As my previous post about Cannes and Antibes illustrated, the French Riviera is where the rich and famous hang out, but for those who prefer a less flamboyant lifestyle, then the area just inland from the coast may be more appealing.

This hinterland is commonly referred to as the arrière-pays and consists of quiet, medieval hilltop villages, rolling hills, and a completely different atmosphere to the towns of the Côte d’Azur.

In this gallery, I’ll be showing you three of those villages – Biot, Gourdon, and Vence, but there are others that will probably whet your appetite just as much. All photographs were taken when we stayed in the fortified hilltop village of Biot near Antibes in 2005.

Continue reading →