Exploring the Enchanting Village of Èze France 

Things To Do In Èze France

If you are looking to visit an idyllic medieval village on the French Riviera, then look no further than Èze. Located just 20 minutes drive from Nice, it is a gorgeous location to wander for a day or perhaps treat yourself to a decadent overnight stay in one of the prestigious hotel properties there.

We have visited Èze twice and each time have enjoyed roaming the quaint, cobblestone streets with tiny doorways that lead to shops, cafes and restaurants. Similar to Les Baux de Provence, where you can’t help but stop often for beautiful picture opportunities, Èze does not disappoint.

Aside from the eye-appealing beauty of the town, there are some interesting attractions and things to do here. This blog details the most popular things to do in Èze, France, so you can plan your visit to the fullest.

Highlights of Èze

Enjoy The Streets Of Vieux Èze

Set in this hilltop village is a very pretty town that dates to the 12th century. The limestone was brought in from the local area and used to construct the castle and houses of the village. The village had small, tight streets to create shaded areas that helped with protection from the heat of the day.

In the 1300s, the castle was further fortified with ramparts and walls, but unfortunately, the castle and walls were ordered destroyed in the early 1700s by Louis the 14th. Today, you can still see small amounts of ruins at the top of the hill.

But the village is very well maintained and offers a glimpse into the Medieval time period. Around every corner, there is a pretty archway, stone pathways leading you to picturesque nooks and crannies and flowers and plants peeking out of numerous crevices. It is a photographer’s dream to explore this charming French village.

✅ If you can make your own way to Èze, check out this lovely tour that will cover all the sights mentioned in this blog. It is the perfect way to see the village highlights with a local guide.

Shopping in Èze France

With over a dozen art galleries and two dozen shops around the village, you will have excellent opportunities for shopping.

Tucked into the stone walls, you can find stores with regional food specialties, clothing, jewellery, wood products, leather, ceramics, cosmetics and of course, many, many Fragonard perfumeries.

There are loads of items available that make perfect souvenirs.

Le Jardin Exotique

Once you have explored the streets, you will likely have made your way up to the top of the village to the entrance of the Jardin Exotique d’Èze. For me, this was the highlight of our visit since I love to visit gardens like the Royal Botanical Garden in Sydney, the Botanical Garden in Akureyri, Iceland or Terra Nostra Park in Sao Miguel, Azores.

Built after the second world war, within the ruins of the castle 429 metres above sea level, this incredible garden was built in two phases by the Maire Andre Guiton.  

The site was chosen on one side of the hill for protection from the wind, and the rocky terrain provided excellent drainage. This made it a perfect spot for the succulents and cacti that were originally installed.

As the garden evolved, plants from all over the world (in fact from every continent) were planted in two sections. The first is very dry and houses plants from desert regions such as North America, South Africa, and Mexico. The collection of cacti and succulents is very impressive and varied.

On the other side, where it is shadier and more humid, are Mediterranean style plants that include species from New Zealand and China.  Here we recognized many plants we have seen in our travels.

The garden has many steps, climbing all across the steep hillside. This, combined with beautiful sculptures by Jean-Philippe Richard of his Earth Goddess collection, makes for an enjoyable walk. It reminded us of the beautiful sculptures of women like those that we have seen in the Tuileries Garden in Paris.

There are a few locations in the garden set with benches or loungers. If you go early, it will be a lovely spot for contemplation.

But be sure to check out the sea views from the very top. It is a spectacular location for seeing much of the French Riviera.

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Drinks at Château Eza

Perched high on the cliff is the extraordinary hotel Chateau Eza. If you are only visiting for the day, here you can indulge in a very special meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant. This will require advance reservations. Or you can also enjoy drinks and a small snack menu on the outdoor terrace.

The view from here is similar to that at the Jardin Exotique, and we could actually see the hotel and restaurant from the garden when we visited. But from the terrace, it feels like you are right within the valley, with a stunning view looking down towards the sea.

We love having a glass of wine at beautiful places. Another very memorable location was at the Rock Restaurant in Zanzibar, looking out over the Indian Ocean. 

