MEDIEVAL EZE VILLAGE ~ France

One the second day of our cruise we docked in Monaco.  My daughter had chosen to visit Eze Village, France while we were in port.  I had never heard of Eze Village and had done no research on it before we left.

Let me back up a minute in case this is the first post you have read about my European vacation.  My daughter is a history major and she has wanted to go to Europe since she was a little girl so I let her choose most of the places that we would explore throughout Europe.  I only had two places that I wanted to go which was Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast.

 She worked for weeks researching all of the countries we would visit and planning out what we would be able to do in the time we had in each port.  All I had to do was sit back, relax, and let her lead the way.  As you will be able to see from all of the photos I have been posting, she did a fantastic job.  Her hope is to one day lead college kids through these countries and allow them to immerse themselves in other cultures.  She is also  certified to teach  High School English  and feels it’s important for students  to be able to see the places that they spend so much time studying.

Eze Village, situated between Nice and Monaco, is a charming medieval village set on a mountain 1,400 feet above the French Riviera with amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea. The village is a maze of winding cobblestone streets where you will see beautiful landscaping set among stone walls.  You will see many delightful shops where you will find exquisite works of art along with cheap souvenirs for tourists.  We were there in March so many of the shops had not opened for the season, but I was there as a photographer so my focus was on capturing the historic fairy tale setting.  

Of the 16 days we were in Europe, it only rained in Monaco.  We were very lucky since we were there the first of March.  It started pouring about the time we reached Eze Village.  Even though I had to take pictures while my daughter held an umbrella over the camera, it was my favorite place to visit and is at the top of my list of places I would love to see again.  When asked what the highlight of my vacation was, I tell them Eze Village.

Here is one of the places you can get something to eat.  It was close to the bus stop and we sat down for a soda while waiting on the bus.

Here is the bus stop where you can catch a bus back to Monaco.  To the right is the parking lot leading up the Eze Village.

Tips for Eze Village

• Reaching Eze Village from the bus stop or parking lot requires a lot of uphill walking.  Wear comfortable walking shoes.
• Stop at the tourist information office to pick up a map.
• There are plenty of places to get something to eat or drink so don't try carrying a lot with you since the will be a lot of steep walking.
• Check for the correct bus line numbers before you go.  I found that some of the bus line numbers had changed which caused us to miss our bus.