Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is the village where Coco Chanel had her villa. The narrow streets of the Old Town lead up to an olive tree that is over a thousand years old, and the Grimaldi fortress towers above the village.
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a village that is spread out along the coast between Monaco and Menton. Here you will find a beautiful beach covered with fine gravel, and a medieval Old Town built on the steep slope. Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is much calmer than nearby Monaco or Nice, but just as beautiful. Coco Chanel, who lived in the Villa La Pausa, liked this area; and Pablo Picasso and Winston Churchill were keen visitors to her estate.
Roquebrune Cap Martin, French Riviera
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin – a quiet village
There are several attractions in Roquebrune that are worth seeing. First of all is, of course, the Old Town with its narrow streets and viewing terrace. It is worth entering the Grimaldi castle/fortress, which dates from the end of the 9th century and offers a beautiful view of the whole area, especially towards Monaco. The admission ticket costs €5, and you can spend about 30 minutes inside. Just remember that it’s closed during lunch time.
The name Roquebrune comes from the color of the rock on which the town is built, and means brown rock.
It is also worth going south along the rue de la Fontaine, then Chemin de Menton, to see the more than 1000-year-old olive tree (l’Olivier Millénaire), the oldest known in the region.
How to get to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin?
You can reach Roquebrune-Cap-Martin by train (Grasse – Ventimiglia via Nice and Monaco), but then you will have to wander up-hill to the Old Town. It’s best to get there by car or scooter, choosing the Upper Cornices, an extremely picturesque route from Nice going towards the Italian border.
Roquebrune Cap Martin, French Riviera
From Nice to Menton there is also bus 100, which passes Roquebrune. Roquebrune is right next to Menton, so it’s worth going on to this lovely town right after your Menton visit.
Great article! It is always good to plan to spend your holiday in a villa. By booking a villa you can enjoy your vacation with your family. Villas are not as expensive to rent as people might think and a villa provide you various facilities for example – games rooms with pool tables, darts boards etc, 3D TV’s, Blu-ray players, playstations, board games. Thanks for such a nice post and I also like your vacation pictures:-)
In 1793, Roquebrune became French for the first time, changing the name from the original Roccabruna, but it was returned to Monaco in 1814. In 1804 Napoleon built a road along the coastline. This road connected the village to the rest of the Cote d’Azur, and eventually led to its merger with the smaller town of Cap-Martin.