Saint Paul de Vence France is a medieval fortified village. It is located on rocky hills between the valleys and the views around are just marvelous.

What is Saint-Paul-de-Vence famous for?

St. Paul de Vence is known for being a cradle of Foundation Maeght, created thanks to the efforts of Joan Miro, Georges Braque and Alberti Giacometti in the XXth century.

How to travel to Saint Paul de Vence France

The village of Saint Paul de Vence is located not far from the Mediterranean sea in the South of France. You can plan a one day or half day trip from any location in French Riviera. For example, if you are staying in Nice, it will take you 1 hour to drive to St Paul de Vence. 

Distance from Saint Paul de Vence to Nice is 20 km, to Cannes – 27 km, to Cagnes sur Mer – 7 km and 17 km to Antibes. But keep in mind that in summer the traffic on the roads may be a bit hard, and it will take a bit longer to travel to St Paul de Vence by car.

Travel to St Paul de Vence by plane, train or by car

Nice airport is the closest one to the St Paul de Vence village. You plan your trip starting from landing in Nice and visit St Paul de Vence by car or by bus. In order to go to St Paul de Vence village you can take:

• Bus number 400 from Terminal 1, Airport Promenade bus stop. Bus departs every 30 – 45 minutes.
• A shuttle bus from Terminal 2 to get to Terminal 1.

(Please double check upon arrival the information and schedule, since these are subject to change depending on the season)

Also, you can book a taxi to go to St Paul de Vence in advance or take a taxi upon arrival to Nice airport. There is always a number of taxi cars waiting for the clients at the exit from the airport in Nice.

Trip by car from the airport of Nice to Saint Paul de Vence, France will take about 1 hour.

If you are traveling to St Paul de Vence by car you would need to take motorway A8, then follow signs to La Colle sur Loup. The village is located about 15 minutes from the motorway, between Vence and La Colle sur Loup.

If your plan is to travel by train you would need Cagnes sur Mer station and then take bus number 400.

What makes St Paul de Vence a special place of France?

Saint Paul France is for sure one of the top places to visit in Cote d’Azur. Tourists traveling to this stunning village will adore beautiful views around it, take a walk in the medieval style old town, and enjoy the variety of art exhibitions and art shops in Saint Paul. 

St Paul de Vence village is surrounded by a stone wall, erected according to the order of Franzysk I, in 1537-1547. Entering to the village is through the King’s Gates. Several small narrow streets of the village with art houses, or  exhibitions, and surely flowers in every window will take you away for a while.

On one of the squares of Saint Paul de Vence there is a famous Grand Fountain with open baths for washing.

Even though Saint Paul de Vence France is not big, there are famous all over the world places here, like Hotel de la Colombe d’Or, where famous celebrities were staying. Now the hotel has become a museum, representing the paintings of Bonner, Vlamink, Utrillo, Braque, Matisse and others.

An interesting museum of music instruments is located nearby. You will find a number of unique instruments here, including the oldest piece of exhibition, which dates to 1750.

There is also a museum of local history with wax figures in Saint Paul.

Years ago cemetery of St Paul de Vence France used to be a meeting place for decision makers. Representatives of the local communes were gathering here to discuss and agree on major activities in the past.

The cemetery is now the last resort for famous people, who lived in the village.

For example famous painter, Marc Chagall, is buried in Saint Paul de Vence. He lived in St Paul de Vence village during 1966 – 1985. For 20 years he was depicting life of local people and marvelous landscapes.

St Paul de Vence cemetery

What to do in St Paul de Vence?

Tourists preferring active sports will not be disappointed by a number of options available in Saint Paul village: horse riding, golf, biking, walking around exploring the country side.

You can a walk to Jacque Prevert home, who lived in Saint Paul for 15 years. Jacque Prevert was a port and a screenwriter. He also participated in the Fondation Maeght creation. 

You also find collages he created that adorn the walls of the famous Colombe d’Or hotel. Below is the cute, small ‘flat-iron’ style structure he live in that you find along the ramparts in St Paul de Vence.

Tourists, who love shopping will find cozy shops to select beautiful souvenirs and clothes produced locally.

Also, there are guided tours and wine tours from Saint Paul de Vence in France. You can find out more and book such a tour in the local travel agency or plan such a trip on your own. Just visit one of the Tourist Information Offices and you will receive additional information and travel brochures if needed. 

Old town of Nice is another popular tourist destination in French Riviera to discover.

When to go to St Paul de Vence?

The best time to go to Saint Paul in summer is morning of course. You can leave Nice by bus round 8:00am – 9:00am and will be in St Paul de Vence in 1 hour approximately. This way you will avoid crowds of tourists, who travel to Saint Paul de Vence during high season. 

Just be aware, most of the local shops open at 10am. Approximately after 11am tour buses with the groups of tourists start arriving to the village and of course, there will be more visitors in the streets. 

The best time to go to Saint Paul is during the low tourist season – from September till May. This is when there are no lines and you can enjoy this beautiful  place in a more relaxing manner. 

Also during low tourist season traffic is much easier and you will be able to get to Saint Paul de Vence quickly and without any traffic jams. 

If you have enough time and are not in a rush, you can plan a trip for whole day or combine a trip to the village and visit one more destination. 

Is St Paul de Vence worth visiting? 

We highly recommend to include visiting Saint Paul de Vence village into your travel itinerary. It is worth visiting for several reasons: you will enjoy marvelous views near the village, find out more about the history of this place and will be able to feel its atmosphere.

Also, you can visit unique art shops and galleries, but stunning pieces of art and visit local cafes and restaurants. 

It is worth visiting this beautiful place and we hope that trip to St Paul de Vence will be one of your best travel experiences.