Nice &
the Cote d’Azur

Day 1

We meet at our designated pick up points and transfer by private executive coach to Bristol Airport for our direct scheduled Easyjet flight to Nice. On arrival we are met by our tour manager and transfer to the 4* Nice Riviera Hotel in Nice for a five night stay. Welcome and farewell set three course dinners with drinks are included at a restaurant close to our hotel this evening and on the final evening, and the remaining four nights are on bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2

Following a brief introductory tour of Nice this morning, we enjoy a guided tour at Musée Matisse with a wonderful collection of works left by Henri Matisse to the city of Nice where he lived from 1918 to 1954. We continue to Musée Marc Chagall for a guided tour, home to large paintings, sculptures, stained glass windows, mosaics and tapestries depicting various biblical scenes. The rest of the day is at leisure in Nice and you may choose to stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, or head to the old town, Palais Lascaris, where some 500 musical instruments are displayed.

Day 3

On arrival at Beaulieu sur Mer we visit Villa Kerylos. Built between 1902 and 1908 for archaeologist Theodore Reinach in imitation of an ancient Greek residence, it contains lovingly reproduced mosaics, frescoes and furniture. We continue to the Villa and Gardens of Ephrussi de Rothschild where we have an included lunch, followed by a guided tour. Through the art dealers and experts she befriended, Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild sought out artworks all over the world, transforming the Villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat into a collector’s paradise.

Day 4

This morning we visit the Chapelle du Rosaire, a masterpiece of sacred art conceived by Henri Matisse. Built between 1947 and 1951, the chapel was decorated by Matisse in gratitude to the nuns who nursed him during his illness. We continue to the Fondation Maeght with its large collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings. Built in 1964 by Paris art dealers Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, this is one of Europe’s finest museums of modern art, with paintings by artists such as Bonnard, Braque, Kandinsky and Chagall. We then spend some time at leisure in the medieval village of Saint–Paul–de–Vence. Built on a rocky outcrop and surrounded by ramparts built on the orders of Francois I, Saint–Paul– de–Vence is one of the most beautiful villages in Provence, inspiring numerous famous artists, writers and poets. Our final destination of the day is the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer where Renoir lived for much of the later years of his life and where he took up sculpting for the first time, assisted by Richard Guino and Louis Morel.

Day 5

Our first visit this morning is to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Completed in 1912, the Cathedral was built in memory of a young Tsarevich who died of consumption in 1865. We then enjoy a guided tour at the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The museum is located in the former home of a Ukrainian princess and displays works sent to Nice by Napoleon III after Sardinia ceded the city to France in 1860. The museum is also home to a fine collection of Impressionist and Post- Impressionist paintings by artists such as Renoir, Monet and Dufy. The rest of the day is free to spend at leisure in Nice and you may choose to visit the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum or see a range of exhibits from emerging artists at the Galerie de la Marine. A farewell set three course dinner with drinks is included at a restaurant close to our hotel this evening.

Day 6

After checking out of our hotel this morning we visit the Musée Picasso located in Château Grimaldi, a former residence of Monaco’s ruling family. In 1946 the artist used part of the castle as a studio and, in gratitude, donated to the town all 150 works completed during his stay, including ‘The Goat’. Most works are inspired by the artist’s love of the sea, including ‘La Joie de Vivre’. We then transfer to Nice airport for our direct scheduled Easyjet flight back to Bristol and onwards coach travel back to our original pick up points.

We stay five nights at the centrally located 4* Nice Riviera Hotel in Nice (www.hotel-niceriviera. com). Facilities at the hotel include a bar, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna and Jacuzzi. All rooms are en suite and feature television, hairdryer, mini-bar, and an in-room safe. Welcome and farewell set three course dinners with drinks is included at a restaurant close to our hotel on the first and final evenings, and the remaining three nights are on bed and breakfast basis.

Insurance £36

Single room supplement £249

Local accommodation tax to be paid directly to the hotel (approximately €2.25 per person per night)

All excursions, entrance fees & guided tours included