The resort town of Antibes. Antibes (France) - the best beach holidays and attractions of Antibes old town

If you try to describe in a few words the atmosphere that reigns in French Antibes, regardless of the time of year or your mood, then the good old phrase “art de vivre” is best suited for this.

Here on Cote d'Azur In France, in a town located exactly between Cannes and Nice, you absorb the “art of enjoying life” with every breath.

To catch this feeling, just take a walk along the embankment, where in the evenings fishermen feed voracious seagulls with fish scraps, or walk to the park, on the paths of which local residents they play petanque with genuine passion.

In the photo: playing petanque on the embankment

In the film Midnight in Paris, Owen Wilson's character Gil Pender dreamed of Paris in the 1920s, where he ended up every night, getting into another retro car driving along a quiet street of the French capital.

In Antibes, the feeling that you, like the hero of Woody Allen’s comedy, found yourself in that wonderful era when you could see the Fitzgeralds or Pablo Picasso at the next cafe table, arises from early morning and does not disappear until midnight.

In the city where Picasso created perhaps his most cheerful painting “La Joie de vivre”, and Fitzgerald worked on the tender and sad novel “Tender is the Night”, the past is felt no less clearly than the present, and therefore the mood reigning here is desirable. compare with expensive French wine, the bouquet of which combines echoes of floral notes different eras: from antiquity and the Middle Ages to the Belle Époque and the Roaring Twenties.

It’s worth coming to Antibes not only for the beaches and the party scene, although both are available here, and the city beaches, unlike other places on the French Riviera, are still free. Antibes is an atmospheric and romantic French place, the same “la vie est belle” as we used to imagine it.

OLD CITY

Getting to know Antibes inevitably begins with the old town. It was founded in ancient times; on a stone in the body of the ancient tower in the center of the city you can still find the inscription “Antipolis”, which is what Greek sailors called the settlement in ancient times.

During the Roman Empire, the city grew and became stronger; in the Middle Ages, Antibes was owned by the House of Savoy, and in 1481 the city became part of France. Even today Old city Antibes does not give the impression of an open-air museum frozen in time.

The massive fortress wall that used to surround the city was partially dismantled, now in its place there is an embankment, opposite Fort Carre, where Napoleon was once imprisoned, a yacht mooring has been established, Grimaldi Castle, which during its history even managed to be the residence of a bishop, has been modernized to the Picasso Museum, and next to the museum building there are sculptures by Miró.
When you walk around the old city, you can’t help but want to hum Cole Porter’s song “Let’s do it, let’s fall in love” under your breath.

In the photo: yacht anchorage and Fort Carré, Antibes

The mood of romantic retro is especially vivid in the narrow streets, where the walls of houses are covered with vines, and every window is decorated with red geranium flowers.

In the photo: a street in the old town, Antibes

By the way, it’s surprising but true that local residents even manage to produce wine from the grapes that ripen on the streets of the old city. According to ancient tradition, this wine becomes the property of the Antibes community; it is usually drunk at city events.

In the photo: wine is even produced from grapes that ripen on the streets

ANTIBES AND ARTISTS

The best place to watch sunsets is the embankment near the Picasso Museum. However, one would like to speak about Antibes sunsets in verse, because the transparent, changeable colors of the sky and sea of ​​the Cote d'Azur are as much a landmark of the city as Fort Carré, made in the shape of a quadrangular star.

In the photo: a reproduction of a painting by Henri Cross on the Antibes embankment as part of the Riviera Artists project.

It is not for nothing that the best artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries came to Antibes for these sunsets and sunrises, and Clone Monet even stayed in the city for several months longer than planned. The French painter was so impressed by the local sunsets and sunrises that he painted three landscapes in Antibes.

In the photo: we are looking at a reproduction of Claude Monet’s painting “Antibes effet d’après-Midi” on the Antibes embankment.

However, Claude Monet was unoriginal; at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, every self-respecting painter considered it his duty to come to Antibes. Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonnier, Henri Cross, Eugene Boudin and Henri Joseph Arpigny worked here, but Pablo Picasso stayed in the city the longest.

In the photo: a reproduction of a painting by Eugene Boudin in Antibes as part of the Riviera Artists project.

