Côte d’Azur Gardens Articles about Provence

All you need for a perfect holiday – amazing nature, warm sea, pristine beaches and luxurious hotels – attract tourists on the Côte d’Azur (or French Riviera).

In this one of the best holiday destinations in Europe the beautiful gardens which have become a kind of «green historical monuments» on the Mediterranean coast were created over the centuries by the efforts of the aristocracy.

The Garden Maria Serena in Menton

Not far from the Italian border, in Menton, the Villa Maria Serena (built in 1880) is located.

The project is an excellent villa and its surrounding park was developed by the architect Charles Garnier (that most famous maestro who created the design of the casino building in Monte-Carlo and the Grand Opera in Paris).

The garden surrounding the villa can be rightly called a real piece of landscape art, it is one of the best in the country and Europe.

Due to the unique micro-climate of Menton, here on the area of just one and a half hectare grow not only olive, lemon, tangerine and orange trees, but also huge palms, sago trees, the whole «collection» of rare subtropical and tropical plants (including the rare tree called «dragon tree» which is «born» on the Canary Islands) – in short, a wonderful open-air greenhouse.

Excursions (with the guide) to the Villa Maria Serena are held every Tuesday from 10:00 to 12:00. You can get from Nice airport to Menton by bus No. 100 or by commuter train.

Thuret Garden

Thuret Garden near Antibes (which is named after its creator, Gustave Thuret, biologist) is one of the first botanical gardens of the French Riviera.

Gustave Thuret traveled much to different countries bringing to France the rare exotic plants and doing their acclimatization. Then he planted out many of them in a botanical garden laid out near his own villa in Antibes (built in 1857).

Now the Thuret Villa is surrounded by shady beautiful palm, eucalyptus and cypress alleys. In one of the alleys you can see the bust of Gustave Thuret.

His heritage, a botanical garden which resembles more a fairy-tale forest, counts over 1,600 plant species from Mexico, Chile, Australia, the United States and other countries. Every year, this «green collection» add new and new specimen!

Tourists can get to the Thuret Garden from Antibes by bus (Chemin de la Salis stop).

Beatrice de Rothschild Gardens

One can also admire the beautiful gardens with a stunning diversity of plants at Cap-Ferrat Cape visiting the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.

This villa was built in the period from 1905 to 1912. There is a museum now available for daily visits. Not only gardens settled in different styles, but different eras and cultures are united here in one place. The guests strolling along the alleys are struck by an exquisite combination of green cypress, orange trees, ficuses, marble benches in cosy cabins, Ionic columns and bas-reliefs of fountains.

In the territory of 4 hectares there are in all 10 different gardens, moreover, if we look at a map the main garden reminds us of the shape of the ship (it was conceived for a reason because the Baroness was very fond of travelling).

9 more gardens surrounding the villa present an emerald oasis with an abundance of blooming pink plants (roses, azaleas, oleander, petunias) – the proprietress loved the pink colour. The largest of these gardens is French one which has a copy of Versailles Temple of Love, a musical fountain, the main pond and side ponds.

In the Sevres Garden from which the excursion usually begins the balsamine and hibiscus grow on a background of wall fountain of outlandish beauty. Then, through a covered gallery the guests pass to in the Spanish Garden where they admire the grotto and the pool, the pergola which is reminiscent of an old vineyard, twined with climbing roses.

There are also harmoniously conforming to each other Provencal and Florentine Gardens with avenue of cypress trees, exotic, Japanese, as well as the rosary and the stone garden with sculptures collected from around the world.

The guests can visit Beatrice de Rothschild Gardens every day (including weekends and holidays).
 
Exotic Garden of Monaco

The small state of Monaco can «boast» of a small but beautiful exotic garden located on a hillside (which is called the «Dog's Head»). This garden commissioned by King Louis II was designed in 1933 by architect Notari. About 6 thousand plants from different countries grow here covering an area slightly over one hectare.

The world's largest collection of cacti grows here, they are more than a thousand!

Also the succulents of gigantic proportions grow in the Garden in Monaco since its foundation. The guests can watch the blooming of different plants throughout the year (in winter aloe and crassula are blooming, in spring and summer – colourful cactuses). Having visited the lower part of this garden we shall see the Observatory Cave, an amazingly beautiful grotto formed thousands of years ago from the stalactites and stalagmites.

You can visit the Garden of Monaco every day (except weekends on November 19 and December 25) Also the visitors should be aware that a visit is paid and the entrance to the garden with animals is prohibited.

You can get to the garden by foot or a free lift, and then to the terminal stop of the bus No. 2.