Èze village – eagle’s nest

Èze (fr. Èze) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, approximately 13 kilometres from Nice and 9 km from Monaco. Part of French Riviera.

Originally, the territory of the Principality of Monaco was considered to begin in the Èze village (outskirts of Nice), running along the Mediterranean coast to Menton, on the present Italian border.

Èze has been described as an “eagle’s nest” because of its location overlooking a high cliff 427 metres above sea level on the French Mediterranean.

Tourism and attractions

The old village offers in its labyrinthine alleys many arts and crafts shops. A ruined castle on a top of a village now houses an exotic garden with extraordinary views, and overlooks a cemetery where a few personalities rest.

The Nietzsche path starting from the seaside goes directly to a hilltop village. It is said that Nietzsche, living at the end of his life in Nice, ill, frequented this path, and was inspired by it to write the third part of Thus spoke Zarathustra.

Main sights: 

  • House known as Château de Aiguetta
  • Château Lou Seuil or Château Balsan
  • House known as Château Eza
  • Nearby is the Castellar or Brasca oppidum, listed as a historic monument in 1996.

  • Fort Anselme, then Fort de la Revère
  • Series of 4 blockhouses called casemates of the Place de Nice
  • Water mill: former flour mill of Pissarelles

Religious buildings: 

  • Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Èze, rebuilt in the 18th century, classified in 1984 as a historical monument
  • Sainte-Croix Chapel, former Chapel of the White Penitents, restored in 1953
  • Chapel, avenue Poincaré, 11th century, former priory, located in Saint-Laurent-d’Èze

  • Saint-François chapel, avenue des Fleurs in Èze bord de Mer
  • Saint-Joseph chapel, Aiguetta district
  • Saint-Laurent-d’Eze Chapel

Shopping

Famous for its art galleries and perfumes.

Best restaurants

La Chèvre d’Or, rue du Barri, 90 – 260 EUR • Creative cuisine. Two MICHELIN Stars

How to get to?

Nearest airport: Nice-Côte d’Azur

From 1900 to 1929, Èze was served by a line of the Nice and Littoral Tramway.

Railways:

The Èze-sur-Mer station is a passenger stopover for the French National Railway Company (SNCF), served by TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur trains.

Shortest distance by car:

From Menton: 31 min (19.8 km) via A8 and D2564

From Monaco: 17 min (9.3 km) via D6007

From Beaulieu-sur-Mer: 13 min (7.4 km) via M6007

From Villefranche-sur-Mer: 16 min (7.8 km) via M6007

From Nice: 24 min (12.3 km) via M6007

From Cagnes-sur-Mer (tolls): 34 min (33.7 km) via A8

From Antibes (tolls): 51 min (43.2 km) via A8

From Cannes (tolls): 59 min (53.5 km) via A8

From Mandelieu-La Napoule (tolls): 45 min (56.9 km) via A8

From Fréjus (tolls): 1 h 5 min (84.7 km) via A8

From Saint-Raphaël (tolls): 1 h 13 min (87.4 km) via A8

From Sainte-Maxime (tolls): 1 h 28 min (118 km) via A8

From Saint-Tropez (tolls): 1 h 53 min (132 km) via A8

From Cavalaire-sur-Mer (tolls): 1 h 58 min (138 km) via A8

From Toulon (tolls): 1 h 56 min (169 km) via A57 and A8

From Aix-en-Provence (tolls): 2 h 8 min (195 km) via A8

From Nîmes (tolls): 3 h 11 min (300 km) via A8

From Marseille (tolls): 2 h 26 min (219 km) via A8

From Avignon (tolls): 2 h 52 min (280 km) via A8

From Montpellier (tolls): 3 h 36 min (346 km) via A8

From Sète (tolls): 3 h 43 min (375 km) via A8

From Agde (tolls): 3 h 56 min (399 km) via A8

From Pézenas (tolls): 3 h 59 min (401 km) via A8

From Béziers (tolls): 4 h 5 min (411 km) via A9 and A8

From Perpignan (tolls): 4 h 45 min (495 km) via A9 and A8

From Argelès-sur-Mer (tolls): 5 h 6 min (521 km) via A9 and A8

From Collioure (tolls): 5 h 12 min (528 km) via A9 and A8

From Narbonne (tolls): 4 h 14 min (434 km) via A9 and A8

From La Baule-Escoublac (tolls): 11 h 54 min (1,239 km) via A7

From Saint-Nazaire (tolls): 11 h 51 min (1,224 km) via A7

From Nantes (tolls): 10 h 37 min (1,163 km) via A62

From Saumur (tolls): 9 h 40 min (1,034 km) via A7

From Les Sables-d’Olonne (tolls): 10 h 53 min (1,152 km) via A62

From Cognac (tolls): 9 h (938 km) via A62 

From Angoulême (tolls): 9 h (937 km) via A62

From Eauze (tolls): 7 h 15 min (710 km) via A8

From La Rochelle (tolls): 9 h 26 min (1,000 km) via A62

From Rochefort (tolls): 9 h 6 min (972 km) via A62

From Saintes (tolls): 8 h 46 min (936 km) via A62

From Arcachon (tolls): 8 h 30 min (875 km) via A62

From Royan (tolls): 9 h 11 min (940 km) via A62

From Biarritz (tolls): 8 h 17 min (883 km) via A64

From Saint-Jean-de-Luz (tolls): 8 h 19 min (888 km) via A64

From Bayonne (tolls): 8 h 6 min (870 km) via A64

From Dax (tolls): 8 h 4 min (849 km) via A64

From Lourdes (tolls): 7 h 11 min (749 km) via A8

From Pau (tolls): 7 h 24 min (766 km) via A8

From Périgueux (tolls): 8 h 7 min (856 km) via A8

From Bordeaux (tolls): 7 h 50 min (823 km) via A62 and A8

From Toulouse (tolls): 5 h 35 min (581 km) via A8

From Carcassonne (tolls): 4 h 44 min (490 km) via A9 and A8

From Andorra (tolls): 7 h 27 min (660 km) via A9 and A8

Main information

Area: 9.5 sq. km

Population: 2 300

Languages: French

Currency: euro

Visa: Schengen

Time: Central European UTC +1

Coordinates: 43°43′43″N 7°21′42″E

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