The French Riviera, a dream destination for learning French

Like French and overseas visitors, you will marvel at its light and relish the culinary traditions of Provence and the County of Nice. There are also a number of shows and festivals in the region; which you can enjoy while simply wandering through the streets and markets, and taking a break at one of the cafés or restaurant terraces nearby.

Practical information

Getting to and traveling around the Côte d’Azur
With an international airport (Nice, France’s second biggest) and train stations into which arrive trains and high-speed trains from across Europe, the Côte d'Azur is within easy reach, wherever you are in the world. There are frequent bus and train connections across the Côte at affordable prices. In the evening numerous taxis take their place (at student rates).

Distances:
- Antibes 6 miles from Cannes, 31 miles from Monaco, 11 miles from Nice Airport and 1 hour from Saint-Tropez.
- Paris is just a 1h20 minute flight and a 4h30 high-speed train ride away.
- Easy to get to from anywhere in the world: 7-hour flight from New York, 2-hour flight from the European capitals.
What is the climate like on the Côte d’Azur?
A mild, sunny Winter, which still offers the opportunity to take advantage of the many ski resorts less than an hour's drive away. A pleasant Spring is important as the region gets ready for the Summer season. Cannes Festival marks the moment when the beaches have a make-over to welcome the first brave souls. A warm Summer, but not overpoweringly so, which allows tourists to bathe in the sea from March to October! Indeed, our little corner of France has an exceptional 300 days of sunshine per year and an Indian Summer that extends right up to the start of Winter.

Average temperatures:
- Winter 8-12 °C (46-54 °F)
- Spring 14-18 °C (57-64 °F)
- Summer 25-35 °C (77-96 °F)
- Autumn 15-23 °C (59-73 °F)
How much do things cost?
- €2 for an espresso
- €5 for a sandwich
- €12 for a dish of the day
- €8 for a cinema ticket

But what else?
What is behind the success of the Cote d’Azur?

"Cote d'Azur," a recognized appellation

“Côte d’Azur” is a relatively recent term given by writer Stéphen Liégeard at the end of the 19th century. This marketing term, as we would call it today, this “brand” hits the nail on the head. It described the color of the sea and the sky in this corner of Southern France, but more than that, the visual delight that overcomes any visitor. Now a top tourist destination, and home to France's biggest airport outside Paris, the Côte d’Azur has turned welcoming visitors into an art form, welcoming both tourists and businesses to its Sophia Antipolis technology park. However, it would be a mistake to reduce it to this function.

The architecture combines Provençal, Italian and Belle époque styles. The architectural and cultural heritage also includes a number of religious treasures such as monasteries, abbeys, sanctuaries, cathedrals, churches and chapels, many of which are of the Baroque style. They have come down to us from the history and traditions forged here, as is the case of the famous Nice carnival which can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

Exceptional heritage

Since Antiquity, this coastline has had a rich history. It has handed down heritage that is exceptional in its diversity. The cave paintings in the valley of wonders in the Mercantour go back to 3,000 BC; Rome left us Cemenelum and its ampitheater in Nice and the Trophy of the Alps above Monaco, erected in the honor of Emporer Augustus. There is Lérins Abbey, off the coast of Cannes, and all the hilltop villages dating back to the Middle Ages, then came the fortifications of Vauban on the border of Provence. The statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi presides over the fine square that carries the name of this illustrious former resident of Nice.

Mediterranean culture

The cultural heritage of this part of France, made up Provence Maritime and the County of Nice, has developed further in the modern era. The Côte has thrived on the interest it has generated. Theaters, concert halls, opera houses were built at the end of the 19th century for the enjoyment of illustrious vacationers including, at the time, the aristocracy of the whole of Europe. Modern painters, attracted by the light and beauty of the Côte d’Azur have bequeathed to us priceless works and museums dedicated to Picasso (Antibes) Fernand Léger (Biot) Matisse and Chagall (Nice) Bonnard (Le Cannet) as well as the Maeght Foundation in Saint Paul. Music festivals have been created to celebrate classical music, jazz (that of Antibes Juan-les-Pins is the oldest), and world music. However, when we think of festivals it is the Cannes Film Festival, which opens the Summer season every year in May, that automatically comes to mind. The Côte d’Azur is then under the global spotlight.

Hence, the Côte d’Azur has a lot more to offer than sun-drenched beaches. You will be treated with the whole Mediterranean culture: its history, gastronomy and the wealth of its towns.