Antibes, France Apartment Rental

Why We Love Antibes
A few years ago we began a search for a home in Europe. Eventually we narrowed the search to France, being drawn to the culture, language, history and, of course, the wine. We wanted to be somewhere sunny and warm which lead us to the French Riviera where we discovered Antibes. The town offers us a life style we cherish and a pace of life we desire. Walking along the centuries old city streets we can stop for a café and crepe and then wander down to the port which is the largest yachting port in Europe. Or stroll on the ramparts (city wall) on your way to bask in the sun which shines 300 days a year on some of the most desirable beaches in the area and then head to the daily market for all the ingredients for an amazing meal. To have the incredible restaurants nestled into small streets, great shopping, antique and clothing markets and still feel the intimacy of being in a small town is truly the only way to experience the south of France, whether on vacation or for a lifetime.

History Shortened
Antibes, originally named Antipolis (meaning "city opposite" because of it's location opposite Nice) by the Greeks in the fifth century B.C., was a busy trading port, passing among nations through the following centuries. In the 16th century after an attack by Spain, France realized its pivotal location to Italy and fortified the city, completing the four pointed star shaped fortress that overlooks the port in 1710 under the guidance of a man named Sebastion le Prestre de Vauban for whom the port is named. Napolean Bonaparte briefly lived here and as fate would have it was also briefly imprisoned. Then in the early 20th century, many artists and writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Graham Greene, Ernest Hemmingway, Monet and Pablo Picasso came to Antibes in search of a place in the south to winter. Their influence established the area as the culturally rich and diverse getaway it remains today.

As a side note, Pablo Picasso lived and worked in 1946 in what is now the Musee Picasso. He created a large number of pieces ranging from paintings to ceramics to tapestries and even sculptures and donated them all to the museum. The collection in total has been described as the worlds finest and certainly not one to be missed.

So Much to Do
We are able to take weekend trips to Italy and day trips all throughout the region. The cities of Nice and Cannes are only 20 minutes away by train in either direction - a little longer by car, and spending the afternoon wandering around the Palace grounds in Monte Carlo, Monaco is only an hour away. To be in a town that not only has amazing restaurants nestled into small streets, great shopping, weekly antique and clothing markets and still feel the intimacy of being in a small town is truly the only way to experience the South of France, whether on vacation or for a lifetime.

People from all over the world, (including many people in France) come to the French Riviera every year on holiday to experience vacationing in the South of France.