Vence.

PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR/FRANCE/43.7228° N, 7.1122° E
Build an itinerary based on what interests you

Vence sits twenty kilometres northwest of Nice in the pre-Alps foothills, reachable in forty-five minutes on the local 655 bus or half an hour by car. It is known for its intact medieval core, natural mineral springs, and the Chapelle du Rosaire designed by Henri Matisse. Vence is worth visiting if you want a working Provencal market town, exceptional twentieth-century sacred art, and cool upland air away from the coast. Look elsewhere if you need sandy beaches within walking distance or late-night clubbing.

Last updated 24 Sept 2026

Field notes

Photographs · Wikimedia Commons
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur / France43.72°N 7.11°E
Vence — Signac - View of town (St Paul du Var, Vence
Signac - View of town (St Paul du Var, Vence · Wikimedia Commons
Vence — Vence Duquesne
Vence Duquesne · Wikimedia Commons
Vence — Market day in Vence
Market day in Vence · Wikimedia Commons
Vence — Selling Fish at Scheveningen (Vente de Poisson a Schevelinghe -sic-), Vence
Selling Fish at Scheveningen (Vente de Poisson a Schevelinghe -sic-), Vence · Wikimedia Commons
Vence — Saint-Paul-de-Vence -09 12-03
Saint-Paul-de-Vence -09 12-03 · Wikimedia Commons
Vence — Vence, France - panoramio
Vence, France - panoramio · Wikimedia Commons
Curate your plan

Build a Vence itinerary.

Choose up to 4 threads that pull you in. Your plan arrives organised around them.

Lenses updated 24 Sept 20260 / 4 selected

The Bed

Where to stay in Vence

Which part of town to book, and what each one costs you in walking, noise or quiet.

Look at places to stay in Vence

The Comparison

Vence, or somewhere near it

The places you are realistically choosing between, and the honest case for each.

The Local Record

Where to read more about Vence

The blogs, boards, guides and operators worth bookmarking.

What to do in Vence Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France

Vence clusters inside elliptical medieval ramparts, its shaded alleys opening onto small squares with working stone fountains. Mornings belong to the market vendors setting out olives and cheese on Place du Grand Jardin, followed by quiet afternoons examining Matisse’s Chapel across the ravine. It suits independent travellers looking for authentic Provencal village rhythm without the manicured polish of coastal resort strips.

24 hours in Vence Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France

Start early at the Place du Grand Jardin market before walking fifteen minutes north to Matisse’s Chapelle du Rosaire. Lunch on pissaladière and local rosé at Place Clemenceau. Spend the afternoon wandering medieval lanes past the 11th-century cathedral, then settle into a café terrace on Place du Peyra as the bells ring six. Select 1 Day above to see it.

2 days in Vence Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France

A second day lets you hike the rocky switchbacks up Baou des Blancs for wide views of the sea, followed by a short bus ride west to medieval Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Finish the evening back in Vence with rich daube provençale and a glass of red Bellet at an unhurried bistro along Rue de la Coste. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.

3 days in Vence Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France

With three days, head north to the limestone wilderness of the Col de Vence for morning birdwatching and hiking across the karst plateau. Spend your final afternoon viewing modern collections at the Château de Villeneuve, then finish with a bag of warm almond craquelins eaten on a bench beneath the ancient ash tree on Place du Frêne.

Vence Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France itineraries by interest