Picasso first arrived in Antibes in July 1939, but settled here for a long time in 1946, after the curator of the local Museum of History and Archeology Romuald Dor de la Souchère arranged a personal studio for the artist in the Grimaldi Castle. .

Picasso bequeathed all the works painted in Antibes, as well as the figurines and ceramics created here, as a gift to the city. The city authorities did not refuse and opened the artist’s museum in the city, where visitors can see not only the famous painting “La Joie de vivre”, but also sketches of Picasso’s works, as well as the studio in which the founder of Cubism worked. Although Picasso is considered the main artist who worked in Antibes, other artists are also not forgotten here, for example, the Riviera of Artists is organized in the city.

In the photo: installations at the Picasso Museum

The essence of the project is as follows: the city administration installed reproductions of artists’ works in front of the places depicted in the paintings. The Lovers of Raymond Peine, hugging against the backdrop of the old city, look especially touching; this reproduction can be seen on the city embankment.

In the photo: reproduction of the painting “Lovers” by Raymond Peine on the city embankment.

If literature is closer to you than painting, then for the sake of curiosity it’s worth taking a look at the famous Hôtel Belles Rives, where Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived.

The hotel still has a Jazz Age feel and regularly hosts Great Gatsby themed parties.

PROVENCEAL MARKET

Reproductions of paintings by artists can be found not only on the embankment. For example, a reproduction of “Le marche du Cours Massena a Antibes” by Emile Charles Dameron is installed near the Provençal market, which, as in the nineteenth century, opens every morning in Antibes.

In the photo: reproduction of the painting “Le marche du Cours Massena a Antibes” near the city market

It is worth going to the market not only for the atmosphere, but also for gastronomic discoveries, for example, in order to find out how the famous multi-colored olives from Nice differ from the olives of Provence, taste confiture made from lavender flowers or try soft goat cheeses - another specialty of the region.

In the photo: olives at the Provençal market, Antibes

Around 10 o'clock in the morning at the market there is nowhere for an apple to fall, there is a crowd of people near each counter, as in the old days, by the way, many stalls have been assigned to the families of farmers for more than one generation, this is evidenced by photographs of the grandparents of the current sellers, flaunting on the shelves next to vegetables or between bottles of olive oil.

In the photo: olive oil, confiture and honey at a Provençal market

If you find yourself at the market, be sure to buy home some Provencal herbs and spices, then upon arrival you can delight your guests with ratatouille prepared at home or other dishes of Provencal cuisine. .

In the photo: spices at the Provençal market, Antibes

By the way, literally across the street from the Provençal market there is a very interesting Absinthe bar. The peculiarity of the place is that here guests are offered to taste real 76-degree absinthe. Bar Absinthe(address: 25, Cours Massena 06600 Antibes, tel: 0493349300) looks like materialized scenery from the film “Total Eclipse”: small round tables on which stand decanters with ice water, with their help, the insidious tincture, the excessive use of which can lead you to conversations with the green fairy, is diluted with water.

If you have never encountered absinthe before, here you will be taught how to properly drink the favorite drink of the creative intelligentsia of the early twentieth century, so as to enjoy the process and avoid bad consequences.

However, the main advantage of this place is not that they serve absinthe, but again in the atmosphere of the establishment.

When you find yourself at a table in Absinthe, the feeling that the past is no less alive here than the present is so strong that you involuntarily begin to imagine that the heavy door of the bar will now open and Pablo Picasso in the company of Francoise Gilot or the couple will appear on the threshold of the establishment Fitzgerald.

In the photo: sculpture Lovers by Raymond Peine

And it doesn’t matter that this is nothing more than an illusion, because, as Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby: “No tangible, real charm can compare with what a person is able to accumulate in the depths of his fantasy.”

ROMANCE OF ANTIBES IN PHOTOS

In the photo: grapevine on the street of the old town

Yulia Malkova is the founder of the website project. In past Chief Editor Internet project elle.ru and editor-in-chief of the website cosmo.ru. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

Antibes is located near Nice, it is beautiful old City and famous beach resort. Medieval streets, an ancient fortress and the Cote d'Azur - these are the first associations that can characterize this beautiful, colorful town.

