Villefranche sur Mer, France
Holiday Villas and Apartments to Rent in Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera. This richly historic harbour resort adjoins Nice to the east and is just 10 km south west of Monaco – irresistible to visit when you rent a Villefranche-sur-Mer holiday villa!
The bay of Villefranche is one of the deepest natural harbours of any port in the Mediterranean Sea. Sailing and deep sea diving are sports available when you stay in a holiday rental home in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. The town has been settled since pre-historic times, consequently the area is rich in history. Sites to see include: Église Saint-Michel (Saint Michael's Church) in the heart of old town. It was built in the 1750s in the baroque Italian-style and it houses various impressive works of art.
The Chapelle Saint-Pierre (Saint Peter's Chapel) dates from the sixteenth century, it was restored in 1957 with Jean Cocteau adding his now-famous murals depicting the life of the saint and of local fishermen.
The old harbour of la Darse dates back to the 17th century. Built originally for the galleys of the Duke of Savoy, it is also the site of the oceanographic observatory Observatoire Oceanologique de Villefranche. The Citadel built in 1557 now houses the Town Hall, a convention centre, three museums and an open air theatre. Villa Léopolda on the hills surrounding was once the residence of King Leopold II of Belgium and has been tagged as “the most expensive house in the world”.
If beach life is for you when renting self-catering accommodation in Villefranche-sur-Mer, then be sure to visit Plage des Marinières. It’s the main beach (those in the know prefer it to Nice’s beaches!) and is located at the north end of the bay. There’s also Plage de la Darse; a smaller pebble beach situated behind the main jetty of the harbour of La Darse.
If you plan to arrive in Villefranche by train, there is a local service which runs between Nice and Monaco, trains operate every twenty minutes. Nice is the nearest airport offering regular service from all over the UK. Airlines include Air France, bmi, bmi baby, British airways, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2, Ryanair, Aer Lingus. If you prefer to drive then Villefranche is accessed via the A8 auto route.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is perfectly positioned on the Mediterranean coast. Sheltered by the Alps, freezing days are practically non-existent as are unbearably hot ones with temperatures rarely going above 30°C. The winds are generally light, as are the number of rainy days (63 per year on average).