Leave Nice and travel east five kilometres to the delightful town of Villefranche-sur-Mer with its deep natural harbour and wonderful selection of seafood restaurants.

Note the splendid Baroque church at the top of the hill and wind your way down the medieval streets to the amazing chapel by the sea, lavishly decorated by Jean Cocteau and dedicated to fishermen in the area who initially refused to enter because of the flamboyant naked male angels painted on the walls.

If you like Cocteau's work, travel onwards to Menton to a very camply decorated registry office and a wonderful museum, containing a huge Cocteau collection.

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A laid back, small town in the Roya valley hard up against the border with Italy.

Easily accessible by train from Nice and surrounded by beautiful hills perfect for exploring by foot or cycle.

Great entry point to the Mercantour National Park.

The town has its share of interesting buildings including an ancient bridge and the baroque Saint Michel cathedral set in an impressive town square.

With plenty of places to eat well Sospel is a peaceful haven away from the hectic coastal area.

www.sospel-tourisme.com/

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This hilltop town above Menton claims to be the highest coastal town in Europe at 780m above sea level, although even with a catapult you'd struggle to dive into the ocean from here.

The views over Menton, Monaco and the surrounding valleys are truly fabulous and there are at least a couple of restaurants to admire them from.

The town is only 20 minutes drive from Menton, or less from the corniche roads and motorway, but feels off the beaten track.

For the adventurous, try climing to the old XII fort and medieval garden at the top of the town which are in a shambolic state of disrepair.

The town contains numerous vaulted passageways and you can admire beautiful houses dating back to the XV century, with their magnificently restored doorways.

For those looking for more recent history, the town is the entry point for a tour into what remains of the Maginot Line fortress.

The restaurant with the best views in town is Le Righi, 1 place du fort, 06500 Sainte-Agnès. Reservations are recommended and can be made on: 04 92 10 90 88.

Sainte Agnes is 10km north of Menton. Menton is near the French-Italian border.
Map: tinyurl.com/37mx5l

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The D2566 from Sospel to Turini is better know to Monte Carlo Rally fans as the Col du Turini, and is awe inspiring in terms of scenery and challenging to drive or ride.

Half way along is the small church of N.D d'la Menour. You park and climb above and away from the road up to the small courtyard of the church.

It is blissfully peaceful with the smell of the lavender and buzzards circling below in the valley.

My brother and I spread my mother's ashes there, as a more beautiful spot I can't imagine.

D2566 from Sospel to Turini. Take the D2204 from Nice to Sospel.

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What's left of the old castle is perched on top of the hill that separates Nice Town from Nice Harbour. The views from the top of the hill are arguably the best in Nice and the cemetery has some beautifully carved mausolea.

Walk to the eastern end of the beach and either climb the steps, or take the lift part of the way and climb the rest.

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Villefranche is a 15-minute ride on the No 100 bus from the Gare Routier.

The views as you leave Nice and curve around the Cap de Nice into the Rade de Villefranche are spectacular.

Loads to do when you get there whatever your tastes. Sightseeing: the Citadel, Rue Obscure, the old Port; culture: four museums/galleries, all free entry; relaxing: two beaches, one coarse sand, the other stony; and loads of bars and restaurants.

There's a food market with local produce on Saturdays, antiques (well bric-a-brac) on Sundays, and above all it's a nice, relaxing, cosy place after the brashness of Nice.

PS don't take a car!

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A plush residential neighbourhood located around a hill in the north-east of Nice. This is where the Brits and Russians came to stay and built villas during the Belle Epoque, hence the exotic architecture, notably the Regina Palace, previously a hotel and the location of Matisse's workshop.

The park at the top of the hill (just after the statue of Queen Victoria) houses a nice olive grove, Roman ruins (with the associated archaeological museum), the Matisse Museum and the monastery with its phenomenal gardens (and nice views).

All in all, a great place to chill out for an afternoon, mingle with the locals on a weekend and wander around.

The park is also where the jazz festival takes place every summer - www.nicejazzfest.com - which is why the alleys are named after the jazz musicians who have performed there (Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie among others).

A pleasant walk of about 20 minutes slightly uphill from the train station, follow Boulevard de Cimiez.

Otherwise Bus No 15 from Place Massena, direction Rimiez. Timetables at www.lignedazur.com.

The park is open until around 8pm in the summer; closes earlier in the winter.

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