The village of Eze on the French Riviera is a place with one of the most fantastic views on the coast from a height of more than 400 meters (the rock on which this medieval village nestled is located not far from the seashore - because of this, the feeling is achieved that you are literally “hovering” above it and its surroundings).
The intellectuals of Eze are attracted by the fact that the philosopher and writer Friedrich Nietzsche lived here for many years, who loved to go down to the sea and then climb back on foot to the village. The Cote d'Azur inspired Nietzsche to write many works, for example, the famous novel "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" was born in Eze. The "Nietzsche Trail" he walked on has become one of the local landmarks and a hiking trail for hardy hikers today. Here it is worth delimiting Eze-sur-Mer ("Eze on the sea") with the railway station of the same name and the actual highland village of Eze. You need exactly the village of Eze (Eze village).
A little history of Eze
The village belongs to the so-called "Eagle's Nests" - settlements typical for these places in the period after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The inhabitants built fortified stone towns on the tops of the mountains in order to protect themselves from the sudden attacks of the ruthless Saracen robbers from the sea. However, the first settlements appeared here long before the arrival of the Romans. On the coast and in the mountains, Ligurians lived in these places, then the Greeks, then the Phoenicians. After the Romans, the Moors were present in Eze for some time. At the end of the 10th century, the area passed to Provence. In 1388 - Savoy, whose rulers built a fortress in Eze, which was of great strategic importance due to its proximity to Nice. In the following centuries, Eze survived several invasions - in 1543, on the orders of the formidable Turkish invader Khairuddin Barbarossa, and in 1706, under Louis XIV, the fortress walls surrounding Eze were destroyed. In 1860, the lands became part of France.
Today, Eze is one of the most visited villages on the Côte d'Azur (along with). If you have to choose only five places that you have time to see - feel free to choose Eze (together, but not instead of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, for that matter) from the whole variety of famous villages: it is located near Nice, there it is not difficult to get by public transport, besides, as I already wrote - views, views ...
By the way, if you do not have much time and do not have a car, you can h book a private guided tour (including a visit to the village of Eze)
Attractions Eze
The baroque church of the 18th century, located below the old village, the Chapel of the White Penitents of the 14th century, the cemetery where the famous French actor Francis Blanche is buried, a small square with a fountain in the Italian style of 1930, the streets themselves with stone houses - these are, perhaps, all the interesting objects villages of Eze. But the path of all tourists leads to the top of the mountain, where exotic garden. Only from there you can see a stunning panorama of the surroundings. The exotic garden is located on the ruins of a medieval ruined castle. Here are planted cacti, agaves and aloe from different countries world, and the garden itself is decorated with statues of girls by the sculptor Jean-Philippe Richard. Entrance to the garden is paid - 6 euros.
How to get to the village of Eze
By car
From Nice - highway A8, exit 57 - to "La Turbie", then La Turbie towards the village of Eze: RM45 (your way will pass along the "Grand Corniche", that is, along the most picturesque and spectacular road). At the foot of the cliff, on which the medieval village of Eze is located, there is a fairly spacious parking lot.
"Three Cornices"
As I mentioned in one of my articles, between Nice and the Italian border, in addition to the A8 highway, there are three cornice roads - Grand (Grande corniche), Medium (Moyenne corniche) and Small, or low (Basse corniche). Eze can be reached by car along each of them. Most the best views The Côte d'Azur - from the border with Italy to, allegedly, Saint-Tropez in clear weather (although I never managed to spot Saint-Tropez) - opens from the Great, the highest cornice.
You can choose a car for rent to travel around the Cote d'Azur here
(instant comparison of offers, prices and conditions of the world's leading car rental companies, online booking confirmation and flexible terms, discounts, super offers)
There are several hiking trails between the three cornices of Eze: the "Nietzsche Trail" connecting the village of Èze (Middle Cornice) with the seashore (Eze-sur-mer and Low Cornice); A path connecting the Low Cornice through the Middle Cornice with the Great Cornice; as well as the Path leading from the Middle to the Big Cornice. You can go on them only if you are confident in your good physical condition. For example, the Nietzsche Trail is a very steep way up and in some places you have to literally climb without feeling your legs. So it's an amateur pleasure.
By public transport
Bus from Nice
This is the most convenient way, because the bus pulls up almost to the entrance to the village.
The path to the village of Eze through the Great Corniche - route 116 Nice Vauban - Peille;
The path to the village of Eze through the Middle Cornice - route 112 Nice Vauban - Beausoleil; route 82 Nice Vauban - Eze.
