These under-the-radar French Riviera towns offer quiet charm

Quiet, unspoiled, and often overlooked — welcome to the softer side of the French Riviera. Vence carries the artistic legacy of Matisse and Chagall. La Turbie still bears the weight of Roman ambition, its ancient monument towering over the landscape. And in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, modernist visions and medieval myths share the same sun-drenched cliffs.

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Vence: turning sunlight into art

Nestled in the rolling hills stretching from the Mediterranean to the French Prealps, Vence is not a flashy town. Its outskirts may seem underwhelming, greeting visitors with a sprawl of plain apartment buildings, but travelers should venture beyond the traffic circle and step into the historic center, where the city begins to reveal its secrets. Enclosed by largely intact medieval walls, its art galleries, boutiques, and outdoor cafés are woven into centuries of layered history.

Steve Wilkison, a California native who moved to Vence in 2016 and now offers guided tours of the town, understands this well. "Though nearly 20,000 people live here, it feels like a village, with winding streets, lively markets, and a rich Roman history," he shares. ”Hike the Baou des Blancs, explore nearby villages, or join local festivals celebrating Vence’s deep heritage.”

A highlight of Steve’s tour is the 11th-century Cathedral of Our Lady of the Nativity — the smallest cathedral in France. Built on the ruins of a Roman temple, it is adorned with a mosaic by Marc Chagall. In Place Clemenceau, Roman ruins are still visible on the cathedral’s exterior western wall.

Vence’s most celebrated landmark, La Chapelle du Rosaire, is a small chapel designed and decorated by artist Henri Matisse. In poor health and fearing the Nazi occupation of Nice, he retired to Vence in 1943. Matisse lived at Villa Le Rêve and began what he called his “second life,” a prolific time during which he experimented with new art forms like his now-famous paper cutouts.

Covered with blue and white tiles that glow in the sunshine, La Chapelle du Rosaire is considered a masterpiece of 20th-century religious art. Stained-glass windows in hues of blue, green, and yellow flood the white walls with shifting light. From the surrounding gardens, the city reveals itself in gentle layers — just as Raoul Dufy immortalized it in his painting, Vence.

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La Turbie: Roman ruins and sweeping vistas

A journey east of Vence leads to La Turbie, a village perched high above the Mediterranean and located north of Monaco. The imposing Trophy of Augustus dominates the landscape, offering a glimpse into the Roman Empire’s grandeur and engineering expertise. Also known as the Tropaeum Alpium, this magnificent monument was erected between 7 and 6 B.C.E. to celebrate Emperor Augustus’ victory over the Alpine tribes and his Pax Romana — the Roman Peace. 

From its ruins, a short hike leads to La Turbie’s hilltop cemetery. Once there, the unsuspecting traveler is rewarded with panoramic views of the Prealps and the Mediterranean Sea. Glamorous Monaco down below seems close enough to touch, gleaming with glass-and-steel skyscrapers and luxury yachts anchored in Port Hercule.

The cobblestone alleyways of La Turbie’s medieval town are delightfully peaceful with shuttered honey-colored houses and sleepy cats stretched out in the sun. The crowds that overwhelm places like Èze-Village and Villefranche-sur-Mer seem oblivious to the charm of this tranquil town and to the network of hiking and cycling trails that lace the surrounding hills.

The village sits at the highest point of the Grande Corniche, a scenic road built during Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign in the early 1800s. The Parc Naturel Départemental de la Grande Corniche provides well-maintained trails and exceptional viewpoints, making it a must-see for nature enthusiasts. Among them, La Tête de Chien stands out as a local favorite.

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Roquebrune-Cap-Martin: Where architects come to dream

East of Monaco, clinging to the rocky mountainside, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a pilgrimage site for architecture lovers. At Cap Moderne, knowledgeable guides will take you along the seaside promenade named after the controversial yet brilliant architect Le Corbusier, who spent the final years of his life here before tragically drowning in the Mediterranean in 1965.

His humble seaside retreat, a wooden cabin measuring just 12 by 12 feet called Le Cabanon, is open to visitors. Next door, a far more elegant structure rises: Villa E-1027, designed by Eileen Gray, a pioneering furniture designer and architect who rose to fame in the early 20th century. 

Gray’s villa is a symbol of early modernism. It follows Le Corbusier’s five principles of design: pilotis (columns), a rooftop garden, large horizontal windows, an open floor plan, and a free-form façade. Carefully restored and opened to the public in 2021, it continues to attract architects, artists, and aesthetes nearly a century after its completion.

Roquebrune’s medieval village is tucked into the cliffs rising from the sea. A car-free area, it is reachable by bus or via a steep flight of steps that rise from the main road like a challenge. Its graceful archways and flower-covered walls provide the setting for the ruins of a 10th-century castle – one of the oldest in France. Once in possession of the powerful Grimaldi dynasty and later sold to a wealthy Englishman, the castle was returned to the town of Roquebrune in 1921. The scenery unveiled from its ramparts is sensational: Monaco and France to the west, Italy to the east, and a tapestry of Mediterranean blues as far as the eye can see.

(Related: A guide to Nice, the French Riviera city that's even better in the winter.)