Wow is the word for Notre Dame de la Menour, 800m high in the wild mountains inland from the Riviera coast. It began as a Romanesque chapel linked to the defensive walls—you can see the nearby ruins. The chapel was rebuilt in the 17th century and oriented correctly to the …

On Wednesday, February 21st, the fifth day of the 90th Menton Lemon Festival, the folklore group La Capeline de Menton performed traditional music, singing, and dancing to retrace the steps of their 19th-century Mentonnais ancestors. Imagine a light flute following the steady rhythm of a beating drum while girls and …

When Life Gives You Lemons. We Make Gin! The Citron de Menton has been cultivated since the 15th century, reaching its peak in the 18th century, when millions of lemons were shipped to the United States and Russia. Plagued by scurvy, many sailors were saved by eating lemons. In the …

We’ve just returned from our 3rd visit to the Cote d’Azur for our February fix of colour and fun at the Carnaval de Nice and (of course) the superb Fête du Citron that takes place in the beautiful setting of Menton from mid-February until early March each year. Menton’s Lemons …

Philippe and I knew how to pace ourselves.  We had dined at Mirzaur in 2015 when the restaurant had “only” two Michelin stars.  We’d received the celebratory email in 2019 when the owners shared, with émotion immense, news of their elevation.  Five months later the restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the …

Nice Carnaval In February 2018, for the first time, we found ourselves at Nice Carnaval – it probably sounds really awful, but we hadn’t really planned to go, only noticing it was on whilst we were planning a trip to the Fête du Citron at Menton for our wedding anniversary …

In February, Author Gayle Padgett and her husband Ralph drove to the Côte d’Azur to visit friends who live near Menton.  There are many reasons to visit this coastal city. The citrus festival (Fête du Citron) is a big draw for visitors in mid-winter. The rest of the year, as …

Thinking back now, the end of February wasn’t really the best choice for our wedding – it was a cold, wet and ultimately snowy day (although wonderful of course) – and for the last 28 years, we haven’t really had a long list of ways to celebrate –until now that …

Menton is a commune in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. It’s the last major town before leaving the French Riviera, wedged in-between the French-Italian border. It’s a place where you can tickle the turquoise sea, or enjoy the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Whether you call it the …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: We have bid farewell to 2016 and I am looking forward to what 2017 brings! For visitors to the French Riviera, February is an excellent month to visit because there are many interesting festivals and public events happening. One of my favourite festivals because …