The so-called Shuttle connecting the Three Cornices also passes through Eze (route 83, which leaves from Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Beaulieu beach, Eze-sur-Mer, the village of Eze and above).
And now - a photo essay about Eze. This is exactly the case when it is better to see once.
View of the village of Eze from the Great Corniche
In front of the entrance to Eze there is a large shop of the famous perfume company Fragonard from Grasse.
In the village itself, on the first floors of the buildings, there are art galleries, salons and souvenir shops - the place is the most touristy.
Eze streets in winter
Eze Village
In the south of France, 12 km from Nice, the pearl of the French Riviera is located - the picturesque village of Eze. Like an eagle's nest on the rocks, the village of Eze, founded in 600 B.C. e. Ligurian tribes, as befits any ancient structure, has a very rich history of its existence with all sorts of events.
Before, in 1860, completely withdraw to France, the village of Eze experienced a lot of bloody battles for the right to own it! Now, the village of Eze is a cozy, fabulous place that attracts crowds of tourists! And not without reason! In fact, in every house you can find either an art gallery, or a snack bar or restaurant, or a boutique hotel. Well, the view of the Cote d'Azur from the observation decks is simply breathtaking!
The oldest building in the village of Eze is the Church of the Penitent Sinners of the White Brotherhood. Her age dates back to 1306. In another attraction of the village of Eze, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an Egyptian cross is kept, which allows the opinion that the name of the village comes from the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. On the way to Nice, George Sand often stopped in the village of Eze. The great Nietzsche and Walt Disney loved to relax here.
The village of Eze is located between Nice and the Principality of Monaco.
It is located at an altitude of 400 m above sea level.
The medieval village looks like an anthill. Its narrow shady streets wind around the hill.
This is an exclusively tourist place. There are numerous souvenir shops, perfume boutiques "" and "", famous and hotels in old chateaus.
The village is very green, decorative flowering front gardens are scattered all around, plants twine around the houses and hang from the ancient walls. Lanterns and signs are made in the style of the Middle Ages.
To see everything slowly, it is better to choose a cool sunny day.
Eze-Village loved to relax: Nietzsche (here he wrote "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"), Walt Disney, members of the royal family of Sweden - until 1950 they owned the "Château Eza" (Château Eza), which now houses a trendy hotel with a restaurant.
The village of Eze has become a tourist attraction relatively recently.
Here is what it looked like in 1928:
"Eze is a small, closely molded on top of a cliff, which is almost one with it, a primitive gray town. The town is dead - there are almost no inhabitants in it. But the son of the Swedish king, engaged in literature, lives in one of the impregnable houses on stilts hanging over a cliff , and an eccentric American who placed a museum door in the finest carving in the rough stone walls of a Provencal house.
We went upstairs - how far you can see the sea from there! "(G. Kuznetsova. Grasse diary)
ATTRACTIONS OF EZ:
Of interest are not only the charming village streets, but also the towers of the old fortifications, and the ruins of the castle on top of the hill, from where a panoramic view of the sea opens up to St. Tropez.
You can get there through the garden of exotic plants (Jardin botanique d "Èze). It contains mainly cacti, as well as agave and aloe. The garden is decorated with female statues by the modern sculptor Jean-Philippe Richard. Each sculpture has its own Name: Barbara, Celine, Charlotte, Chloe, Margo, Melisende, Marina, Isabeau, Matilda, Rose, Anais...
Opening hours:
January, February, March and October, November, December from 9:00 to 16:30
April, May, June from 9:00 to 18:30
July, August, September from 9:00 to 19:30
Entrance:
adults 6 euros, children under 12 years old - free of charge, group rate 2.50 euros (group with a guide from 12 people)
The oldest building in Eze Village is the Church of the Holy Cross (Chapelle de la Sainte Croix) built in 1306 in neoclassical style. It can be called the dominant of the village, because. its bell tower cannot be overlooked.
Another attraction of Eze is Nietzsche's Trail. This is a mountain footpath, quite steep, connecting Eze-sur-Mer ("lower" Eze) and Eze Village.
HOW TO GET TO EZ:
From NICE to Eze by bus 82 "Nice - Plateau de la Justice" :
Mon-Sat 6:30, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00,
13:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:10, 17:10, 18:30, 19:10
Sun and holidays 8:30, 9:45, 10:30, 11:00, 11:45, 12:15,
14:35, 15:30, 16:05, 17:00, 17:35, 18:30, 19:20
Return from Eze Village to Nice:
Mon-Sat 7:12, 8:15, 9:02, 10:00, 10:47, 12:10, 12:47,
14:17, 15:25, 15:52, 17:30, 18:07, 19:07, 19:40, 19:57
Sun and holidays 9:07, 10:22, 11:12, 11:42, 12:27,
12:57, 15:17, 16:12, 16:47, 17:42, 18:37, 19:27, 20:02
Bus 82 leaves Nice from the "Nice-Vauban" stop. Stop in Eze - "Eze Village".
