For many years, the Côte d'Azur has been one of the world's best-known holiday areas with : Antibes, Juan-ldes-Pins, Cannes . . . and have something of a reputation for costing nearly as much. The well-heeled enclave of Monaco adds to the coastline's scintillating image. The capital Nice, being one of France's largest cities and a magnet for the beau monde, needs no introduction. But 30 miles behind its famous beaches there are flower-swathed hillsides and spectacular Alpine scenery.
The Mercantour national park was created to protect and better understand the ecology of this particularly rich environment. Its 265 sq miles contain no permanent residents; only in the summer months are a few hamlets inhabited. Dogs, tents and motorised vehicles are banned from the park.
The Route Napoléon — taken by the ex-emperor on his return to France from exile in Elba in 1815 — passes through the hinterland of Grasse, a charming old town a centre for perfume making since the 17th century.
The botanical traditions are many in the corner of France; Menton, in reply to Nice's internationally renowned flower parade each year, has its own lemon festival. And the lavender fields of Provence are legendary.
