Nice is home to lots and lots of truly beautiful buildings and wonderful architectural gems both in and around the city. There are plenty in the city itself and if you have found a vacation rental in Nice, you don’t have to go far to refresh your eyes and soul with manmade architectural wonders. However, if you fancy experiencing the “around” part of “in and around the city” and venturing a bit further afield then why not go exploring the French Riviera and take a trip to the stunning Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild, which really does make for a perfectly dreamy daytrip destination.
Home to a rich fine and decorative arts collection located inside a Belle Époque Italian-style palazzo and an incredible surrounding park that boasts nine distinct gardens, this gem on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a truly magical place. It was built by the heiress Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild at the beginning of the twentieth century over the course of seven years during which ten different architects were hired and fired in turn, the whole thing eventually came together in perfection and served as her residence and party villa until the 1930s. In her will, it was bequeathed to the Institute de France for use as a fine art museum and today displays over 5,000; from fine furniture to paintings and statuary to porcelain dinnerware.
Home to a rich fine and decorative arts collection located inside a Belle Époque Italian-style palazzo and an incredible surrounding park that boasts nine distinct gardens, this gem on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a truly magical place. It was built by the heiress Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild at the beginning of the twentieth century over the course of seven years during which ten different architects were hired and fired in turn, the whole thing eventually came together in perfection and served as her residence and party villa until the 1930s. In her will, it was bequeathed to the Institute de France for use as a fine art museum and today displays over 5,000; from fine furniture to paintings and statuary to porcelain dinnerware.
Once you have taken in the astounding interiors, you must make sure to leave plenty of time to also explore the park. From the grounds, there are amazing views over the Mediterranean Sea and Côte d’Azur and then there are the nine gardens themselves. The suggest route takes visitors though the Spanish Garden, the Florentine Garden, the Stone Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Exotic Garden, the Rose Garden, the Provencal Garden, the French Garden, and the Sèvres Garden. Flowering almost the whole way through the year, it is almost always colourful and picturesque so you can be assured of a wonderful sight whenever you might visit! Finish things off with a visit to the tea rooms to have the best possible experience and enjoy one of the most beautiful spots in France.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
1 Avenue Ephrussi de Rothschild, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
+33 4 93 01 33 09
Opening Hours:
Spring & Autumn: 10am to 6pm
July & August: 10am to 7pm
November & February: on winter weekends and holidays the villa and gardens are open from 10am to 6pm and on weekdays they are open from 2pm to 6pm. During winter, the tea rooms are only open on weekends.
Tickets:
Adults €13
Kids (from 7-17 and students of all ages with an ID) €10
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
1 Avenue Ephrussi de Rothschild, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
+33 4 93 01 33 09
Opening Hours:
Spring & Autumn: 10am to 6pm
July & August: 10am to 7pm
November & February: on winter weekends and holidays the villa and gardens are open from 10am to 6pm and on weekdays they are open from 2pm to 6pm. During winter, the tea rooms are only open on weekends.
Tickets:
Adults €13
Kids (from 7-17 and students of all ages with an ID) €10
Photo credit: Berthold Werner / CC BY-SA 3.0