Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

An over-the-top, belle-époque confection, this villa was commissioned by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild in 1912. She was an avid art collector and the villa is filled with Fragonard paintings, Louis XVI furniture and Sèvres porcelain. From its balcony, nine exquisite themed gardens appear like a ship’s deck. Stunning in spring, the Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, stone, cactus, rose and French gardens are delightful to stroll through – sea views are supreme and fountains ‘dance’ to classical music every 20 minutes. An audioguide helps make sense of the show. Bus 81, which links Nice and St-Jean-Cap Ferrat, stops at the foot of the driveway leading to the villa; the stop is called ‘Passable de Rothschild.’