Saint-Paul-de-Vence, French Riviera, France
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is one of the oldest medieval villages on the French Riviera, surrounded by olive groves and hills covered in vines. It was (and is) the favorite town of many artists (like Chagall, Picasso, Matisse and many others). Currently it is home to many art galleries (mostly in the Rue Grande). It is located inland, about 6 km from the seaside town of Cagnes-sur-Mer, and 3 km from Vence.
Parking in Saint-Paul-de-Vence
It is not allowed to use cars in the very town (except for those who live and work there), but nearby there are large parking lots where you can leave your car. We suggest to park in the Sainte Claire parking lot (P; GPS: 43.699624, 7.121873) - from this location you have literally 200 meters to the old town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
Strolling the Saint-Paul-de-Vence
When you go towards the old town, you pass by the chapel of Sainte-Claire (A; GPS: 43.699341, 7.121595). The sightseeing means simply strolling the narrow streets, looking at interesting old buildings and visiting numerous galleries. Grande Rue is the main street in the village. We are entering it from the northern side through the gate Porte de Vence (B; GPS: 43.697699, 7.121540) built in 14th century.
Going south we pass the square de la Grande Fontaine with a really beautiful fountain from 1615 (CA; GPS: 43.696543, 7.122082). We can turn left here and go up towards the church de La Conversion de Saint-Paul (D; GPS: 43.697038, 7.122231). Right next to it we can see the Chapelle Des Pénitents Blancs from 17th century. Following the Grand Rue street to the south, we reach the southern gate called Porte de Nice dating from the fourteenth century.
Walking around we notice that many of the streets in the town are paved in an artistic manner with different stones.
From the walls (E; GPS: 43.697779, 7.121203) you can admire pretty views of surrounding limestone hills called "baou" and villages. In close proximity to the town we can see the chapel of Saint-Charles and Saint-Claude (F; GPS: 43.699745, 7.1.20076) from 1695.
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