In the spirit of the European Heritage Days, Antibes has decided to highlight its “hidden heritage.” Behind this intriguing theme lies a multitude of visits, history lessons, unique places, and surprises that will satisfy all curiosities seeking discovery.
Follow the guide, you won’t believe your eyes! The sun has just risen and Antibes, proud of its cultural wealth, is about to unveil itself. Beneath its appearance as a large seaside resort, the city keeps its charms well-hidden and offers you the chance to participate, so let’s roll the dice…
We join rue du Bateau, not to navigate but to set the course for the Picasso Museum. Our steps echo on cobblestones, and the scenery becomes picturesque, with intersecting alleys and arches that seem to protect a silently well-preserved history. In the distance, the coastline awakens our senses, the Promenade of Admiral de Grasse, and a staircase climb later, we find ourselves at Place Mariejol. Our eyes rise, and Château Grimaldi surprises us. There are still steps to climb before reaching the entrance of the lair housing Pablo Picasso’s tireless paintings. Picasso, who painted according to his love affairs, left behind a part of darkness in his otherwise luminous paintings, which you are invited to discover while adopting his artist’s perspective. For the next part of our adventure, we head to Port Vauban or rather along it. Boats of all sizes, yachts, sailing ships, and beyond the masts, in the background: a monument overlooking the Mediterranean: Fort Carré. Classified as a historic monument, it reveals from each angle a distant landscape that leaves one dreaming.
Returning to old Antibes, to a place dedicated to preserving the city’s construction history: the municipal archives. One learns much about Juan-les-Pins, a territory inseparable from Antibes. The land of Jazz, Hemingway’s paradise, offers some of its little secrets proving its eternal allure. Although one says “Antibois” and “Juanais,” they form a beautiful “we” like two crazy lovers.
A few meters away, near an armory, a police station, and a restaurant terrace that looks cozy for a lunch, the Peynet Museum catches our eye. No time for indulgence; instead, we will feast on the good taste and vices of political cartoonists from the 19th century to today. From the July Monarchy to the Fifth Republic, from Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to Nicolas Sarkozy, these artists, who took time to be recognized, offer through their works, a beautiful history lesson promising a few smiles.
We leave solid ground (or almost) to dive into the depths of Cap d’Antibes. A tower welcomes us: “The Coastal Space and Marine Environment” for an exhibit dive into the Mediterranean’s vast beauty. Leaving there with a desire for heights, the next stop requires good walking shoes or a bus ticket, you decide. For us, our legs will lead us to the end of what Antibes locals call the “path of Calvary.” Reaching the top with some shortness of breath, the breathtaking panorama quickly catches our attention (though we catch our breath) offering a few things. To the right and in the distance, the Bay of Angels, among others, and to the left, the “Sanctuary of La Garoupe,” a beautiful coincidence. The chapel seems to hold the prayers of fishermen and watches over Antibes, aided not far away by the lighthouse of La Garoupe, which casts its light far, far away.
In all this splendor, this immense heritage knows no bounds and is even more vast. You will still have to imagine the story of the “Nomade” by Jaume Plensa, who gazes at the vastness, likely seeking to explain eternity. You will discover nature with Parc Exflora and the Gardens of Villa Thuret, quench your thirst at the Fountain of Veterans, explore the remnants of Roman architecture with the Fontvieille Aqueduct, admire the Chapel of Saint Bernardin, and satisfy your thirst for knowledge at the Albert Camus Media Library. He wrote “The Stranger,” but know that if you hold all the keys to the heritage of Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins, it’s because in addition to being a land of culture, it’s a land of hospitality. Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th September, no more hesitations, dive in!
