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Colourful façades, light-tiled roofs, melodious markets, sunny terraces and narrow streets are all things commonly associated with the South of France. They also represent the heart and soul of Valbonne.
A small medieval town with an original checkerboard layout (the streets intersecting at right angles) that experienced a rapid rise in popularity in the 1970s when the Sophia-Antipolis technology park opened nearby. The streets here sprawl out beneath the small and incredibly charming buildings off the Place des Arcades, where you can enjoy a pleasant stroll in the shade, while the historic town centre, sheltered by the rampart-houses, offers a whole host of veritable delights.
This chic little residential town attracts large numbers of foreign tourists, giving Valbonne something of a cosmopolitan feel that suits it well. Both locals and summer residents alike have been drawn here, away from the hustle and bustle of Cannes, to take full advantage of the quieter inland surroundings it offers while at the same time being barely 30 minutes away from the festival town and the delights of the Mediterranean. People come to Valbonne for the sun; they stay there for the good life.
The farmers' market held on Place de l'Eglise every Friday sells local produce, while the restaurants offer tasty home-cooked food to be enjoyed on their busy terraces. The fashion and homeware boutiques, along with the various traditional festivals celebrated here, such as Saint-Roch in August, give Valbonne the feel of a lively and pleasant village.
The Chalaisian abbey, the St Bernardin and St Esprit chapel, the Roman aqueduct of Clausonnes, the oppidum of St Thérèse and the municipal museum of popular arts and traditions are just some of the area’s cultural attractions.
The preserved architecture of the villas with their swimming pools and the Provençal farmhouses with their stone walls all add to the beauty of this village, making them sought-after properties here in the Cannes up-country. And the price tags on the finest of properties here measure up well against the competition they face from the coastal resorts.
Living in Valbonne offers the opportunity to enjoy a typically Provençal way of life combining the laid-back sound of the cicadas with the vibrancy of a busy village.
