When Pierre meets you at Le Café de la Place, it's to welcome you like you're a friend in his village. A bottle of water, a word of welcome, and we set off to discover Saint-Paul-de-Vence together.
The first leg climbs slightly towards the chapels of Sainte-Claire and Saint-Claude Saint-Charles. This is where Pierre begins to tell the storey of the village, with the first panorama of the ochre rooftops of Saint-Paul in the background. Your first photos start here.
You then go back down to the medieval village. Pierre takes you past the Colombe d'Or, the legendary inn where painters paid their bills with canvases. The Porte de Vence welcomes you with its Lacan cannon, a witness to the sieges of the 16th century. You enter the village that François I wanted.
Along the ramparts, Pierre adapts the trail according to your group: under the walls or along the high path. You arrive at the view of the Baous, a panorama of the three mountains and the cemetery below. Here, Pierre tells the storey of the fortifications and what he particularly likes about this place.
The cemetery is worth a visit. There, you pay tribute to Marc Chagall and the figures who made Saint-Paul what it is. A quieter moment before plunging back into the hustle and bustle of the village.
Return via Rue Grande, with its artists' galleries, workshops, and contemporary sculptures. Pierre shows you the Placette aux anneaux à mulets, the sculpture by Nicolas Lavarenne, and then the Grande Fontaine from 1850, where the people of Saint-Paul have been gathering for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Pierre tells you about everyday life in the village, without clichés.
The end of the walk takes you to the top of the village: the Donjon, the Collegiate Church, then the descent to the house where Jacques Prévert lived. You'll go back along the Rue Grande in the other direction, taking a fresh look at the 70 art galleries concentrated over 7 hectares.
Pierre concludes the walk at the Bastion du Dauphin, at the entrance of the village, with a small gift from Provence to take with you. Because you don't leave Saint-Paul-de-Vence empty-handed.
