Discovering the arts and crafts of the Cote d’Azur

Arts and crafts have long been a steadfast pastime of the Cote d’Azur. For many centuries the region has been synonymous with pottery, glassmaking, artisans and other crafts. For example, the town of Vallauris, near Cannes, is internationally known as a pottery region, boasting a 2000-year tradition of pottery.

Naturally, there are plenty of arts and crafts activities to do all year round on the Cote d’Azur.

Glassmaking in Biot

If you fancy a day away from the beach to discover something a little different, heading to the inland town of Biot to watch the glassmakers at work, blowing and cutting molten liquid into shapes, warrants a memorable day out for all the family.

This region of France has an ancient tradition of glassmaking, namely because of the vast swathes of pine forests the Cote d’Azur is home to, which provide a reliable source of food to feed the glassmaker’s furnace.

Though it was in the 1950s when Biot became particularly synonymous with glassmaking, when Eloi Monod founded the glassmaking company La Verrerie de Biot, which created the legendary bubble glass.

Pottery in Vallauris

While pottery has been made in Vallauris for many centuries, it was during the 19th century when ceramic companies really began to flourish, most notably those of Foucard-Jourdan and Massier.

Today, Vallauris’s streets are brimming with colourful, lead-glazed earthenware, crafting a delightfully Mediterranean look.

As well as shopping for this distinct-looking pottery at your leisure, pottery enthusiasts can try their hand at making the legendary ceramics.

For example, in the Vallauris Institute of Arts in downtown Vallarius, classes are put on by some of the region’s best-known artists, designed to promote the development of crafts in the area.