What to see and do in Vence, Provence

I leaned my bike against the centuries old stone fountain and filled my water bottles with the fresh, cold water streaming from the spout. Across the street I could see the ancient entranceway that led into the old town. It was my first visit to Vence and I was immediately captivated with this picturesque medieval town situated on a small plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Less than ten years later my wife and I would pack up everything we owned and move from Nashville, TN to this charming little corner of southeast France. We’ve been here five years now and I’ve never looked back once.

It’s hard to believe that Cannes, Antibes and Nice, those glittering, dazzling, luxurious mainstays of the Côte d’Azur known for their extravagant, lavish hotels, villas and casinos are all within just a thirty-minute drive from Vence. Even with a population of close to 20,000, Vence feels more like a small village than a town or a city. The pace of life here is a bit slower. The streets are not as busy or crowded. Still, there’s an atmosphere of energy and vitality, an excitement and spirit that runs through the lively markets, squares and businesses.

History of Vence

The history of Vence goes back thousands and thousands of years. It is one of the oldest towns along the Côte d’Azur and in fact, all of France. For over 400 years it was a Roman town, known at the time as Vintium. Though it was not a particularly large Roman town it was important, as it lay on a famous Roman road called the Via Julia which connected the coastal towns along the Mediterranean Sea with those in the hills and mountains to the north.

Evidence of the Roman city can be seen throughout the town, from a beautiful carved marble sarcophagus in the Cathedral to two tall Roman granite columns that were a gift from the people of Marseille to the city of Vence in the 3rd century. Throughout the old town you’ll also find large pieces of stone engraved with Latin signifying the visit of an important Roman dignitary or celebrating a special occurrence. Since the fall of the Roman Empire the town has been built, destroyed and rebuilt over and over through the centuries.

What to see in Vence

This is a community where many people spend their entire lives raising families and working typical middle-class jobs. Though we see our fair share of tourists, Vence is not a “tourist” town. Things don’t close down during the off season. As an American who spent my entire life in the suburbs, I love being able to open my front door and walk to just about anything I need in just a few minutes. Grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, boulangeries, banks and much more are just a few steps away. It’s unusual for me to walk anywhere in town for more than a few minutes without running into someone I know.

The heart of Vence is its old town, an oblong collection of buildings and houses surrounded by fortified ramparts. This is where you’ll want to start any visit to the town. Before you enter through one of the five “portes” which allow access to the old town, make sure to see the “Grand Frêne,” an ash tree that is almost 500 years old. Located just outside the Porte du Peyra this tree was planted by King Francois II in 1538 and is one of the local treasures.

As you step through the Porte du Peyra into the old town the first thing you’ll see is the wonderful Peyra Fountain. Built in 1822 it replaced an earlier fountain that had stood in the same place for several centuries. Throughout Vence you’ll see many more fountains. All are fed from the Foux Spring which is located just outside the town. Numerous sources of good, clean water (two springs and three small rivers) is one of the main reasons why Vence was home to indigenous tribes thousands of years ago. In the 1920s and 1930s people traveled from all over the country for this water, as it was said to be able to cure many ailments and diseases.

Inside the old town you’ll find narrow streets that wind and twist their way past restaurants, squares, shops and boutiques. You’ll find a variety of small, beautiful squares with large chestnut and oak trees providing shade. Most of the houses located here date back to medieval times. Everything is in remarkably good condition and the town prides itself on keeping things clean and orderly.

Vence has long been a favorite location for painters, sculptures and other artists. They all cite the landscapes, the climate and especially light as to why they love to work in this area. Henri Matisse is just one of the many, many famous artists who have called Vence home. Just after the Second World War he created what is one of the biggest tourist attractions in this part of the French Riviera, the Chapelle du Rosaire, sometimes simply called the Matisse Chapel. Matisse spent the last several years of his life designing this chapel and he considered it to be his life’s “masterpiece.” It’s a must see if you are visiting Vence.

Vence has a long and important religious history. It is said to have had a Catholic Bishop as early as 363AD. Today, one of the most popular landmarks in the town is its Cathedral. It’s the smallest Cathedral in all of France. The Cathédrale Notre Dame de la Nativité (Cathedral of Our Lady of Nativity) dates back to the 11th century. Two other churches stood on the same place before this current cathedral. Destroyed by invading tribes from the north, pieces of at least one of these old churches can still be seen today inside the current church.

The Cathedral houses a large assortment of treasures and relics including elegant wooden stalls carved in the mid-1400s and a fascinating collection of wooden polychrome statues from the 16th to the 19th century reconstructing the various Stations of the Cross. The most popular attraction though is the huge, beautiful mosaic entitled “Moses Saved From The Waters” which was created by Marc Chagall in 1979.

Its close proximity to the beaches in the south and the grand peaks of the lower Alpes in the north, make Vence an ideal place to live. There’s a different market almost every morning on the large square in the center of town, the Grand Jardin. The hiking in this area is just magnificent. A hike up to the Baou des Blancs, a small cliff that overlooks the town, is a wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon.

One of my favorite things to do in France is to visit small villages, especially those isolated little enclaves that seem to exist in another time. Our department (the Alpes-Maritimes) is full of an astonishing number of tiny villages that never fail to astound me. From Gourdon to Tourrettes-sur-Loup, from Saint-Martin-Vésubie to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, from Saorge to Sainte-Agnes, this area is a wonderland of villages to explore. All of these villages can be easily reached by car from Vence in just an hour or two.

As with most French towns the people of Vence are very proud of their history and heritage. It is celebrated constantly throughout the year with a number of festivals, parades and commemorations. Some of the highlights include the Fête des Fontaines (a festival celebrating the numerous fountains in Vence), the Libération de Vence (commemorating the liberation of Vence at the end of World War II) and the Hommage à Saint Véran and Saint Lambert (a parade celebrating the two patron saints of the town).

Vence is easy to reach from anywhere along the Côte d’Azur. It’s a short drive off the A8 motorway and there’s ample parking in the town. While there is no direct train service you can take the train to any town along the coast and connect with a bus that will bring you into town. There are numerous hotels including the Château Saint-Martin, a spa and luxury hotel located at the edge of town in the ruins of an old Templar castle. The Office de Tourisme is open almost every day and can provide you with all the information you need.

Steve Wilkison lives in Vence with his wife Carole whom he persuaded to leave America for a French adventure. They write about their life at steveandcaroleinvence.com