Villefranche-sur-Mer is a surprisingly lovely village along the Azure Coast, considering cruise ships call here several times a week, disgorging passengers via tender. Most of them immediately hop onto waiting buses for Monaco, Cannes or other better-known seaside towns. But they are missing the charm they could be enjoying in Villefranche-sur-Mer itself, including ocean-view restaurants, boutiques and art galleries.

A favorite village attraction, Rue Obscure, a tiny covered street in Old Town, dates from the 13^th century. Translated to “hidden street,” it was originally carved into the hillside to protect the locals in the Middle Ages from pirates. Centuries ago, attacks from the sea were so commonplace, settlers typically moved villages inland to protect their citizens. To encourage colonists to the seaside, King Charles II offered his people tax-free status — a rare privilege in those days — in exchange for settling in Villefranche-sur-Mer, which literally means “free town on the sea.”