Enjoy A Less Crowded Vacation On The French Riviera By Staying At This Little-Known Village

Suppose someone gave you a canvas and brush and asked you to paint the perfect southern French village. What would it look like? Would it stand on a hill, with a steeple at its top? Would a medieval wall girdle the city limits? Might there be stone buildings staggered along cobbled streets? Would the masonry give way to attractive wooden doors, none of which seem to match? From above, would you see clusters of clay-tile roofs? Would bushes and potted plants seem to burst from every sidewalk and windowsill? Would vintage signs for charming boutiques hang off every other cornice? 

This portrait would look a lot like Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a millennium-old town in the French Riviera, some 13 miles from the coastal city of Nice. Saint-Paul-de-Vence is well known in France for its well-preserved architecture and local arts scene, and many famous personages have found inspiration in its meandering alleyways. Yet the vast majority of visitors to the Côte d'Azur simply skip over this historic gem. Don't get us wrong; France is overflowing with picturesque hill towns, many of them as old or older than Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and some like the nearby Peillon — a serene French village with sweeping views — seem to have emerged from the pages of a fairy tale. But the community here is more vibrant and active than ever, and its relative obscurity helps the town avoid tourist crowds.

Note that Saint-Paul-de-Vence is different from Vence, a near-but-separate community located about 3 miles down the road. This village of 3,500 residents was founded in the Middle Ages, and a curtain wall was added in the 16th century. Nice's airport is only 9 miles away, yet Saint-Paul-de-Vence feels far more remote, thanks to the rolling wooded hills that surround it. This is one destination in the French Riviera that doesn't suffer from over-tourism, and it's particularly lovely in spring — the best time to visit southern France.

Many celebrities have fallen in love with Saint-Paul-de-Vence's archaic beauty over the years. The Belarusian-born French artist Marc Chagall built a home here in 1966 and stayed until his death in 1985. Acclaimed author and Civil Rights icon James Baldwin moved to Saint-Paul-de-Vence in 1970 and remained here until his passing in 1987. Acting legends Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were married here in 1984, and the town's mayor presided over the wedding. Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, artist Pablo Picasso, novelist D.H. Lawrence, and even former Prime Minister Winston Churchill spent significant time in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Many of these figures created notable works here, and the town retains an outsized number of professional artists and galleries.

If France has so many antique towns, why do visitors fall in love with little old Saint-Paul-de-Vence? For such a quiet corner of the Riviera, there's actually a lot to do here. Visitors can pick from several scenic walks that showcase the architecture and countryside, or they can just lose themselves in the labyrinth of streets. You can drop into a dozen studios and see artists at work, or you can peruse (and purchase) their completed pieces in about 20 different galleries, along with three museums. Dozens of restaurants showcase the best of southern French cuisine, including La Colombe d'Or, a bistro and hotel that dates back to the 1920s and was one of Picasso's favorite haunts.

The easiest way to get to Saint-Paul-de-Vence is to drive or take a taxi from Nice. If you're riding mass transit from farther afield, the Cagnes-Sur-Mer train station is only 5 miles away. Marseille is a bit farther away, but it's widely considered the best base camp for exploring the French Riviera, and the two-hour road trip takes you across some of the region's most gorgeous countryside. No matter how you get here, we dare you not to stay longer than expected.