After spending two weeks in the fairy-tale village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup in September, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite places. I stayed in a gorgeous villa just a 10-minute walk from the village, and spent my time exploring nearby towns along the French Riviera. Everything about this part of the world is amazing: the scenery, the architecture, the weather, the people and, of course, the food!

Located in the French Alpes-Maritimes, 14 miles from the French Riviera, this medieval village is a fabulous place to visit. Tourrettes is a convenient base to explore many other hilltop villages and towns nearby.

Known as the City of Violets, Tourrettes-sur-Loup holds an annual Fête des Violettes (violet festival) in March. The entire town is decked out with violet floral arrangements that remind me of a fairy-tale picture book. Of course, the town is beautiful at any time of year. Summers are hot and quite busy with many tourists and tons of traffic in the area. September is a great time to go with less tourists and great weather.

Dining

Tourrette-sur-Loup is a quiet little village with just a few restaurants, one of them has a Michelin star! Or, for something more casual, stop by the Café du Midi for a yummy Croque Monsieur. Another great restaurant is Le Medieval, located within the ramparts, with great food and several prix fix menu options. I had a delicious, moist chicken with a dijon mushroom sauce, yum!

There are two bakeries in town, both have housemade croissants, breads, cakes, pastries and coffee. My morning ritual was a delicious Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissant), and sometimes a mini quiche as well! The eclairs are AMAZING, be sure to try every flavor. Hey, when in France right?

Shopping

On Wednesday mornings, the weekly Marché (market) takes place in the village square of Tourrettes-sur-Loup. You’ll find several stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, local honey, olives, scented Marseille soaps, linens and clothing…all very affordable. It’s a great place to pick up souvenirs and gifts for friends and family at home.

Going to the weekly Marché is a way of life in France, I made sure to visit them all in the surrounding towns. You can easily visit one a day, I did! Check out Market Day in Valbonne for a larger Marché to explore!

Tourrettes is not a shopping Mecca, but for your everyday needs there are the two bakeries, a small convenience grocery mart, a pharmacy, two butcher shops and a vegetable shop.

The Boucherie (butcher) on the town square is the best, and they have great house made pâtés and terrines, try the rabbit one. The two men working there are friendly, speak a little English, and clearly love dogs…even throwing scraps to some lucky-and very happy-canines!

In addition to the wonderful food stores, there are some lovely jewelry shops, boutiques, pottery and woodworking shops. Naturally, there are a couple of shops selling souvenirs from the area. One such shop sells all things “violet”. Be sure to sample some violet liquor, honey or preserves!

For more shops, Vence is just a 10-minute drive away from Tourrettes-sur-Loup and has larger grocery stores, Leclerc being the largest, and tons of shops, boutiques, restaurants and more! Old Town Vence is a lovely cobblestone, pedestrian area with tons of shops and restaurants.

If you’re heading to the French Riviera, and want to avoid the massive crowds, consider staying in Tourettes-our-Loup.

Be sure to check out some of the other hilltop towns while there, see Exploring Saint Paul de Vence for the most famous one! But the lovely town of Biot is a fun way to spend a day, check out One Day in Biot for more information.

Leave me any questions or comments below.

Bon Voyage!

XOXO

Susie