Riviera

The walled medieval village of Diano Marina, on the Italian Riviera.

Nice, the main resort on the French Riviera, which became a fashionable destination for tourists, writers, and artists in the early 20th century. Sheltered from cold north winds by the Alps, the area has a mild climate allowing the cultivation of flower gardens and fruit, for which the area is well-known.

A view over the principality of Monaco from the grounds of the royal palace. Monaco is surrounded on three sides by the Alpes-Maritimes hills and mountains, and on the south the Mediterranean. It is a popular location for wealthy yacht owners.

The Mediterranean coast of France and Italy from Hyères to La Spezia. The most exclusive stretch of the Riviera, with the finest climate, is the Côte d'Azur, from Menton to St-Tropez, which includes Monaco.

To the north, the Alps and the Apennines rise almost directly from the Mediterranean and Ligurian seas, sometimes leaving a narrow coastal plain. Sheltered to the north and open on the south, the Riviera's good climate is marred only by an occasional bitter wind. Roses, carnations, violets, mimosa, and other flowers are grown, particularly at Grasse (near Cannes), for export and for perfumeries. The climate and the beauty of the surroundings attract many visitors, and the Riviera has long been famed as a cosmopolitan holiday resort.

There are three roads, called Corniches, running along the Riviera. The highest is the Grande Corniche, which passes along the hillside from Nice to Genoa; it dates from Roman times and was developed by Napoleon. A railway also skirts the coast from Fréjus to La Spezia. The best-known towns on the Riviera are Hyères, St-Tropez, Cannes,

Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo, Menton, Ventimiglia, Bordighera, San Remo, Savona, Genoa, Portofino, Rapallo, and La Spezia.