But the preservation of the past doesn’t mean Valbonne is a backward-looking village. Independent fashion and interior decoration boutiques make it a shopper’s delight even on non-market days; on the western side is a new retail complex, and the outskirts are home to luxury villas and modern housing estates, accommodating workers at the nearby Sophia Antipolis technology park, acknowledged as the Silicon Valley of France. The presence of several international schools also draws a cosmopolitan crowd, and dining options in the village cover Moroccan, Italian and Indian cuisine; there’s even a pub, where you can get a pint of Guinness in the unlikely event that you tire of the local wine.
Speaking of which, no visit can be complete without a taste of Valbonne’s speciality: a wine produced from the local servan grape that is celebrated at the Saint-Blaise festival every January and preserved until Easter – proving that Valbonne’s heart truly beats all year round.
In the Area
There is enough in Valbonne to satisfy a day of eating and exploring – but venturing further afield is a breeze thanks to the Côte d’Azur’s excellent public transport system, with bus journeys between any destinations costing just €1. The coastal train is similarly inexpensive , linking Cannes with Ventimiglia across the Italian border in just over 90 minutes and taking in Nice and Monaco on the way.
To start with the immediate surroundings, hop on a bus to Biot just 15 minutes down the road from Valbonne for another dose of French village charm. Visit the renowned glassworks Verrerie de Biot – larger than its counterpart in Valbonne – and the eponymous museum dedicated to the artist Fernand Léger. Admire the restored frescoes in Biot’s bijou church and then enjoy a coffee under the vine-clad arcades next door.
The 630-hectare Parc de la Brague, covering a limestone plateau and river valley north and west of Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, is a sweet-smelling paradise with a peaceful marked trail for hikers and nature lovers, taking around three hours to complete.
Mougins, where Picasso lived his final years, is barely seven kilometres from Valbonne. The village retains a compact, exquisitely preserved old centre, perched up high and affording dreamy views towards the coast. Higher in the hills is Grasse, nine kilometres in the opposite direction and synonymous with perfumery since the 17th century.
If you yearn for the coast and slightly more buzz, head for the manageably sized Antibes. The pretty cobbled streets, ancient ramparts and artistic heritage – the town featured in many of Picasso’s paintings and now has a museum in his honour – take care of the old-world French side.
There is plenty here for your glitz fix too. Gaze at the astounding waterborne wealth at Port Vauban, the Mediterranean’s largest marina where berth prices exceed €1 million, or take the petit train from the old town for Cap d’Antibes, the wooded promontory studded with millionaires’ hideaways.
