A small guide to Èze
subscribe to my newsletter!
Èze is a small commune in France that I love spending my Sundays in. It’s filled with local artists, unique prints, cats, and lots of one-of-a-kinds. It is most commonly referred as a special European medieval village. Below is a walk through of Èze for a visual before you know the details.
How to get there-
Èze is a small medieval village about 30 minutes from Nice’s Vauban (near Nice Riquier SNCF train station) via bus.
You can take bus 82 or 112 from Nice’s Vauban to get there. Nice Lignes d’Azur tickets will work for both (the 112 bus is technically a Zou bus, but the local tickets still work). When you get to Èze village it’s a funny place, it’s like walking through the entrance of a museum before getting to the exhibits. When you get off at the stop “Èze Village”, you can see a Casino (grocery store) in front of the stop and Gallimard Perfumer on the left, Fragonard on the right. So now, you need to walk through this (pictured right) and up the hill. Before we go on our adventure, let me break down Eze’s main attractions.
At the base of the hill (when you first get off the bus)-
- Perfumeries- you can often find these two within close proximity to each other because they are the most famous from Grasse (where they originated) and have many botiques throughout France. Below I will list a few highlights….
- Gallimard est. in 1747
- More “modern” smells
- 30 ml ranging from 30-40 euros for a female scent bottle (smallest size)
- More for your money if you like the smell, but if you’re getting a gif then, I would recommend their variety sample pack (≈75 euros)
- Fragonard est. in 1926
- More of a “vintage” smell
- 15 ml for 32 euros female scent bottle (smallest size)
- Defiantly the pricier option
- Gallimard est. in 1747
- You can’t go wrong with either one, but I know this Gallimard location has a free museum section on perfume’s history and Gallimard’s history (a concentrated version of their preserved museum in Grasse), the Fragonard location does not. Full disclosure, these are based on my experiences and smells. The only thing I can assure you is Fragonard is costs more per ml.
On the hill-
- Village-
- I’ll make this simple. The village is a exactly that- an old preserved European style village built in the remnants of the castle, a smaller version of the one you can find in Menton. It is full of artisan shops, artists, galleries, crystal shops and more. If you go with intents to see the Jardin Exotique I would recommend going early to meander through on the way or you could go after but I think it’s better to go before.
- Artisian Shops-
- if you’re looking for locally made soaps, jams, art pieces, jewelry and more, you will find them here. These small businesses are run in little caves carved into the side of the hill (indicated by the sloping ceiling and stone interior). As you meander through the village (it will take an hour maximum) you will find them lined next to each other near the Jardin Exotique or in random clusters. It’s a fun thing to explore and a great opportunity to buy gifts for the holidays or to simply look at and appreciate. Check out my pictures below!
- Jardin Exotique-
- After meandering through the village and artisan shops head uphill to the Jardin Exotique. There are a few artisan shops lined up as you walk towards the garden. There are plenty of signs, so it is hard to get lost. Now, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got there but the garden is the top of the hill the village sits on. So, if you want to explore the peak and beautiful views, you can only do so through the garden. Entry cost and more information is pictured below, it varies on the time of the year so be aware. It is a must see and I wish I could go all the time.
- My opinion– I don’t think it should cost to explore a cactus garden, especially when it is the top of the hill. I’ve climbed many hills and mountains, and I have never run into the view or setting being obstructed by a “garden” built by the city that you have to pay to get in. Also, the garden closes at 4:30pm in the winter is only the start of sunset :/. That was my one let down with this garden, and of course paid entry.
If you have time-
All in all, you cannot get lost because of how small Èze is. Once you pass the boom barrier (pictured at the beginning of this article), you will meander up the hill, through the village and shops, up to the Jardin Exotique. When you go back down the hill, you can either explore the perfumeries if you haven’t already or head down to the beach. The Nietzsche Path will take you there, and technically it is a loop, but in this case, you would only take it from Èze south, so not the entire 2.6-mile trek (4.18 km).
As you follow this trail down, you will end up at Eze beach. Enjoy a swim here but be warned, the rocks are the same as Nice. What is special about this beach is the views, lack of people, and feeling of accomplishment after finishing a day itinerary of one of the most unique spots in the Côte d’Azur.
Getting back to Nice or anywhere in the Côte d’Azur-
After this, you can take the bus back to Nice or the SNCF train station. There are a few different routes, some incorporate both the bus and train so I would recommend downloading Google Maps (in any app store) and using it to find your preferred route (not sponsored!). Are you worried about data usage in France? Click here for how to get cellular data when abroad.
– good luck and safe travels<3!
your support means the world to me!
(I’m just going to email you when I publish a new article 😉
subscribe to my newsletter!
