Port of Monaco - EZE

The medieval village of Eze, France

EZE. PRONOUNCED: "Ezz," we learned from our French guide. Originally populated as a commune around 200 B.C., the current medieval buildings mostly date back to 14th and 15th Centuries. Alternately ruled by the Romans, the Moors, the house of Savoy, and others, Eze officially became part of France in 1860. The village is built high up into a mountainside, overlooking the Mediterranean.

Eze, France

THE HOUSE of Savoy deemed it a strategic location because of its "Eagles Nest" view of the surrounding area and its close proximity (about 5 miles) to Nice.

Eze, France

TODAY, THE village is mostly shops, hotels (including some 5-stars), art galleries and restaurants. Its primary draw is tourism, and it is said to be a favorite for honeymooners, among other things.

Eze, France, viewed from near the top of the Medieval Village

AT THE base of the Medieval Village, there is a parking lot, a couple restaurants, and a "perfume factory" (more on that later 😏). This is where the busses and tourist vans stop. There is also a railroad station that is served from Nice nearby (though we didn't see it).  There is a steep, switchback driveway just a very short way up to the village, which terminates in the parking lot of one of the 5-star hotels (reputed to be a favorite of celebrities). The rest of the way up is a steep, curvy walking path. As you ascend, it begins to weave between the medieval buildings. It is all cobblestone.

Eze, France

WE WALKED nearly to the top. You can see the surrounding residential and hotel accommodations in the distance from the image above - as well as the view down to the Mediterranean.

Eze, France

IN ADDITION to shops, galleries and hotels, there is a Church about halfway up, which it is said, can be seen from the valley below on clear days. It is a pretty little village with lots of more "intimate" photo-ops.

Church in Eze, France

I MENTIONED the perfume "factory" above. After seeing what we could of the medieval village, we made our way back down to the meeting point. At the base of the village, near where the bus parking was, was a single story building that presumably housed a "perfume factory." We had some time constraints and wanted to get on to - in our minds - the main event: Monaco, so nobody in our group had any particular interest in the factory. Just across the street were some other little shops that may or may not have been interesting. I made a few shots as we waited for the rest of the group to descend from the Medieval Village. Then, it was on (back?) to Monaco, where we completed our day, before returning to our ship.

Base of the Village; Eze, France