Villas and Gardens of the Cote d'Azur By Air Tour

Join Nicholas Merchant, Former Chairman of the Art Fund West Yorkshire Fundraising Committee, to explore the extraordinary array of rich estates on France's Cote d'Azur. Gain an insight into the world of the rich and glamorous in this playground of the jet-set for more than a century, with Nicholas using his expertise to help you delve deeper into the treasure trove of antiques that these sumptuous villas house. The group size on this tour is limited to 25 passengers to ensure that smaller sites can be visited and that you get a high level of attention.

For 2024 we have two departures which will be by air from London Heathrow to Nice to shorten the journey time. If you would prefer to do this tour by train, please click here to see the train itinerary and tour dates. Alternatively, you can also do these tour dates but on a land-only basis, meaning that transport and transfers are not included, and the tour will start at the hotel. Travel can then be arranged independently. If you would like to do this tour land-only, please call us.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly from London Heathrow to Nice.
On arrival transfer to Menton and the hotel for check-in for seven-night stay on bed and breakfast basis. This evening we will have a welcome drink in the hotel bar.

Day 2: Serre de la Madone and Maria Serena Gardens.
This morning we enjoy our first talk ‘The Creation of the Cote d’Azur’ by Nicholas Merchant, Former Chairman of the Art Fund West Yorkshire Fundraising Committee who has lectured extensively on the decorative arts both for branches of The Arts Society and independently in America, South Africa and Europe. Situated in the hills behind Menton, this 9-hectare terraced garden was the creation of Lawrence Johnston, better known for his creation of Hidcote in the Cotswolds. Plants from Burma, China and South Africa thrive in this gently and sunny climate. It has now been restored after a period of decline. This afternoon we will have a guided tour of the Maria Serena Gardens. Right on the sea front, and the last house before the Italian border, the Maria Serena Villa and Gardens, was constructed around 1880 for the family of Ferdinand de Lesseps. Today it is a guest villa for the city of Menton. The villa is surrounded by a hectare and a half of gardens, where tropical and sub-tropical plants thrive, including a large collection of palm trees and cycad trees. They command a splendid view overlooking the sea and the old city of Menton.

Day 3: Villa E-1027 and free afternoon in Menton.
This morning we will have another talk from Nicholas ‘Eileen Grey and the Villa E-1027’ before departing for a visit of the Villa E-1027. A veritable icon of modernist architecture overlooking the sea, Villa E-1027 was architect and designer, Eileen Gray’s first architectural creation and testifies to the thought and attention that she put into every detail of the design. It is tantamount to a manifesto both for its architecture and for the fixed and free-standing furniture, lamps and decorations that are inseparable from it. Eileen spent three whole years designing the furniture and working with her partner Jean Badovici on the plans. Le Corbusier was a visitor after Eileen Gray had left and painted murals on some of the walls, some of which remain in situ. After a long and checkered history, the villa has been carefully restored since 1999 and is now accepting visitors and offers a fascinating insight into its architect and the era. In the afternoon you will have some free time to spend in the town of Menton. A favourite resort for the English in the 19th century, including Queen Victoria, this town enjoys one of the most beneficent climates along this coast. Highlights include the Musee Cocteau, the Salle des Mariages in the Town Hall and the Basilica of St Michel is a magnificent example of baroque architecture.

Day 4: Full day Nice.
This morning there will be a talk ‘Queen Victoria in the South of France’, by Nicholas before we then depart for our full day visit to Nice. France's fifth largest city, Nice has been a popular destination of the rich and famous including Queen Victoria for some 150 years. It is a wonderful city to explore with several distinctive districts, a wealth of galleries and museums, lovely port and famed Promenade des Anglais. Nice was Italian until 1860, reflected in the pastel facades and balconies of the old town which have a distinctly Italiante feel. Nice is overflowing with things to see and do - highlights include several museums including the Chagall, Matisse, Modern Art and Beaux-Arts, characterful flower market area, 17th century Palais Lascaris, Russian Church and much more.

