Leave the car in the garage! 5 picturesque villages accessible by train or bus from Nice

The village of La Turbie, at an altitude of almost 400 metres, is a good starting point for discovering the medieval and Provencal villages of the Riviera. With its baroque church and central square featuring a well, it's a delight to lose yourself in the narrow flower-lined streets and admire the stone houses.

Even if you're not familiar with the region, it's impossible to miss the village of La Turbie! Dominated by its 35-metre-high Roman edifice, the Trophée d'Auguste was built by the Romans as a tribute to the Emperor Augustus. This vestige was originally topped by a statue of him, but it's no less impressive for that! Surrounded by a pretty park with a view over the Principality of Monaco, you can find out more about this monument in its small museum.

Perched at an altitude of over 400 metres, Èze is the kind of village you don't forget! You enter the village through a fortified double gate. The narrow streets are an invitation to stroll, and the scents of the flowers that litter the village are an olfactory escape. The famous House of Fragonard has set up a perfume and soap factory in Èze, and free guided tours are organised to discover the secrets of this family-run perfume factory.

The exotic garden at Èze is a great place for a botanical stroll and offers exceptional views of the Mediterranean Sea. To round off your visit, why not take the Nietzsche trail to the beach at Eze-sur-mer for a 45-minute hike?

Between Menton and Monaco, at an altitude of 300 metres, the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin has all the trappings of a typical medieval village, with its thousand-year-old castle and keep. More surprisingly, the village is home to an olive tree that is over 2,000 years old! You'll most certainly enter the village via the Place des deux frères, before discovering its staircases leading to a number of hidden nooks and crannies...

The village is famous for its centuries-old olive trees, and the Parc du Cap Martin is an ideal spot for a picnic in the shade of the olive trees. If you have time, the Le Corbusier trail allows you to discover the coastline by following a signposted path around Cap Martin (approx. 3 hours).

The star of this village of 4,000 inhabitants is the violet! Tourrettes even has its own museum, the Bastide aux violettes, and its greenhouses where you can learn all the secrets of growing this flower. Nicknamed the "City of Violets" or the "Capital of Violets", violets are at the heart of village life. The Violet Festival is held every first weekend in March and ends with a battle of the flowers!

The best way to sample local violet products is to visit Tourrettes-sur-Loup on Wednesday mornings for the weekly market from 9am to 1pm. If that's not possible, we recommend a visit to the Florian confectionery, a family-run business that has been operating in the region since 1921 and which magnifies fruit and flowers (including the famous violet) in its sweet creations.

It's impossible to finish this article without mentioning one of the most famous villages on the Riviera, Saint-Paul-de-Vence! A popular tourist destination in high season, it nevertheless retains its Provencal charm and authenticity. The village, set high up in the hills, is surrounded by ramparts dating back to the 16th century. A tour of the ramparts is a great way to discover the village and admire the landscape, between sea and mountains.

Before entering the village through its fortified gateway, you'll probably pass the Place Charles de Gaulles, where regulars gather to play pétanque. Strolling through the narrow streets of the village is a delightful experience, with its boutiques and art galleries, its Grande Fontaine (large fountain) and its old wash-house. Saint-Paul-de-Vence also has its own oil mill, because for a long time, olive oil production was a major economic activity in the village.