Biot and Mougins: Provence of the old medieval villages

Less well known than Saint Paul de Vence and easily accessible from Antibes, Biot and Mougins are two historic villages where you can breathe in the classic Provençal atmosphere all year round amidst typical colours and blooming bougainvillea, craft workshops, art galleries and old shops. Recognised as the capital of contemporary glassmaking in France, Biot transforms into a village and Christmas market during the festive season, with the façades of the houses on the pedestrian street decorated like a tree; a must-see is the Church of St Mary Magdalene, rebuilt in the 15th century (along with the entire village) on the ruins of an old Romanesque church dating back to 1100. Old Mougins, about twenty minutes from Biot, between Cannes and Grasse, is also a medieval-style village that seems suspended in time and is worth a visit for its quiet elegance. After a stroll along the picturesque rue des Orfèvres with its period façades, for an excellent black tea or an aperitif on the terrace, the right address is Lo Lum, at the beginning of the pedestrian street, a few dozen metres from the statue with the face of Picasso, who worked in this village in his villa 'Notre Dame de Vie' and died there in April 1973, at the age of 92.