Travel time is approximately 40 minutes. The bus goes along the mountain road (Moyenne Corniche). Stop in the village just behind the bridge.
bus 82.
Bus 112 "Nice - Eze Village - Monaco" follows the same route.
From "Nice-Vauban":
Mon-Sat 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 14:00, 16:10, 18:30
From "Eze Village":
Mon-Sat 8:15, 10:10, 12:10, 15:25, 17:30, 19:40
The bus does not run on Sundays and holidays.
The route and the latest timetable for bus 112.
If you come to the "lower" Eze (Eze-sur-Mer, Eze-sur-Mer or Eze Bord de Mer) on or (Nice - Monaco) and want to get to Eze Village, then use bus 83.
From the train station "Gare SNCF Eze":
9:59, 11:04, 12:09, 13:54, 14:54, 16:04, 17:14, 18:19
The bus goes back to the sea from "Eze Village":
9:25, 10:30, 11:35, 12:40, 14:25, 15:30, 16:40, 17:50
The bus runs every day. Travel time 15 - 20 minutes.
Route and latest timetable
Eze village - located in the mountains near Nice on the way to Monaco. This is a medieval city on a rock and an exotic garden broken at the very top. Surprisingly, not all French people know about this place. But in terms of the power of impressions and the beauty of panoramic views, nothing can compare with this place!
(Total 23 photos)
1. The picturesque medieval village of Eze has become a real gem of the French Cote d'Azur.
2. The village was founded in 600 BC, when the shepherds' community organized a settlement here.
3. The main part of Eze, which exists to this day, was created in the tenth century. Each building is decorated with great attention to detail.
4. Some historians believe that the name of this ancient village is associated with the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, others believe that it comes from the Latin visia or Avisium - this is how observation posts in the mountains were called in ancient Rome.
5. The fortress, built back in the time of Caesar, like an eagle's nest, perched on a rock 427 m high above sea level.
6. The ancient village, living by agriculture, was the citadel of the Guelphs in the XIV century.
7. Narrow streets, giving a picturesque view to the village, rise steeply uphill and lead to the chapel of the Penitents in White and to the church - monuments that certainly deserve attention.
8. In the exotic botanical garden, visitors can see a variety of plants collected here, including cacti.
9. Along a picturesque path lined with olives and pines, you can go down to the lower "Cornice" - a steep cliff above the seashore.
10. In the Middle Ages, until 1388, Eze was part of Provence, and then, sharing the fate of Nice, passed into the possession of the Dukes of Savoy.
11. In 1860, Eze went to France.
12. Today, the carefully restored Eze is a real open-air museum. The owner of one of these houses invited us to watch his favorite film, Guyver, with a glass of good French wine.
14. At the highest point of the village, the ruins of the Ancient Castle (Ancien Chateau) are preserved, surrounded by Exotic Gardens (Jardin Exotique), numbering hundreds of varieties of cacti and succulents.
14. There is also a record holder here - a cactus 13 m high, weighing more than one ton. The houses on the main street - rue Principale (Principal Street) are reminiscent of the Italian past of Eze. By drawings on the walls of houses, one can judge the occupation and social status of their former owners. Now it's mostly shops and art galleries.
15. In the Chapel of the White Penitents (Chapelle des Penitents Blancs, XIV, pl. du Planet) you should pay attention to the Catalan cross of the XIII century. with the smiling face of Christ, as well as the statue of the Madonna (XVI) to the left of the altar with the Christ child holding a pine cone in his hand.
16. In 1920, the Swedish Prince Guillaume built a small private residence on the edge of the village, known today as Eze Castle (Chateau Eze, rue de la Pise).
17. His father, Gustav V, often rested in the castle. Members of the Swedish royal family came here until 1950. Currently, a luxurious hotel with 10 rooms is open in the castle.
18. Almost right next to it is the Moors Gate (Porte des Maures, XIV) with two tilted watchtowers.
19. From the doors that once hung here, only hinges remained. Here you will not find a megamall or an online electronics store.
20. From the village you can take a walk along the path of Friedrich Nietzsche (Chemin Frederic Nietzsche), descending to the sea.
21. The famous philosopher first walked on it in 1883.
22. In Eze he lived for 18 years and wrote many of his works, including most of the book "As Zarathustra Spoke"
The village of Eze is located between Nice and the Principality of Monaco.