Main symbol Antibes - Fort Carre, located in the western part. The fort was built in 1565 and has a shape that is very unusual for medieval buildings - a four-pointed star. In the 18th century, the fortress was further strengthened by order of Louis XIV, who made it the main military base. It was here that Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned in 1794; here he had to await his death penalty.

The most remarkable buildings can be seen in the so-called Old Town, the main decorations of which are the Grimaldi Castle and the Church of Immacule Concepción. These buildings were erected in the 12th and 13th centuries and have been perfectly preserved to this day. In the 16th century, the castle was significantly expanded, and in 1925 it was converted into a museum dedicated to the history of the city. In the old part of Antibes there is an interesting place for those who like to go shopping, because it is here that one of the largest covered markets in France is located. Copyright www.site

Naturally, the main entertainment for tourists remains relaxing on the beautiful beaches, which are well equipped for water sports. There are many restaurants, bars, taverns and discos open in the coastal area; life here does not subside day or night. Open at the entrance to the city big park entertainment, which in addition to attractions has a botanical garden, several parks and restaurants. Vacationers with children should visit the Marineland Zoo, where you can watch a dolphin show and meet the inhabitants depths of the sea and have fun at the water park.

The center of many famous attractions is the Cape of Antibes, where the ancient Groupe lighthouse is located, as well as an elegant old chapel. Today it is a kind of museum, which houses very interesting Russian relics brought here in the years Crimean War. Sightseeing tour A trip around the cape necessarily includes a walk through the Thuret garden, which is also historical. It was founded in 1857, the founder of the garden is the famous French botanist and explorer Gustav Thuret. The area of ​​this amazing garden is about 5 hectares, and there are more than 3,000 plants on its territory.

For lovers of walking around historical places You should definitely check out the Grimaldi Castle, which is invariably associated with the work of Pablo Picasso. This castle was built back in the 12th century, and the very first fortifications on its territory were built back in the era of the Roman Empire. Over the hundreds of years of its existence, the castle was rebuilt several times, and at the beginning of the 20th century it fell into complete disrepair. In 1925, the historical building was bought by the city authorities and converted into a museum. In 1946, Pablo Picasso visited Antibes; for a long time he could not find a suitable room for work. Then the city authorities offered him to convert part of the old castle into an art workshop. Today the castle also houses an art museum dedicated to the work of Picasso.

On the coast of Antibes, part of the medieval fortifications has been preserved, including the Saint-André bastion. Today this historical building, which was built back in 1698, has been converted into Archaeological Museum. This museum was founded back in 1928 and was originally a small private collection of finds dating back to the Halo-Roman era. The official opening of the museum took place in 1963; today its visitors can admire valuable exhibits that are more than 2.5 thousand years old.

This famous resort town is part of the Alpes-Maritimes department and is located on Cape Garoupe, with an impressive yacht port and a reputation as one of best resorts countries where the richest and most famous people in the world vacation.

Peculiarities

Antibes is one of the pearls of the French Riviera and has many advantages. Here, ancient houses with narrow streets and modern buildings with numerous villas, shops, restaurants and entertainment centers, scattered along the coast. In addition to traditional beach holidays, the resort offers its guests a lot of entertainment, including boat trips around the Mediterranean Sea, countless excursions, visiting the most interesting sights, eventful nightlife, ideal conditions for sports. In addition, here you can try delicious dishes in local restaurants, enjoying the views of the surrounding landscapes, and also shop well in elite boutiques and luxury shopping centers. Of course, Antibes is not an economy-class resort and wealthy people come here to relax, but among the comfortable hotels, expensive villas and private apartments of the city, you can always find accommodation options at quite affordable prices, especially if you reserve your seats in advance. The main source of income for the city budget is undoubtedly tourism, although there is also fishing and a well-established perfume production.

general information

The area of ​​the city territory occupies just over 26 square meters. km, and the population is about 75,000 people. Time lags behind Moscow by 1 hour in summer and 2 in winter. Time zone UTC+1 and UTC+2 in summer time of the year. Telephone code(+33) 4. Official website www.antibes-juanlespins.com.

