Villefranche-sur-Mer
A little background
Villefranche-sur-Mer adjoins the city of Nice to the east along Mont Boron, Mont Alban and Mont Vinaigrier, and 6.2 mi south west of Monaco. The bay of Villefranche is one of the deepest natural harbours of any port in the Mediterranean Sea and provides safe anchorage for large ships, reaching depths of 320 ft between the Cape of Nice and Cap Ferrat; it extends to the south to form a 1700 ft abyss known as the undersea Canyon of Villefranche at about one nautical mile off the coastline.
The town limits extend to the hills surrounding the bay climbing from sea level to an altitude of 1750 ft at Mont-Leuze, reflecting on land the features found offshore.
The site of what is now Villefranche has been settled since prehistoric times. Celto-ligurian tribes roamed the area and established farming communities on the surrounding hills. The Greeks and later the Romans used the natural harbour as a stop-over en route to the Greek settlements around the Western Mediterranean.
Since the 1980s Villefranche has been used by cruise ships. It is the most visited cruise ship port of call in France.
The old town and the bay have offered for years a natural set for movie makers. Most recently including
Never Say Never Again with Sean Connery
The Jewel of the Nile with Michael Douglas
The Bourne Identity with Richard Chamberlain
Killers with Ashton Kutcher
Maximum Risk with Jean-Claude Van Damme
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a harbour for visiting naval forces and particularly US Navy ships.
The façades of the buildings in the harbour were the inspiration for the film set in the Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, Florida.
It was also at Villefranche-Sur-Mer that the Rolling Stones recorded their 1972 album Exile on Mainstreet,
Our Plans
We dock at 8:45am and visit until 6:45pm
This is a tender port
After a long flight the day before we think the best plan for today would be to walk the 10 minutes from the tender into town and visit the beach, stroll the town and find a good place to snack.
The Beach at Villefranche
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| this is the beach we can walk to from the tender in about 5 minutes |
The Beach at Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Beaulieu-sur-Mer (the next train station to the south of Villefranche) is also a quaint village that we have read is very nice. You can walk along the beach in Villefranche and then follow the stairway across the isthmus to Beaulieu-Sur-Mar's village, parks and beaches.
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| The Beach at Beaulieu-sur-Mer |
The Entrance to the Historic District From the Harbor's Edge
You can enter it by walking up the stairs (pictured below) just a few steps to the right when you have exited the tender wharf. Once you go up the stairs you will run into the many streets and alleyways that make up the historic district.
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| Entrance to the Historic District |
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| Walkway in the Historic District |
The Rue Obscure
The Rue Obscure or “Dark Street” is a passage way under the harbour front houses which dates back to 1260. It is entirely covered by vaulted arcades and sheltered the people of Villefranche when the Germans fired their parting shots - an artillery bombardment- near the end of WWII. The road was not built underground but the buildings and houses in this area were built over the road when the owners wanted to expand. The road was bilt as a way to allow people to travel unharmed during the towns more violent past. According to what I read, the town was overtaken by barbarians in the 5th century and the villagers fled to the hills. In 1295 the Duke of Provence asked the villagers to move back to the town to protect it from the Turks who wanted to control the town and attack Nice. The villagers agreed after they were given tax free status hence the name of the town Ville (town) franche (without taxes) and the need for the protected walkways through the city.
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| Rue Obscure |
