Saint Paul de Vence and Vence: between creative gardens and stone houses

Medieval jewel and popular tourist destination in fine weather, Saint Paul de Vence pleases the eye with the almost glossy beauty of the village and is well worth a visit (especially in the winter months) to admire the art shop windows and small stone houses overlooking the valley without crowds. A stop for brunch is part of the visiting experience and an absolutely recommended venue is the creperie The Artiste, which welcomes guests inside an ancient vault. In Saint Paul de Vence, not far from the old town, there is also the Maeght Foundation, an avant-garde architectural structure established in 1964 (at the behest of Marguerite and Aime Maeght) housing over a thousand works of modern art. The 'Labyrinthe Mirò' is a journey between creativity and nature, with sculptures by the great Spanish surrealist immersed in a well-kept garden of maritime vegetation. No less evocative are the encounters with sculptures by Alberto Giacometti (including 'L'Homme qui Marche', one of the most famous), while in the inner rooms one can admire prints and paintings from the 1960s by Miro himself, some works by Braque and one of Marc Chagall's most challenging works, 'La Vie'. Nearby Vence is the perfect completion to a day spent among art (a visit to the Chapelle du Rosaire, decorated by Matisse, is a must) and old villages: picturesque narrow streets, old houses with colourful shutters, fountains, the little square populated by young and old playing pètanque (a speciality of the sport of boules) and bistros and bars where you can enjoy a tasty break with a cup of tea and the typical Craquelin cake, invented in 1927 by the Patisserie Palanque (still active in the centre of the village).