This spectacular terrace with simple tables and patio chairs is a nice spot to unwind after touring around the town. Service is top-notch, and the terrace allows casual attire.

Eglise Notre Dame de l’Assomption

The pretty church that also sits on the edge of the cliff was completed in 1772. The exterior is quite simple in the neo classical style.

The inside is elaborately decorated in Baroque style. Unfortunately, the interior has undergone significant moisture damage over the years and is now closed for a very large restoration project.

✅ If you don’t have a car, consider booking this tour that will provide you with transportation to the village, a stop at the perfume factory and even take you to see Monaco. What a perfect day!

Perfume

An institution in Èze is the Fragonard perfume company. This French company originally opened in Grasse in 1926 while the location in Eze opened in the 1960s. It is a family owned business, now in its fourth generation and currently owned by three sisters.

The factory offers complimentary group tours, but we wanted to go a little deeper, so we booked the perfume making workshop.

We learned about the serious business of creating scent, including that a perfume maker is called a Nose. There are currently only 350 trained Noses in the world. That might have to do with the extreme commitment it takes to fulfil this role.

They first study three years of chemistry and then seven additional years of training to memorize 2000 scents! This is done at one of three universities in France. Once they are trained, they aren’t able to drink alcohol, smoke or eat spicy food. It is a full dedication to the art of their career.

Fragonard focuses on a different scent each year, and when we visited, the theme was the lemon. We were given bottles of different scented botanicals and learned about the different notes that are combined to create perfumes.

Head notes are what you initially smell, and they last for 1-2 hours. Then there are the middle notes (coeurs or heart) that will be what you smell for 3-4 hours, followed by the base notes that last for 5-8 hours.

We played with a citrus, a musk/oriental scent, and a floral scent that included rose and jasmine. Adding drops based on our own preferences allowed us to create a personalized scent to take home. It was very interesting to see how the combinations came together.

We also had a tour of the factory where only eight people work in all the departments. Watching the soap maker who makes 2000 bars per day was really amazing.

And finding out that the packaging is also handmade really emphasized how this company is focused on quality.

Once in the store, we learned about the different percentages of essential oils that determine the strength and longevity of the scent. For instance, parfum is 25% essential oil mixed with alcohol. Eau de Parfum is only 15% and mixed with water and alcohol so the scent is diluted. Eau de toilette is 10% and Eau de Cologne is only 5% again, mixed with water and alcohol. This is the factor that determines the price. 

We, of course, purchased some scents to take home since they don’t sell outside of France. The options are numerous, but they let you test as much as you like. It was a wonderful experience!

✅ If you are interested in an excursion that includes a guided tour at the perfume factory while visiting Eze and Monaco, then this tour is a great option to reserve. It is very highly rated by many guests.

FAQs

How to Get To Èze

Since we were staying in Nice, we chose to drive as it wasn’t that far and was the most convenient option for us. The drive up and along the coast is very scenic. However, there is limited parking, so try to plan your arrival as early as possible. 

During our planning, we did find that there is public transportation, just make sure you plan your routes carefully. The train station is at the bottom of the cliff in Èze-sur-Mer.

This is not in the village, so it will require a long walk of approximately an hour or an additional bus ride that isn’t overly frequent. If you are travelling from Nice to Eze or coming from a neighbouring city, you are best to take the bus that has a bus stop directly in the town.

Eze France Hotels

There are two luxury hotels located within the village. The Chateau Eza which we can vouch is an amazing place to stay or the La Chèvre d’Or. Just keep in mind that La Chèvre d’Or only operates seasonally and it not open from mid October to mid April.

Eze France Map

Located at the base of the village is the following map. Or you can pop into the Tourist Information Centre in the town.

The Final Word…Enjoying Eze France

If you find yourself in the South of France, whether it is in Nice, Monaco or another nieghbouring city, be sure to plan some time to visit Èze. It is a gorgeous location for a day trip with charming shops, a fantastic garden, and an unbeatable view of the French Riviera. Èze is definitely worth visiting!