A brief excursion into history

Antibes was founded by Greek sailors in the 6th century BC, and the settlement that then existed on the shores of Cape Garoupe was called Antipolis. In the Roman era, the city was the most important strategic point on the route from Rome to Gaul. In the 2nd century, an episcopal see was established here, and Antipolis changed its name to Antigul, from which Antibes subsequently came. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Monegasque Grimaldi dynasty and then to Savoy. In the late Middle Ages, the city turned into a military fort, where at the end of the 18th century the young Napoleon Bonaparte was temporarily imprisoned, not yet knowing that he was destined to become the future emperor of France. In the 20th century, Antibes was a haven for many outstanding writers and poets who were born on these picturesque shores your immortal creations. Some resort hotels to this day carefully preserve the memory of how famous creative personalities such as Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Nikas Kazantzakis or Graham Greene lived in their rooms.

Climate

The Antibes coast has a mild Mediterranean climate. average temperature air in the summer often exceeds +30 degrees, and the water in the sea is suitable for swimming until November. The season begins here in May and ends in October. Even in winter, on days when the air temperature often reaches +15, particularly hotheads do not neglect the opportunity to plunge into the gentle waters of the Mediterranean. True, this does not happen often, since the water is still too cold for this time of year.

How to get there

Closest to Antibes international Airport is in . There are good bus and train connections between the resorts, so travel time does not take more than an hour. It is also easy to reach, located 15 minutes away by car.

Transport

Considering that the city's territory is small, you can easily move around on foot, and if necessary, it is worth using the services water transport(the local port is considered the largest on the Cote d'Azur and even receives massive cruise ships). In addition, scooters and bicycles are common. To travel long distances along the coast or inland, you should rent a car or take a taxi.

Beaches

Together with the coasts of the town of Juan-les-Pins and Cape Antibes adjacent to the resort, the total length coastline has about 25 km. Excellent sand and pebble beaches are excellently equipped and offer a comfortable stay. Among the public beaches, La Gravette, Illete, Salis and Garoupe stand out. There are also private beaches belonging to hotels or individual villas. Vacationers are provided with all kinds of entertainment, including water skiing, diving, windsurfing, sailing, traditional and underwater fishing, water parachutes and much more. It is also possible to rent any type of water transport.

Attractions and entertainment

The main tourist attraction of the resort is the Old Town. Its central attraction is the magnificent Amiral de Grasse promenade, designed for romantic evening walks and the ancient bastion of Saint-André with the unique Museum of History and Archeology. Also notable are the Batterie du Grillon artillery tower, which now houses the Museum Navy and Napoleon, dedicated to the conquests of the emperor, the Peine Museum and humorous drawings on Place Nationale, and a number of ancient buildings decorating this rare part of Antibes. The most valuable cultural heritage of the city is the castle of the Grimaldi dynasty, in the halls of which outstanding paintings by brilliant masters of the past are exhibited, including the legendary Pablo Picasso. Among many other buildings, special attention should be paid to the fashionable Eden Roc hotel, on Cape Antibes, built in the 19th century and reconstructed by the American millionaire Gordon Bennett. Over the years, its guests included John Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and other prominent figures and celebrities. During the Cannes Film Festival, today outstanding stars of modern cinema prefer to stay there.

Cape Antibes is generally considered the patrimony of millionaires. On the coast of this cape, among the dense green spaces, in the shade of numerous evergreen palms and tall trees, the exclusive villas of the richest people on the planet are hidden from prying eyes. In addition, in this part of the resort there are such attractions as the Notre-Dame de Garoupe chapel, with its unique sacred relics, the Garoupe lighthouse, and the fabulous Thuret garden, with its amazing tropical plants and colorful flowers. The wonderful resort town of Juan-les-Pins is also located here, which also has a whole interesting places and excellent conditions for relaxation. Among modern facilities Antibes is worth noting the delightful Marineland water park with water slides and fascinating performances held on its territory, and the Sophia Antipolis research center, whose structure is very similar to the world-famous Silicon Valley. For entertainment, city guests can take a helicopter ride over the Mediterranean, go deep-sea diving, parachute behind a boat, try their luck at the local casino or have fun in nightclubs.

