Côte d’Azur Art School Trip

Day 1

Flight to Nice, Fondation Maeght and St Paul de Vence

Flight to Nice: On arrival you are met at the airport by your guide and private coach.

St. Paul de Vence: From the airport you transfer 20 minutes to the beautiful hilltop town of St. Paul de Vence where you have lunch and can explore the narrow cobbled streets with their vaulted arches and curio shops. Fr many years St. Paul was the home of Marc Chagall and his tomb can be visited in the small cemetery.

Fondation Maeght: In the afternoon you visit the Fondation Maeght, a private art foundation and museum which contains one of the largest 20th-century art collections in Europe and includes works by Pierre Bonnard, Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró, as well as some striking modernist pieces by the American sculptor Alexander Calder.

Transfer to Nice: You then transfer to your hotel in the centre of Nice for check in and dinner.

Day 2

Marc Chagall Museum and Nice Old Town

Marc Chagall Museum: This morning you visit the Marc Chagall Museum which is dedicated to the work of this illustrious proponent of modernism. This modest private museum with pleasant gardens nestles in a beautiful and upscale residential neighbourhood of Cimiez, surrounded by Belle Epoque mansions. It is focussed entirely on the art of Chagall and is the largest single collection of his works in the world.

Nice Old Town: After lunch you can explore the characterful Old Town where you can see the Opera House, Massena Square Fountain and Place Rossetti where you see the Cathedral and where you shouldn’t miss a visit to Fennochio’s, a Nice institution selling the best ice cream you will find. One of Nice’s great pleasures is wandering the outdoor markets along the Cours Saleya which takes place most days, selling a wonderful array of fruit, vegetables and flowers. On Mondays it becomes an antiques market and on summer evenings, there is an arts and crafts market.

Day 3

Èze and Matisse Museum

Èze: Today you travel west along the Mediterranean coast to the town of Èze, another gorgeous and charming hilltop village on the Côte d’Azur with stunning views. You can explore its medieval cobblestone streets and the world-famous exotic gardens where cactuses and vibrantly colourful plants contrast with the shimmering deep blue of Mediterranean and the terra cotta roof tiles of its houses.

Matisse Museum: In the afternoon you visit the Matisse Museum dedicated to the works of Henri Matisse who lived in the city until his death in 1954. The museum occupies a grand seventeenth century villa set in the beautiful gardens of Arenas Cimiez which makes it the perfect spot for a picnic lunch.

Promenade des Anglais: This evening take a walk to the Bellanda Tower on Castle Hill for a wonderful view of the Promenade des Anglais, so named because of the propensity of the English aristocracy to spend their winters on the Cote d’Azur during the Nineteenth Century.

Day 4

Rothschild Villa and Flight Home

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild: This morning you travel to the millionaires playground of Cap-Ferrat to visit the villa and gardens of Villa Ephrussi. This spectacular villa was built at the turn of the twentieth century by Beatrice Ephrussi, a member of the wealthy Rothschild banking family and one of the greatest art patrons of the age. When she died in 1934 it was bequeathed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts who also inherited her 5000 works of art. Today the villa and its beautiful gardens are open for the public to enjoy.

Flight Home: There will be free time for lunch and shopping before you transfer to the airport for your flight home.