Côte d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur is the French stretch of the Mediterranean Riviera, running from Cassis to Menton. The name was coined by the writer Stéphen Liégeard in his 1887 book of the same title. The historical tourism capitals are Nice (Promenade des Anglais), Cannes (Film Festival since 1946), Monaco, Saint-Tropez (transformed by Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s and 60s), and the Cap-Ferrat and Cap d'Antibes peninsulas, which hold some of the world's most expensive real estate per square meter. For travelers, this region has the densest concentration of French Palace-classified hotels in the world. Peak season runs April through October, with July and August at maximum prices.