Eze Village

Èze, renowned tourist site on the French Riviera, is famous worldwide for the view of the sea from its hill top.

The small medieval village is famous for its beauty and charm. Its many shops, art galleries, hotels and restaurants attract a large number of tourists and honeymooners. As a result Èze has become a "museum village", few local residents live here. From Èze you have gorgeous views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Situated just after Nice, in the direction of Menton, Eze stretches out along the coast from Cap Roux to the Cabuel point. Lush tropical vegétation including bananas, dates, carob trees, orange and lemon trees are proof of the year-round warm climate. The beach in the "baie d'Eze" has easy access and is shaded by pine-trees which almost grow down to the water's edge.

The Eze district does not just include the coast, and by climbing the middle coastal road, you will discover Eze village which is one of the most picturesque spots in the region.
Perched in an "eagle's nest" at the height of an imposing and superb cliff, the village and its light ochre church can be seen from afar. To find the entrance, take the small, rocky path which has a splendid view of the gardens surrounding the Château de la Chèvre d'Or. Once inside, you will discover a small Provencal village filled with charm and colourful window boxes, offering a panoramic view of the sea and coast-line.
Small narrow roads, archways and superbly restored stone houses, shady squares, refreshing ancient fountains... you will soon be seduced by the marvels of Eze.

The numerous small arts and crafts boutiques are hard to resist... some of them are like tiny caves dug out of the rocky hill-side. The streets of this medieval village have witnessed its historic past. The two look-out towers at the entrance, the door-way and the gun-boat all classified as historic monuments.

You are welcome to visit the exotic botanic garden, situated in the village, where an impressive collection of cactus, plants and rare vegetation surrounds the remains of an ancient chateau. At an altititude of 400 m, the summit of the cliff over-looks the sea.

From the village, you can also visit "Eze bord-de-mer" by taking the Friedrich-Nietzsche path (at the end of the "avenue du Jardin Exotique"), it appears that here, under the olives and pine-trees that Nietzsche composed the last part of his work " Thus Spoke Zarathustra "... this delightful walk takes about an hour…

By taking the high coastal road you will discover a superb forest-park covering about 610 hectares. Here you can visit the "Maison de la Nature" and the "oppidum du Col d'Eze". As night falls, you can also admire the wonderful spectacle of the stars twinkling above.

Sites to see

  • La chapelle des Pénitents Blancs
  • Parish church and its baroque nave
  • Cemetry, including grave of the famous comedian Francis Blanche
  • Eze Garden
  • Visit to Galimard soap-factory anf to Fragonard perfum factory
  • Friedrich-Nietzsche path-way (L'Astorama)
  • La Revère fort (col d'Eze)
  • Jardin botanique d'Èze is known for its collection of cactus and succulents, as well as its panoramic views
  • Chapelle de la Sainte Croix - the oldest building in the village, it dates back to 1306. Members of the lay order of the White Penitents of Èze, in charge of giving assistance to plague victims, would hold their meetings there.

History

The oldest places of inhabitants on the communeof Eze go back to the neolithic era towards 2000 BC on the Mount Bastide. At the iron age, the celto-ligurians population who lived in this area erected many castellaras along the coast. These constructions were built with dry blocks of stone and were generally heighly located.
The one on the Mount Bastide dominates at 567 m above the sea level and it is one of the best preserved of the region.The city and surroundings were occupied by the romans and the gallo-romans.

Eze and Antiquity: the name of Eze originated either from the port of Avisio located in the bay of Saint Laurent of Eze (east of the commune) mentioned by Antonin in his maritime route, or according to an oral legend that the phoenicians would have erected a temple in Eze in memory of the goddess Isis.
With the end of the roman empire, the barbarians invasions followed, the inhabitants gathered in the old celto ligurians site. Eze acquired quickly its defensive character.

Neighbouring villages : Nice (9 km), Monaco (7 km), Beaulieu sur Mer (7 km).