Our Blog - Cote d'Azur - Haut-de-Cagnes, France

The medieval town of Haut-de-Cagnes is a former Roman oppidum, sitting up on top of a hilltop. Here you can see views from the top down to the valley below, as well as the snow-capped mountains in the distance. The main part of the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer is down below but the "Haut" (or the top) is the historical part of town. There are still a handful (around 650) people who live up in the old town, which is very calm compared to the hectic pace of life on the Côte d'Azur.

An interesting story here ... each time I plan out a vacation, I look for places to park. Many of these hilltop villages are pedestrian only except for locals and they have very, very narrow winding streets. I found an underground parking lot but as we came up to the gate, there was no ticket to take and the entrance looked very, well, small. The attendant came out and explained to us that our car (a VW Tiguan) was too big to fit ... it seems that you drive into what is basically a little tiny garage which is, in fact, an elevator that takes the cars down into the carpark below. After driving around a few minutes, we found a spot in a tiny little parking lot where I was sure that someone would bang into the sides of the car.

We actually ended up parking just at the bottom of a set of stairs going up to the Grimaldi Castle and the main square. The fortified castle was built around the 15th century for the Grimaldi family (that now reigns over the Principality of Monaco). Around 1620, it was transformed into a stately home with a monumental staircase, a patio with three levels of arcades, and various rooms with a strong influence of Italian Baroque.

There have been lots of artists that have come here, and there are reproductions of various paintings that had been painted here. They are placed where the original works were created, in the very places where the painters set up their easels. Here is an example, the first being the actual buildings, and the 2nd being the painting done in 1979.

The tower from the painting is part of the St-Pierre and St Paul's church and has the Porte de Nice gate into the old city.

Here is a view of the medieval streets and buildings ... and the reason why you don't want to have a car here!

Various parts of the fortification walls that are now built into various buildings and houses.

Another painting, this time by Emile Wery entitled "La Montée de la Bourgade" or "Way up to Bourgade". It shows the small street which goes up the hill, past a church, and at the top-right you can just make out the Grimaldi castle. And below is the actual street, and you can clearly see the bell tower and clock of the church and the castle in the background.