St. Paul-de-Vence Cruise Ship Shore Excursion from Nice or Cannes

Traditional Village Is Picturesque and Well Worth a Half-Day's Visit

Cruise ships sailing the Mediterranean often dock in Cannes or Nice on the French Riviera for the day. Passengers who wish to explore a traditional French village can take a half-day shore excursion to one of several nearby towns such as St. Paul-de-Vence or Eze.

I visited St. Paul-de-Vence for a few hours when our cruise ship was docked in Cannes, and found the picturesque 16th century village to be fascinating and well worth the time. Saint Paul de Vence sits high on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding French countryside. We strolled the cobbled streets and explored artisan's shops. The old buildings are fascinating, and the shops have many different types of handicrafts.

St. Paul-de-Vence is only one of the many similar villages in the area, but its views are much different than those at Eze since the town in inland and the Mediterranean Sea is not visible.

We also hiked the short distance (up a hill) from St. Paul to Fondation Maeght, a nearby modern art museum. The contrast between the old village and the modern museum was striking and made for a memorable day. The Maeght Foundation Museum is one of Europe's most famous modern art museums. The Maeght was built in 1964 and designed by Spanish architect Jose-Luis Sert, who worked with modern artists such as Miro and Chagall on the design.

St. Paul de Vence is a fascinating medieval French village to explore. However, its cobblestone streets are designed only for the able-bodied.