Antibes, the city with rampart walls

Discover the old town

"Old street in Antibes. "The shadow spreads its water onto the children's foreheads." Max Jacob

Take the time to discover the old town

Old Antibes is one of those fascinating towns where at every turn, the past enhances the present. To visit visit and really appreciate Old Antibes, you have to take your time. Take the time to wander through its alleys, carefully observe the hidden details on the facades and doors,  smell the flowers, enjoy a drink in a sun-soaked pavement café or eat a homemade ice cream... and then, round the corner, you'll see the Mediterranean Sea... which just makes the white stones all the brighter.

From Porte Marine, take Rampe des Saleurs and go into old Antibes through one of the small alleys on your right (rue de l'Horloge or rue Saint Esprit). Let fate decide your destination, just look up, go down side streets, wander and stroll until you reach the cathedral. Go up the steps to Chateau Grimaldi, which houses the Picasso Museum and the beautiful opening to the sea (Montée Dor de la Souchère). Go through Place Mariejol and take rue Bateau first, then rue Barques en Cannes until you get to the wash house where you can look for the faces hidden in the walls. Enter the Commune Libre de Safranier which is between rue de la Tourraque and rue du Haut Castelet. There you will find artists' studios, the house where Níkos Kazantzákis lived, and  villa Fontaine... you can then go back to the cours Masséna through rue des Paveurs and then rue de la Pompe (where you should, by the way, try the famous pissaladière). Have a break, enjoy your surroundings...

Discover the workshops and the small boutiques

Your next step should be to stroll through the shopping streets and discover the many shops and workshops selling treats and other goodies that you'll love (rue Sade, rue Clémenceau, rue Thuret, boulevard d’Aguillon, rue James Close, rue de la République). There are lots of restaurants where you can sit at a table on the terrace or in a hidden garden.

Towards the new city

Go back to the Place Charles de Gaulle and its Haussmannian architecture, then walk down the boulevard Albert Ier. Play a game of petanque on Square Elie Levy, take a photograph from the roof of the Musée Archéologie, and don't forget to greet Victor Hugo on your way back to the port via the ramparts. At the end, you will find the very beautiful Nomade, a lacy sculpture made of letters of the alphabet by Jaume Plensa. And across the harbour, Fort Carré.