Which museums to visit this autumn on the Côte d’Azur | Côte d’Azur France / French Riviera

My Côte d’Azur Museum Notebook

27 museums to discover, with gifts to match

Between two strolls along the seafront and the first cooler days,autumn on the Côte d’Azur offers a peaceful backdrop, ideal for slowing down and rediscovering the region in a different way. The perfect opportunity to treat yourself to a cultural getaway! The Carnet Musées Côte d’Azur is a free, personal guide to 27 museums in the Alpes-Maritimes. The principle is simple and fun: you choose your adult or mini-explorer version, and after each visit, a signature stamp marks your visit to the museum in your notebook. Once you’ve added all 5 stamps to your booklet, you’ll receive an exclusive Côte d’Azur France gift. Enough to motivate young and old alike to set off on a cultural exploration! From east to west, between sea and mountains, the Côte d’Azur traces an exceptional cultural route, where each town and village stands out as a new destination to explore.

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East of the Côte d’Azur: between elegance and heritage

The cultural journey gets off to a gentle start: one stamp in Menton, another in La Turbie… and already the Carnet Musées Côte d’Azur is keeping track of a journey between art and history! In Menton, the Musée Jean Cocteau – Le Bastion unveils the artist’s graphic poetry in a setting overlooking the sea. In La Turbie, the monumental Trophée d’Auguste is a reminder of the power of Rome, perched high above the Mediterranean. The cultural stopover continues in Monaco, at the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, which immerses young and old in the history of ancient civilisations. A few kilometres away, head for Cap d’Ail and its Villa Les Camélias, which combines local heritage with artistic history.

At the heart of the Côte d’Azur coastline: a heritage of the art of living

With my Carnet Musées Côte d’Azur in hand, we drive along the seafront, discovering a new facet of the region at each stop. The Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer transports us into the refined world of ancient Greek palaces. Next door, the Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat offers an elegant interlude between Belle Époque architecture and breathtaking gardens. Further west, in Villeneuve-Loubet, the Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire pays tribute to the “king of chefs” in the house where he was born. Continuing towards Antibes, Posidonia – Espace Mer et Littoral opens a fascinating window on the Mediterranean and its underwater treasures.

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Nice, a cultural capital not to be missed

Armed with our Côte d’Azur Museums Notebook, the journey of discovery continues in Nice, the region’s cultural capital, which boasts an exceptional wealth of attractions in its own right. On the port, theEspace Culturel Départemental Lympia brings together maritime heritage and contemporary art. Nearby, the Grotte du Lazaret traces 130,000 years of human history. The Musée Départemental des Arts Asiatiques opens a window on the Orient, while the Musée National du Sport brings to life the great emotions of stadiums. Finally, the Villa Arson, a leading centre for artistic creation and experimentation, rounds off this stopover in Nice… before adding another stamp to our notebook!

From valleys to fragrant hills: heading inland

Higher up in the valleys, museums tell the story of the mountains. At Tende, the Musée Départemental des Merveilles exhibits one of the largest collections of rock engravings in Europe. In Tourrette-Levens, the Château-Musée d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Castle Museum) is a delight for young and old alike, with its astonishing collections. And in Gilette, the Musée Lou Ferouil celebrates the ancestral art of wrought iron. Heading inland to Saint-Paul de Vence, to the Fondation Maeght and the Fondation CAB: singular architecture, gardens, exhibitions of character – enough to add an inspired stamp to our notebook! Continuing on to Grasse, a city of art and history renowned the world over for its perfume expertise, the exploration takes on the air of a sensory voyage. In the heart of the city, the Musée International de la Parfumerie recounts the passion for fragrances and local traditions that are unique in the world. Right next door, the Musée Fragonard du Costume Provençal completes the escapade, revealing the elegance and richness of the clothes of yesteryear. Here, the Carnet Musées Côte d’Azur becomes a wonderful travel companion for a new cultural experience, especially for children, who love to have their booklets stamped like real explorers!

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West of the Côte d’Azur: a journey between modernity and tradition

Head for the heights of Le Suquet, in Cannes, to add a new stamp to your Côte d’Azur Museum Notebook! The Musée des Explorations du Monde offers a unique panorama of the bay and a journey through civilisations. Just a stone’s throw from Cannes, the island of Sainte-Marguerite is home to the Museum of the Iron Mask and the Fort Royal, a fascinating place where mystery still hangs in the air. Destination Mougins, at FAAM – Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins, which showcases women’s art, while in Mouans-Sartoux, theEspace de l’Art Concret and the Jardins du MIP offer a double stopover between nature and contemporary art. In Vallauris Golfe-Juan, the Musée Magnelli, Musée de la Céramique pays tribute to an artistic tradition so dear to Picasso. Finally, in Le Cannet, the Musée Bonnard celebrates one of the masters of colour and light. For locals and visitors alike, it’s also an opportunity to rediscover museums that are often little-known, and sometimes only a stone’s throw away! After so many discoveries and so many stamps collected, the Carnet Musées Côte d’Azur becomes the record of a cultural journey rich in emotion and wonder. And at the end of the road, an exclusive surprise completes this wonderful adventure!