Stretching from the Corniche des Maures to the Corniche de la Riviera, France's Côte d'Azur is perfect holiday country. Abundant sea and sun, the most enchanting beauty spots and fine stone architecture, along with a reputation for good living, have made the Riviera one of France's most privileged resorts for over a century.

But what would the Mediterranean be without its hinterland, its hill top villages perched high on the rocky skyline, its landscapes drenched with light and colour, its craggy red, ochre and brown ridges, and its rolling scrubland dense with the fragrance of wild flowers ? To the grand and prestigious resorts of Hyères, Saint-Tropez, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Menton, we must add the more discreet charm of the towns and villages often tucked away in the surrounding country : Bormes-les-Mimosas, Ramatuelle, Grimaud, Grasse, Vallauris, Vence, Tourette-sur-Loup, Eze and La Turbie. The Riviera is also the chosen land of the great French painters of the century. The homage paid by the likes of Picasso, Matisse and Léger to their Mediterranean muse has helped bring the Riviera into hearts and homes the world over.