Day 5: Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild at Cap Ferrat and Villa Kerylos.
Built in 1895 for the enormously wealthy Beatrice de Rothschild, this pink, treasure-filled palace sits atop the promontory surrounded by its own lush gardens. Lunch is included in the villa's elegant restaurant overlooking the bay. After lunch we visit Villa Kerylos, one of the most extraordinary villas on the coast. Designed as a recreation of an ancient Greek Villa, this houses teeters on the water's edge, its rooms filled with furniture and artefacts taken from images on ancient Greek Vases.

Day 6: St Paul de Vence, Foundation Maeght and Maison les Collettes.
One of the great galleries of France, this privately funded establishment dating from 1964 has an enormous range of paintings, ceramics, stained glass and sculpture by Giacometti, Miro, Chagall, Calder and Braque to name but a few. Built by the Catalan architect Jose-Luis Sert, the building is itself an astonishing sight. Following some free time in St Paul de Vence, one of the most famous of the hill-villages of the region has proved a magnet for artists, and now contains not only galleries but also offers from its ramparts breath-taking views of the surrounding countryside and the sea. Return to Menton via Cagnes sur Mer where the Maison les Collettes contains ten of the paintings of Auguste Renoir who lived here up to this death in 1919.

Day 7: Villa Hanbury Gardens and the Villa Val Rahmeh.
This morning we have our final talk by Nicholas, ‘English Gardeners in the South of France’ before we set off for our day of visits. An excursion just over the border into Italy takes us to the 100-acre Villa Hanbury gardens laid out by Sir Thomas Hanbury in the mid-19th century. A dramatic site on a promontory the garden is planted with a wide range of specimens ranging from succulents to rose and plants indigenous to the site. Afternoon return via Villa Val Rahmeh (above Menton) a garden created by an Englishman, Sir Percy Radcliffe, former Governor of Malta. A private domain, now an outstation of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. This evening we will have a farewell dinner all together at the hotel.

Day 8: Transfer from the hotel to Nice Airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.
NB: Exact order of excursions and timings of lectures may vary according to local conditions and tour managers' discretion

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.

INCLUDED

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Nice  
• Seven nights' bed and breakfast at the three-star Best Western Mediterranee, Menton, based on shared occupancy of a twin room
• Welcome drink at the hotel
• Farewell dinner at the hotel on the last night
• One lunch at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild 
• Full coaching itinerary
• Entrance fees
• Talks and accompanied visits by Nicholas Merchant, Former Chairman of the West Yorkshire Art Fund
• Tour manager throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Double for sole use supplement 
• Holiday insurance 
• Room upgrade to a Privilege Room
• Meals other than those stated 
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls
• Porterage and gratuities 

For 2024 we have two departures which will be by air from London Heathrow to Nice to shorten the journey time. If you would prefer to do this tour by train, please click here to see the train itinerary and tour dates. Alternatively, you can also do these tour dates but on a land-only basis, meaning that transport and transfers are not included, and the tour will start at the hotel. Travel can then be arranged independently. If you would like to do this tour land-only, please call us.

HOTELS

Best Western Mediterranee, Menton
This comfortable three-star hotel is ideally located in the centre of Menton. The hotel's panoramic terrace offers wonderful views of the gardens, hills and the sea as a backdrop, and the terrace bar provides a relaxing area opened daily - a great place to relax with a cocktail enjoying the view after a long day sightseeing. Bedrooms have private bathroom facilities, air conditioning, telephone, TV, minibar, hairdryer, safe, free wi-fi and tea/coffee making facilities. Alternatively you can upgrade to a Privilege Room (subject to availability) which has proved popular with our clients, as rooms are much more spacious and brighter, all have a balcony and the use of bath robes and slippers, as well as the above facilities included in standard rooms. 

Best Western Mediterranee Hotel Website