When I was invited to a friend’s wedding in the South of France this summer, I assumed the trip would be a leisurely one, filled with slow beach days and unrushed meals. What I did not anticipate, however, was scurrying from the Nice coast up into the hills of Saint-Paul-de-Vence in a mad (and unsuccessful) attempt to see every art exhibit, museum, or installation that excited me.
But museum visits far outnumbered beach days for me, as I searched for the massive Calder installations and under-the-radar Chagall mosaics that dotted the region.
While the South of France may not immediately spring to mind as an art-filled itinerary, it was home to some of history’s most revered artists: Pablo Picasso called Antibes home for many years, while Henri Matisse spent time in both Nice and Vence, and Marc Chagall decamped to the charming Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Though there are many museums dedicated to the artists who lived there, there are also plenty of hidden gems—unassuming restaurants that double as galleries, hotels that mark the site of literary history, and churches that house priceless works.
Sure, Paris has the Louvre, but the South of France should be on every art lover’s radar. Here, read about Vogue’s must-see spots.
Nice
Musée Matisse de Nice
164 Av. des Arènes de Cimiez, 06000 Nice, France
Up in the hills of the Cimiez neighborhood, the sun-bleached Villa des Arènes houses Henri Matisse’s works spanning early paintings to late-in-life collages. During my visit, the museum showed an exhibit about how Yves Saint Laurent engaged with Matisse’s work, displaying Saint Laurent’s clothing alongside the paintings and collages that inspired them.
Musée National Marc Chagall
Av. Dr Ménard, 06000 Nice, France
Just a few minutes’ drive from the Matisse Museum (I’d suggest you plan to see both in one day, as they’re on the smaller side), the museum’s main attraction is Chagall’s series of Biblical paintings. But the museum also features rotating exhibits—I saw one about Chagall’s costumes for The Firebird.
Try to check out the documentary about Chagall’s life, too—it’s riveting, plus the screening room houses a behemoth of a stained glass window.
Villa Masséna
65 Rue de France, 06000 Nice, France
Once a winter home for Prince Victor d’Essling, this Belle Époque villa is an emblem of Niçois identity. Right on the touristy Promenade des Anglais, the Villa Masséna houses imperial artifacts—including Napoleon’s death mask and Empress Josephine’s diadem. But the building itself, with its gilded furnishings, grand oil paintings, and historical garden, is a testament to the bygone era.
Antibes
Musée Picasso
Place Mariejol, 06600 Antibes, France
Situated on the edge of Antibes’ old town, Musée Picasso was just a 10-minute drive from our hotel, Hôtel Juana, a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property (which, with its Mediterranean exterior and colorful, patterned interior, was a feast for the eyes all on its own). The museum is home to much of Picasso’s ceramic work—I was particularly charmed by a wall of plates—as well as paintings and sketches dedicated to Greek mythology.
If you’re driving in, like us, enjoy the walk up to the museum: admire the cacti and sculptures that line the path, and out over the wall to see the yachts dotting the sea.
Hôtel Belles Rives
33 Bd Édouard Baudoin, 06160 Antibes, France
While this breathtaking villa isn’t a museum, the Hôtel Belles Rives—another Small Luxury Hotels of the World property—is rich with history. The sprawling seaside villa, with bougainvillea climbing its stone façade and an uninterrupted view of the French Riviera, once belonged to F.
Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote Tender is the Night here. Whether or not you book a stay (though we’d certainly recommend waking up to a view of light glinting off the Mediterranean), definitely come for a drink at the Fitzgerald piano bar and soak up the writerly energy, or book a lounger for the day and enjoy the Mediterranean.
I’d personally recommend dinner at their Michelin-starred restaurant, La Passagère. While the food was exquisite, watching the green light blink in the distance was possibly my favorite part.
Vence
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Nativité de Vence
Pl. Clemenceau, 06140 Vence, France
The smallest cathedral in France is already fairly unassuming, but those who don’t know to look might be surprised to find a Chagall mosaic, Moses Saved from the Waters, tucked away in a corner of the church. It’s not a secret, but stumbling upon it felt divine.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Fondation Maeght
623 Chem. des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Created in collaboration with artists, this modern art outpost has just as much to see outside as in. Outdoors, we were greeted by sculptures from Joan Miró’s labyrinth to Alberto Giacometti’s courtyard.
Inside was a robust permanent gallery housing works by Pierre Bonnard, Ellsworth Kelly, and Chagall. On our visit, the museum had two exhibits, one dedicated to the influence of water in Kelly’s work.
Another, curated by photographer Peter Knapp, centered Knapp’s 1965 Elle editorial on the Courrèges bombshell. There’s truly something for everyone.
La Colombe d’Or
Place du Général de Gaulle, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
This restaurant and inn doubles as one of the world’s most impressive galleries. Art was a welcome form of payment in La Colombe d’Or’s early days and, judging by the original works by Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Chagall, and Kandinsky—not to mention the massive poolside Calder sculpture—it was a worthy investment.
If you’re so lucky, you can find the property’s steward, Madame Roux, out by the Calder installation, which she told me was rarely accessible to diners. While we certainly came for the art, the food is also not to be missed.
Just make sure you book as soon as possible: La Colombe d’Or fills up months in advance.
La Chapelle Matisse
466 Av. Henri Matisse, 06140 Vence, France
After Matisse’s longtime caregiver, Monique Bourgeois, became a nun, she asked the artist to help design a chapel for the Dominican order. While the chapel itself is small, it’s clear why Matisse considered it his masterpiece: no detail is overlooked, from the tiled murals that line the walls to the ornate door to the confessional.
But the real stars of the show are the mosaic stained-glass windows that scatter vibrant beams of blue and green light across the white chapel.
Cagnes-sur-Mer
Musée Renoir
19 Chem. des Collettes, 06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
The target of a recent art heist, the Renoir Museum was recently in the news for less-than-ideal reasons. But the artist’s final home—now a monument to his work—offers a glimpse at Renoir’s life and his art. Among his paintings and sculptures are also some of Renoir’s furnishings. Make sure to bake in some time to walk among the property’s knotty olive and fig trees, too.