It is located at an altitude of 400 m above sea level.
The medieval village looks like an anthill. Its narrow shady streets wind around the hill.
This is an exclusively tourist place. There are numerous souvenir shops, Fragonard and Galimard perfume boutiques, famous Michelin restaurants and hotels in old chateaus.
The village is very green, decorative flowering front gardens are scattered all around, plants twine around the houses and hang from the ancient walls. Lanterns and signs are made in the style of the Middle Ages.
To see everything slowly, it is better to choose a cool sunny day.
Eze-Village loved to relax: Nietzsche (here he wrote "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"), Walt Disney, members of the royal family of Sweden - until 1950 they owned the "Château Eza" (Château Eza), which now houses a trendy hotel with a restaurant.
The village of Eze has become a tourist attraction relatively recently.
Here is what it looked like in 1928:
"Eze is a small, closely molded on top of a cliff, which is almost one with it, a primitive gray town. The town is dead - there are almost no inhabitants in it. But the son of the Swedish king, engaged in literature, lives in one of the impregnable houses on stilts hanging over a cliff , and an eccentric American who placed a museum door in the finest carving in the rough stone walls of a Provencal house.
We went upstairs - how far you can see the sea from there! "(G. Kuznetsova. Grasse diary)
ATTRACTIONS OF EZ:
Of interest are not only the charming village streets, but also the towers of the old fortifications, and the ruins of the castle on top of the hill, from where a panoramic view of the sea opens up to St. Tropez.
You can get there through the garden of exotic plants (Jardin botanique d "Èze). It contains mainly cacti, as well as agave and aloe. The garden is decorated with female statues by the modern sculptor Jean-Philippe Richard. Each sculpture has its own Name: Barbara, Celine, Charlotte, Chloe, Margo, Melisende, Marina, Isabeau, Matilda, Rose, Anais...
Opening hours:
January, February, March and October, November, December from 9:00 to 16:30
April, May, June from 9:00 to 18:30
July, August, September from 9:00 to 19:30
Entrance:
adults 6 euros, children under 12 years old - free of charge, group rate 2.50 euros (group with a guide from 12 people)
The oldest building in Eze Village is the Church of the Holy Cross (Chapelle de la Sainte Croix) built in 1306 in neoclassical style. It can be called the dominant of the village, because. its bell tower cannot be overlooked.
Another attraction of Eze is Nietzsche's Trail. This is a mountain footpath, quite steep, connecting Eze-sur-Mer ("lower" Eze) and Eze Village.
HOW TO GET TO EZ:
From NICE to Eze by bus 82 "Nice - Plateau de la Justice" :
Mon-Sat 6:30, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00,
13:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:10, 17:10, 18:30, 19:10
Sun and holidays 8:30, 9:45, 10:30, 11:00, 11:45, 12:15,
14:35, 15:30, 16:05, 17:00, 17:35, 18:30, 19:20
Return from Eze Village to Nice:
Mon-Sat 7:12, 8:15, 9:02, 10:00, 10:47, 12:10, 12:47,
14:17, 15:25, 15:52, 17:30, 18:07, 19:07, 19:40, 19:57
Sun and holidays 9:07, 10:22, 11:12, 11:42, 12:27,
12:57, 15:17, 16:12, 16:47, 17:42, 18:37, 19:27, 20:02
Bus 82 leaves Nice from the "Nice-Vauban" stop. Stop in Eze - "Eze Village".
Travel time is approximately 40 minutes. The bus goes along the mountain road (Moyenne Corniche). Stop in the village just behind the bridge.
bus 82.
Bus 112 "Nice - Eze Village - Monaco" follows the same route.
From "Nice-Vauban":
Mon-Sat 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 14:00, 16:10, 18:30
From "Eze Village":
Mon-Sat 8:15, 10:10, 12:10, 15:25, 17:30, 19:40
The bus does not run on Sundays and holidays.
The route and the latest timetable for bus 112.
If you come to "lower" Eze (Eze-sur-Mer, Eze-sur-Mer or Eze Bord de Mer) by train or bus 100 (Nice - Monaco) and want to get to Eze-Village, then use bus 83.
From the train station "Gare SNCF Eze":
9:59, 11:04, 12:09, 13:54, 14:54, 16:04, 17:14, 18:19
The bus goes back to the sea from "Eze Village":
9:25, 10:30, 11:35, 12:40, 14:25, 15:30, 16:40, 17:50
The bus runs every day. Travel time 15 - 20 minutes.
Route and latest timetable
