This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Chloe Jade, an influencer who has been documenting her travels around the world on Instagram . It has been edited for length and clarity.
06.11.2023 - 15:11 / theguardian.com / queen Victoria / Henri Matisse
‘It’s cold here in January,” says my guide, Michèle Caserta, as we stroll along Cannes seafront, where warm autumn sunshine sprays diamonds on the waves. “Maybe 15C?” She notices my raised eyebrow. “I’m Mediterranean: for me, that’s cold!”
For me, it sounds enticing. A world of blue skies and palm trees, winters like springs, and autumns with balmy seas and nights warm enough to drink rosé outside. Indeed, I have more sympathy for people who have to endure the Riviera’s summer months, when temperatures soar (Cannes hit a record 39.2C in July), the city heaves with tourists and prices spike.
Believing the Côte d’Azur is at its finest off-season, I’ve come in October, by train with flight-free specialist Byway Travel, and am staying at characterful, family-run Sawday’s accommodation. It’s an easy journey, with a stop-off in Paris before a direct train to Nice, where I start my exploring, then a short hop (about 35 minutes) to Cannes.
Thing is, I’m doing nothing new. Until the 1950s, winter always was the French Riviera’s peak season. This stretch of once-inhospitable seashore, backed by rugged mountains, was transformed from the late 18th century, when it was discovered by foreigners seeking warmer climes. Villas, concert halls, parks and promenades were built to serve these hivernants – winterers - and coastal backwaters turned into the earliest villégiatures (holiday resorts).
Nice was among the first places to be developed and was already popular by the late 18th century. In 2021, Unesco placed the “Winter Resort Town of Nice” on its World Heritage list, recognising its mix of architectural interest, artistic wealth (Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and more worked here) and distinctive, leisure-focused development. Walking around today, especially along the Promenade des Anglais and in the heights of the Cimiez district, I see striking examples of this, including the old Hôtel Régina, built for Queen Victoria, the Moorish panache of the former Hôtel Alhambra and innumerable gardens exploding with exotic plants.
My own base, Hôtel Windsor, feels apt. Only 10 minutes from the train station and half that to the sea, this 19th-century building has its own oasis of bougainvillaea, bamboo and rubber trees – a wonderful jungle in which to breakfast – while the rooms are decorated by contemporary artists. They cost from €90 off-peak, compared with more than €200 in the summer.
Exploring the city, I seek my own sort of low-season, lower-cost wellness. I swim in crystal-clear water that’s still 23C (and remains 13C in winter). I catch a piano concert for €20 (with wine) at the grand Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur and eat authentic cuisine nissarde at Chez Davia, where chef Pierre Altobelli upholds his grandmother’s
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Chloe Jade, an influencer who has been documenting her travels around the world on Instagram . It has been edited for length and clarity.
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