Reasons to visit Villefranche-Sur-Mer!
Glitterati spotting and treading on the footsteps of the Rolling Stones – It has to be Villefranche-Sur-Mer! The old and quant village of Villefranche-Sur-Mer has been deservedly given the title as being the most charming and authentic French and Nicoise fishing village on the French Riviera.
For decades this captivating town has been a popular place for the rich and famous to holiday or reside. With its red tiled roofs and vaulted passages beneath the houses, Villefranche-Sur-Mer infuses the traditional and the modern refreshingly gracefully.
The town’s inviting long sandy beaches, seafront cafes and exquisite restaurants never fail to attract a classy crowd of visitors, such as the legendary Tina Turner who owns a swanky villa in Villefranche and allegedly lives in it for one weekend a month!
The inspiration for Exile on Main Street
In fact it was Villafranche where the critically acclaimed and much loved Rolling Stones album ”Exile on Main Street “ was recorded in Keith Richards rented mansion ”Nellcote” back in 1971.
As the story goes, the Stones had bad tax debts in Britain in the early seventies and staved off this problem by emigrating to the south of France. Guitarist Keith Richards rented a mansion called “Nellcote” in Villefranche, and was where the Stones’ entourage hung out.
The legendary group had a makeshift recording studio in the cellar where thy made the iconic album “Exile on Main Street”. ‘Spanish Tony’ wrote of his experiences at Nellcote in his book “Up and down with the Rolling Stones” and talked about one of his duties as a member of the Stones’ staff was to smuggle heroin into France for drug addict Richards to use.
The Institut de Francais
It would be unfair to talk about Villefranche without giving the well regarded French language school, the Institut de Francais, a mention. The school never fails to receive glowing reviews from its students with barely believable tales of students who go on a four week course progressing from beginners to comfortable French conversationalists.
The institute is open all year round, and four week courses start at around 2700 Euros in the low season including twice daily meals. Being set high up on top of a cliff with the Mediterranean below, the Institut de Francais in Villafranche-Sur-Mer really does look like the ideal place to learn how to speak French.
So whether you want to go glitterati spotting, tread in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, or learn French in the most inspirational of locations, Villefranche, with its quant old harbour, long sandy beach and enticingly narrow cobbled streets, has something to offer for fans of the French Riviera.