Guide de voyage à Saint-Paul de Vence

Perched on a rocky spur about 20 km northwest of Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is routinely listed among the prettiest villages on the Côte d’Azur. For a community of barely 300 residents in the walled village, it draws an eye-popping 2.5 million visitors a year—close to the numbers for Versailles or Mont-Saint-Michel—which means the cobbled lanes inside its 16th-century walls can feel jam-packed in high season.

Art is the main magnet. Around forty or fifty galleries and studios line Rue Grande and its side streets, and the Fondation Maeght sits just above the village. The artistic buzz dates back to the 20th-century masters who lived or lingered here—Chagall (who is buried in the village cemetery), Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Léger, Calder—many of whom traded canvases for room and board at the famed Colombe d’Or .

A reality check, though: much of today’s gallery scene chases quick sales to day-trippers. Window after window is crammed with bright, decorative pieces that look like variations on the same formula—“step-and-repeat” art designed to be attractive to tourists.

The walls exist in a spade-like shape surrounding the town, housing the 300 locals that reside inside. The remaining population lives in the valleys and heights, many residing in luxurious villas. Gardens, orchards, villas and far-off mountains adorn the picture-perfect views from the heights of the village.

Place du Géneral da Gaulle greets the visitors before the gateway to the pedestrian-only village. Large trees provide shade for the area where you can witness a game of pétanque or boules, a traditional French ball game, or pick up some souvenirs and a snack. Inside, cobblestones cover the narrow lanes, with old stone cottages on either side, many housing art studios, galleries, ateliers, restaurants, and shops.

Budget several hours to explore the town, and wear comfortable walking shoes. While you can speed-walk through the old town in 30 minutes, you’ll want to take it slow and have a look in the many art galleries and churches, and saver a croissant or cocktail on a terrace overlooking the hills and sea.

Don’t miss the beautiful forest walks et famous art museums. Before you visit, make sure to check out our guide to the best (and worst!) times to visit.

What To See

Here are the main sights in St Paul de Vence:

The Wall

Depuis un millénaire, les murs de Saint-Paul de Vence encerclent les rues aujourd'hui pavées, offrant une protection sans faille à un patrimoine qui a résisté à l'épreuve du temps. Il est toujours assiégé, non par ceux qui cherchent à conquérir, mais par ceux qui veulent assouvir leur soif d'esthétique.

Kingdoms of old relied on walls for protection and defense. For hundreds, and even thousands of years they stood as witnesses to different sieges and attacks done for the sake of might and power. The strong survived and the weak crumbled. Now, many of those walls stand as proof for those moments in history. But some are not just forsaken monumental structures and ruins. They harbor within and around them beauty and wonders for modern curious souls to behold.

Au Moyen-Âge, Saint-Paul de Vence occupait une position stratégique. Elle fut initialement construite pour se protéger des incursions des pirates sarrasins. Elle devint un lieu stratégique important lorsque la ville passa de la Provence à la Savoie au XIVe siècle. Des remparts furent alors érigés pour fortifier la place forte, et deux des tours d'origine sont toujours debout : la Porte de Vence et la Tour de l'Esperon.

Au XVIe siècle, des attaques consécutives incitent François Ier à renforcer les défenses. En 1524, le roi d'Espagne Charles Quint occupa Saint-Paul et l'assiégea à nouveau en 1536 en raison de son importance dans le jeu des puissances en Europe. François Ier conclut un traité avec Nice et fit travailler le commandant d'artillerie Jean de Renaud de Saint-Remy aux fortifications entre 1543 et 1547. Ils mirent des éperons français sur les bastions (appelés orillons) to protect the two gates, along with curtain walls to guard the flanks.

The Grande Fontaine

The fountain was built in 1615 by Melchior Martin, a local stonecutter. This square was once a market and an important landmark during the middle ages. It has been listed as a historic monument in the French Riviera since 1850. It has sustained a steady supply of drinking water for the village since it was built.

The Town Hall

The oldest of the monuments in St-Paul, the Mairie has a bell at the top of its tower with a Latin inscription, "hora est jam de sommo suggere”, which means “the hours invite us to dream.”

Local History Museum

The ‘Museé de l’Histoire Locale de St-Paul de Vence’ est un incontournable. Des personnages historiques tels que le roi François Ier et la reine Jeanne se rassemblent dans cette ancienne maison de village pour commémorer l'histoire de Saint-Paul de Vence. Les enfants apprécieront les dioramas en costumes.

Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs

The 17th-century ‘Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs’ is known by locals as Folon Chapel, after Jean-Michel Folon, the Belgian artist who decorated the interior with his art. On the street, it’s an unassuming old church, but the decoration inside is almost luminescent. Folon worked with artisans to create the stained glass windows, and decorated the chapel with paintings, sculptures and vibrant mosaics. The chapel is an extraordinary gateway into Folon’s world, communicating his fascination with light and the spiritual. You’ll also see just how many disciplines Folon mastered, from painting and sculpture to ceramics, tapestries and glasswork.

Eglise Collégiale

The village church was constructed in the 14th century. It preserves its choir and four pillars that date back to the Romanesque church. The Bishop of Vence raised it to collegiate status in 1666. The main attraction is the relics from catacombs in Rome, frescoes, and baroque art.

Fondation Maeght Art Museum

Nichée dans une pinède sur la colline des Gardettes au-dessus de Saint-Paul de Vence, la Fondation Maeght est un musée d'art moderne d'un calibre que vous ne rencontrerez pas très souvent, c'est pourquoi le musée attire plus de 200 000 visiteurs chaque année.

The museum is outside the walls of St-Paul de Vence. . You’ll need to take a 10 to 20-minute walk from the town on the wooded hills among the dark pines to reach it. From the bus stop, you can see the signs that point to the way. Coming from the lower lot, a shortcut on a steep dirt path through the trees leads directly to the green gate in front of the ticket booth.

Consultez notre guide to Fondation Maeght Art Museum.

The Ancient Cemetery & St-Michel Chapel

Not a very touristy place to visit, but still important because it is the place where Marc Chagall is laid to rest . He died in 1985, having lived in St-Paul for 19 years. It is also the home of the oldest church in the town, dated 12th-century.

Où rester

The Treehouses

St Paul de Vence is home to one of the most unique lodging options you’ll find anywhere: the Orion Treehouses . With four très private rustic-luxe treehouses, a Nordic-style sauna, and a natural pool (complete with a little waterfall and some very adorable frogs), it’s a nature-lover’s heaven that’s walking-distance to the old town. This tiny bed and breakfast is run by a charming mother-daughter team and the gourmet, 100% organic breakfast is enough food to last you through until dinner.

Getting to St-Paul de Vence

Le Nice aéroport is a 25-minute drive away. Bus #400 runs between St-Paul and Nice once or twice per hour. Car parking is only available at the Fondation Maeght museum and a couple of other car parks around the town, and no cars or bikes are allowed in the old town itself.

Practical tip: parking is the village’s weak spot. The main municipal lots at the base of the ramparts often fill by late morning, and the steep upper car parks overflow soon after. Arrive early, consider taking an Uber, or be ready for a wait and a walk uphill. Once you’re through the stone gate, though, the terracotta rooftops, panoramas over the coastal plains, and lingering scent of jasmine usually make the hassle fade quickly.

Nearby towns are Cages-sur-Mer (a 20-minute drive), Nice (a 30-minute drive), Antibes (a 35-minute drive) and Cannes (a 40-minute drive).

Video Tour of St Paul de Vence

With the quintessential combination of art, heritage, and nature, St Paul de Vence is a true bastion for rooted culture and astonishing scenery.