Visiting Vallauris, France: Between the Mountains and the Mediterranean, in Alpes-Maritimes Department

If there is a town which epitomizes the situation of Alpes-Maritimes department — an administrative division with much of its population nestling between the mountains and the sea — it is Vallauris (1).

The mountains here are the French Alpes and the sea is — of course — the Mediterranean. Neighbouring Golfe-Juan separates the hill on which a substantial part of Vallauris is situated from the Mediterranean shore by only about 2 kilometres; the older part of town has some steep inclines and very narrow streets.

Thus from the hill on which the town nestles, there are superb views of the French Alpes and of the Mediterranean: many other localities can certainly boast of one or the other, but Vallauris is identified with scenic proximity to both.

In North American terms, imagine Denver or Calgary, with the backdrop of the snow-clad Rockies, juxtaposed with the Florida Keys: you will thus begin to get the picture of the scenically outstanding situation of Vallauris, in proximity to the Alps and the Mediterranean.

When I visited Vallauris and its vicinity, I was given an interesting account of a local resident's memories of World War Two, and of 1944 in particular. The local coastline in and around Cannes was the scene of military landings led by American forces; and the Alps were the scene of French Resistance hideouts and ambushes

I have elsewhere written about Vallauris's reputation as a ceramics centre and as a former home of renowned artist Pablo Picasso, to whose memory and work a local museum is dedicated.

Vallauris is situated in the arrondissement of Grasse, in Alpes-Maritimes department.

March 23, 2018

Note

(1) See also (in French): http://www.vallauris-golfe-juan.fr/?lang=fr

Also worth seeing

Antibes (distance: 7.8 kilometres); a highly popular resort with several museums, its imposing, 16th century fort, later strengthened, is a major landmark.

Cannes (distance: 7.7 kilometres); resort well known for its Croisette Promenade, Carlton Hotel, rue d'Antibes quality clothing stores and many other visitor attractions.

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How to get there: Delta Airlines flies direct from New York to Nice, France (Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur ), where car rental is available. The French railroad company SNCF maintains services to nearby Golfe-Juan (distance to Vallauris : 2.6 kilometres) from Downtown Nice. Please be aware that some facilities may be withdrawn, without notice. For up to date information, please check with the airline or your travel agent.

MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada.