Saint Paul de Vence

Discover Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a stunning town on the French Riviera

Located 19 km from Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence sits atop a rocky outcrop, surrounded by 16th-century ramparts.

This iconic village on the French Riviera charms visitors with its cobblestone streets, art galleries, fortifications, and spectacular views of the Mediterranean and the hinterland. Here, you can stroll to the sound of boules clacking on the pétanque court, stop in the shade of a fountain, and soak up an atmosphere where history and creativity intertwine at every turn. Here’s our online guided tour of the village.

A setting between the hills and the Mediterranean

Bathed in light, Saint-Paul-de-Vence overlooks a landscape of hills covered with olive trees, cypresses, and vineyards. To the south, the sea sparkles; to the north, the foothills of the Alps outline the horizon. The houses, built of pale stone and topped with Roman-style tiles, line narrow alleyways dotted with stairways and flower-filled squares. The facades, weathered by time, reflect the warm hues of the setting sun.

A stroll through the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

The entrance is through the Porte de Vence, beyond which you enter Rue Grande, the main thoroughfare of the medieval village. Art galleries, artisans’ workshops, and home decor shops line the street, blending the scents of lavender, coffee, and warm stone.

In the center, the Grande Fontaine flows peacefully, surrounded by stone benches where visitors are happy to sit and watch the comings and goings. As you climb toward the top, you reach the Collegiate Church of the Conversion of Saint Paul, built in the 13th century and expanded with side chapels over the centuries.

Outside the ramparts, the walk along the bastions offers breathtaking panoramic views: the sea on one side, and the hills and neighboring villages of Vence and La Colle-sur-Loup on the other. The Chapel of the Penitents is also one of the must-see historic monuments in the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Iconic Sites

The City Walls

A masterpiece of bastion architecture, they were built in the 16th century to protect the village. Their full circuit offers a circular walk punctuated by exceptional views.

The Grande Fontaine

Built in 1615, it served for many years as the main water source and the heart of the weekly market.

The collegiate church of the Conversion of Saint Paul

A church built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles, it houses beautiful works of sacred art and a bell tower that overlooks the entire Vence region.

La Colombe d’Or

A legendary inn where Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, and Prévert once stayed. Its walls are covered with works donated by these artists.

The Maeght Foundation

Marguerite and Aimé Maeght opened this venue in 1964, with the Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert as the designer and the artists themselves as consultants. Miró designed his labyrinth of sculptures there, Giacometti designed the courtyard, and Chagall created a mosaic on the exterior wall. The collection now exceeds 13,000 works, which are displayed on a rotating basis throughout the exhibitions.

n June 2024, to mark its 60th anniversary, the foundation inaugurated its first expansion since opening. Silvio d’Ascia added 500 m² of exhibition space beneath the existing courtyards, without altering Sert’s original building. Large floor-to-ceiling windows open these spaces onto the pine forest. You can now view the permanent collection alongside the temporary exhibition, which was not possible before.

Local life & events

Saint-Paul-de-Vence lives to the rhythm of its farmers’ market on Wednesday and Friday mornings, held at Place du Jeu-de-Boules, and lively games of pétanque throughout the year. In the summer, exhibitions, concerts, and performances take over the narrow streets and the Maeght Foundation. In the winter, once calm has returned, visitors can savor the village’s authentic atmosphere and its sunny terraces. The Feast of Saint Claire (held every August) is also one of the traditional events not to be missed in the town.

The local cuisine features olive oil, locally grown vegetables, Mediterranean fish, and Bellet wines.