape.
Look for The Bronze Statues
One of the things that stood out for us in the garden were the various clay/bronze women statues integrated within the landscape. Jean-Phillipe Richard, a renowned French sculptor, created these stunning female figures that embodied the beauty and mysteries of women including pregnancy. He mainly used raw materials to bring these fascinating sculptures to life.
The sculptor called these sculptures “Earth Goddesses’. It was a delight to find them in surprising locations but most of them were placed to look out into the magnificent views below.
As the signs described the statues, they were indeed “quiet companions” as we explored the garden. Each statue had a first name which added a familiarity and personality to each one.
Another favorite area and where we spent some time relaxing and resting was the meditation area. There were wooden lounge chairs with a small waterfall in the backdrop. We had this place to ourselves and it also looked out into the sea. If we had food and drinks, we could have stayed there all day.
The old castle ruins
Head all the way to the top of the garden to see the castle ruins that once stood here. Many go to this hilltop location for its vantage point.
The Lords of Eze built the fortress in the late 12th century. For years that followed, they heavily guarded and protected it from various enemies. Unfortunately, King Louis XIV ordered the fortress castle destroyed to prevent it from ever becoming a threat to France during the Spanish Wars in 1706.
Eze Churches
There were two churches in the village worth visiting. Look for Eze’s oldest building, built in the 1300s, called Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs. Also known as Chapelle de la Sainte-Croix.
This was located at the end of Rue Principale. The historic church was where the Ezasques gathered to unanimously join France in April 1860.
You also can’t miss the prominent 18th century neo-classical church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption which was one of the main structures near the Medieval village entrance. The bells rang every hour from the 19th century bell tower so you’ll be sure to find your way to it.
The Baroque interior was beautiful so make sure you take a peek inside. I love how bright it looked in here with all the yellows. The locals dedicated the church to Our Lady of the Assumption.
Stroll Eze Village
The biggest recommendation I can give about Eze is to walk, explore and wander the streets. It’s quite small, so you can’t really get lost. This is one of the prettiest Medieval villages in France or even Europe for that matter.
We loved turning a corner and finding charming squares or going through vaulted passages. We were here in early March so many things weren’t blooming yet. I can just imagine how lush and green these streets and walls look during the summer.
Staying in Eze Village
Be sure to look for Eze’s two luxury hotels: Château de la Chèvre d’Or and the Château Eza.. They were once residences that evolved into beautiful hotels with enviable views of the Mediterranean and a stunning location.
These weren’t in our budget or itinerary but they looked like the ideal places to stay in Eze. While it may get quite busy during the day, I can imagine it would be so wonderful and quiet at night after the day trippers leave.
Explore Art Galleries
Stop in on some of the art galleries around the village. They added pops of color along the streets. Some of them were open and welcomed visitors. If you’re traveling light, we saw plenty of signs indicating they ship worldwide too.
We enjoyed walking into some stores here too which ranged from clothing boutiques to souvenir stores. Though, many of them were not open yet.
Several stores and galleries filled Eze’s main street of Rue Principale. Many of these shops still have residences above them. The ground floors used to be the village’s former cattle sheds and cellars.
You can still see containers used for water and food for the goats, sheep, and mules. These are now used as flower boxes. In addition to the quaint buildings and the cobblestones, the builders designed the steps for the donkeys to pass through with their loads through the village.
Don’t forget to look up too. The ivy-covered walls climbing the structures made way for some interesting sights.
Things to do in Eze Village
After spending quite a bit of time exploring the hilltop village and the Eze Exotic Garden, we made our way down to the visitor’s center area. This was the same spot of our bus drop off.
Eating and Shopping in Eze
A small boulangerie/patisserie called Saines Saveurs that served delicious pastries, salads, quiche, wraps, and sandwiches was by the bus stop. It was a great stop for a light lunch.
There was also a Casino shop which was a general/grocery store that sold fresh fruits and vegetables across the street. A couple of the other nearby restaurants were closed. There are several options to eat here if you’re coming during the busy season.
Explore a Perfumery
Our next stop was the Fragonard Factory Laboratory. Fragonard is one of France’s leading perfume producers. You can’t miss the big signs pointing to it once you enter the village.
This laboratory factory has been in Eze since 1968. It offers free tours in various languages which includes visiting the cosmetics lab and the perfume factory and learning the manufacturing techniques and process of their perfume. No reservations are needed for the tour.
Unfortunately, we missed the tour times and were on a tight schedule to return to Nice. It’s just another reason for us to return to Eze on another time. Read more about the free Fragonard lab tours here.
Luckily, the large store was open and we were able to see all the glorious perfumes, bath products, diffusers and cosmetics among other things. Fragonard also had another smaller store by the Casino shop in the lower village.
There was another perfume company in Eze. Galimard Perfume Factory and Historical Museum was located close to the bus stop in the lower village square. The factory was smaller than Fragonard. But, they also offer free tours of their perfume and soap factory.
Tours are available daily in several language and can be reserved but reservations are not necessary. Unfortunately, the factory and shop were closed during our visit. For more information about touring Galimard, see their information here.
Tips for Visiting Eze from Nice, France
Getting to Eze from Nice: There are two bus lines from Nice to Eze – No.112 and No.82. Line No.82 runs on a very limited schedule during Sundays and the holidays. It took about 25 minutes from Nice to Eze village.
We caught the bus around the Port of Nice which was the same area we took the bus to go to Villefrenche-sur-Mer.
Google Maps comes in very handy to tell you where to catch the bus depending on your location and the next available times. It’s also a good idea to plan out the trip a day or two before.
Trains and Bus #100 stop at Eze-Sur-Mer train station from Nice. While there was a nice beach nearby, it was a long, very steep hike uphill to Eze village that takes about an hour.
Wear comfortable walking shoes. You will be walking a lot on cobblestones plus some uphill/downhill treks.
The Nietzsche Path is about a 5 km (3.1 miles) trail that connected the beach to Eze village. We didn’t take this trail but some visitors take the path down to return to the train station. Going down hill makes for a much better way to explore the path and the views.
The Nietzsche path was named for Friedrich Nietzsche who was a German philosopher. He lived in the French Riviera during the 19th century. Apparently, he hiked and climbed this trail a lot while living here so it was only fitting to name it in his honor.
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*Check out these tours around the French Riviera
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Wonderful! I’ve not been to southern France but it’s sure on my list.