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For glamour you won't better it, for Modern Art lovers it will be a joy and of course there are the spectacular and varied views. This is surely one of the most beautiful journeys in the world, although you won't be enjoying it alone. Since the middle of the 19th century this small section of France's coastline has attracted both society's elite and most of the great artists of the time: their glittering legacy has endowed this stretch of coast with a mystique and allure that still endures today.
The route begins in France's second city and most important port: Marseille. It hasn't the glamour of resorts further along the coast, but it's a lively, cosmopolitan city nevertheless and there are plenty of reasons to spend some time exploring.
Unsurprisingly, its heart is in the Vieux Port, but its hallmark has for a long time been the Canabière, the most famous of the city's main streets, where sailors and Sultans once rubbed shoulders.
Running the length of Marseille's coastline is the Corniche Président J F Kennedy and if you look out to sea from here you'll get a good view of the Château d'If, built on one of the Frioul islands and made famous by Alexandre Dumas' tale The count of Monte-Christo.
After Marseille, it is more or less impossible to follow the coast by road (except for a drive to the end of the Cap Croisette and back) until Cassis, a small, lively and attractive fishing port which caught the eye of artists.
From Cassis to la Ciotat the road will take you on around Cap Canaille on the Corniche des Crêtes and past the highest cliffs in France, rising from the sea to 360 metres.
The road from la Ciotat to Toulon runs through the pleasant resorts of les Lecques, Bandol and Sanary-sur-Mer and then cuts across the Cap Sicié to Toulon, France's leading naval base. All along this stretch of coast you will see the vineyards which produce the full-bodied Bandol wines.
Hyères, which lies about 11miles (18km) to the east of Toulon, is the oldest resort on the Côte' d'Azur and its grand villas are a legacy of the time when it was patronised by royalty and the cream of society. Today it is chiefly known for the palm trees and pot plants which it exports all over the world.
Old Hyères is a splendid medieval walled town clinging to the slopes of Castéou Hill, and to the south are the lagoon and salt marshes of the Giens Penisula.
ST TROPEZ
St.Tropez, a resort which in recent years has been at the centre of controversy: its most famous resident Brigitte Bardot denounced the influx of tourists which descend on it each year. In former times, it was always just another quiet fishing village. In any case, it was Bardot who causes Port-Grimaud, an imitation Provencal fishing village built in the 1960s as an upmarket holiday complex - if you are lucky you might rub shoulders with a film star or two, but only the seriously wealthy can afford the houses here.
Nearby St. Raphael also has ancient origins, it was a holiday resort even in Roman times. After a period in the doldrums, thanks to the Saracens who plundered the coast in the 8th century, more at the end of the last century. Here is the beginning of one of the most beautiful and least built-up sections of the route, the Corniche de l'Esterel. A marvellous view can be enjoyed from the Pic du Cap Roux, which stands between Anthéor and le Trayas, a resort built on the highest point of the Corniche.
CANNES
Towards the end of the Corniche d'Or is the small resort of Théoule-sur-Mer - an important harbour in the 17th century - and after this la Napoule. There is no denying where you are, for across the bay is glittering, glittery Cannes. La Croisette, Cannes' renowned seafront became lined with luxury hotels and smart shops. It is still at the heart of the city and you will find the locals strolling here among the tourists.
Each year Hollywood descends on Cannes for the International Film Festival and the eyes and cameras of the world turn to the city. An aptly named suburb, la Californie, it the site of the Super-Cannes observatory, where one of the finest views on the entire Côte d'Azur can be enjoyed.
Between Cannes and Antibes the road skirts the Cap d'Antibes, a peninsula which separates the Golfe juan and the Baie des Anges.. At its highest point is one of the most powerful lighthouses on the coast. Picasso, who was staying in Antibes, was allowed to use part of the château as a studio and he donated the work he completed there to the museum.
From Antibes the road takes you on towards nice, the so called Queen of the side conurbation.
NICE
Despite the hordes of tourists, Nice still manages to sparkle and the jewel in her crown is undoubtedly the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, with its views across the bay on one hand and sophisticated "Belle Epoch" architecture on the other.
At Nice you have to make a choice between the three Corniche roads which run to Menton: the lowest road runs through Villefranche-sur-Mer, which stands at the entrance to dazzling Cap-Ferrat. The coast road runs through its seaside extension and on to Monaco and Mente-Carlo. Grace Kelly turned every girl's dream into reality by marrying a prince and living in a fairytale castle surrounded by rich and beautiful people. It was Grace Kelly and Cary Grant who immortalised the coastal roads of the Riviera in Hitchcock's film to Catch a Thief.
Menton
The three Corniche roads converge just before Menton, the last resort on the French Riviera before the border with Italy. until the middle of the last century the town belonged to the principality of Monaco, but was sold to France in 1860.
Menton doesn't sparkle in the way that Nice and Cannes or Monaco do, neither has it the notoriety of St-Tropez, but its genteel air captures something of the atmosphere of the Riviera: a fine and beautiful corner of the world, discovered but not yet spoiled.
Practical Informations:
If you attempt this journey in the summer months beware of traffic jams: many French people head south in August and unless you have booked well in advance it may be difficult to get accommodation. June or September are often the best times for a hassle-free visit in virtually guaranteed sunshine.
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