Kitchen

Of the resort’s numerous culinary establishments, the famous Oscar’s gastronomic restaurant, decorated with medieval surroundings, including furniture and interior decoration, invariably receives special attention among tourists. It is famous for its Italo-Provençal cuisine and the skill of local chefs. The most popular culinary delights of the restaurant are fried shrimp with a spicy sauce called “foie gras,” as well as tender veal and excellent desserts. Wide selection of fruits and drinks. The cost of dishes is very affordable for owners of any wallet, which is another advantage of this establishment. In addition to Oscar's, restaurants in Antibes worth visiting include Les Vieux Murs, located in the Old Town, Moulin de Mougins and Le Comptoir de la Tourraque, which are also no different high prices and always providing fresh and extremely voluminous dishes to gourmets.

Shopping

Abundance of shops and shopping centers, allows resort guests to fully satisfy their shopping needs. Among the goods and souvenirs that receive special attention are all kinds of wines, products and jewelry made from precious stones, shoes, clothes, dishes, various artistic crafts. There is an unusually wide selection in local boutiques and cosmetic stores, so people almost never leave here without shopping.

Antibes fully corresponds to its representative status - a pearl. The excellent climate, developed infrastructure, pleasant atmosphere and wonderful conditions for a bright and eventful holiday annually attract millions of tourists from all over the world.

Antibes is one of the most popular resort towns on the Cote d'Azur, located on Cape Garoupe. Mediterranean Sea between Cannes and Nice with a population of over 80 thousand inhabitants.

Ancient Antipolis, and now the most advanced city of the Cote d'Azur and the center of yachting, Antibes, has practically merged with the equally old seaside town of Juan-les-Pins.

The resort town of Antibes has the largest (by total tonnage) yacht port on the entire French Riviera. The port was built in the 60s of the 20th century on the site of the Roman harbor.

In fact, this is not one, but five ports - Vauban, Galis, Crouton, Olivette, Salis. Together with Cap d'Antibes and the town of Juan-les-Pins, it forms a single administrative unit.

The port of Antibes is where the most people moor luxury yachts of those that approach the Cote d'Azur, but their owners are not inclined to advertise themselves and their property.

In addition, in Antibes there is a very profitable perfume industry, with well-established and competitive production, and the fish processing industry has also been preserved, but it has declined significantly over the past decades, plus the city has a railway station.

History of the city of Antibes

Around the 6th century BC, Greek travelers discovered a cozy bay and founded the city of Antipolis (the city located opposite) on its shores. It was implied - opposite, across the bay, from Nicaea ( Nice).

Antipolis was created as a colony of Massalia (current Marseilles). During Roman rule, the city was the most important point on the route from Rome to Gaul. For a long time it was the only fortified locality on the coast from Marseille to Italy.

In the 2nd century, an episcopal see was established in the city, after which it began to be called Antigul, and over time - Antibes. IN medieval era the city belonged to Savoy, and from 1481 to the state of France.

Sights and beaches of Antibes

The most striking and memorable sights of Antibes include Grimaldi Castle(Chateau Grimaldi) and the Picasso Museum located within its walls, the city cathedral with a luxurious medieval altarpiece, Vauban’s fortifications, Villa Tenard(Villa Thenard), a flower park on 5 hectares and a tree nursery (2 thousand species of trees), Napoleon Museum, Maritime Museum and the Peine Museum.

The resort town of Antibes has a large number of luxurious sandy beaches, both free and commercial, and also has its own dolphinarium and water park. The largest beach in Antibes is La Salis, which is located on the picturesque Cap d'Antibes peninsula, in its eastern part, and is also the calmest place for swimming in Cote d'Azur .

As for the southern part of the peninsula, from the foot of the “Russian chapel” Chapelle de La Garoupe there is an amazing panoramic view of the forests and beaches of the area, as well as the green area botanical garden Tourette Park, owned by the National Research Institute.

A little further south is the peninsula's second largest public beach, La Garoupe, and at the southern end of Cap d'Antibes, on L.D. Beaumont Avenue, stands the grand Villa Eilenroch, surrounded by a lush garden.

Along the perimeter of the western coast you can find several small sandy bays and harbors, but the main attraction of this area is the Museum Napoleon Bonaparte(opening hours: Thursday-Saturday, June-September 10.00-18.00; September-June 10.00-16.30; entrance - 4 euros), located at the end of J. F. Kennedy Avenue.

The southernmost tip of the peninsula is occupied by the area around the legendary Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, often called the "Bay of Millionaires".

Cape Antibes