Barcelona to Nice: A Mediterranean Canvas

The infinite variety of street life, the nooks and crannies of the medieval Barri Gòtic, the ceramic tile and stained glass of Art Nouveau facades, the art and music, the throb of street life, the food (ah, the food!)—one way or another, Barcelona will find a way to get your full attention. The capital of Catalonia is a banquet for the senses, with its beguiling mix of ancient and modern architecture, tempting cafés and markets, and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. A stroll along La Rambla and through waterfront Barceloneta, as well as a tour of Gaudí’s majestic Sagrada Famíliaand his other unique creations, are part of a visit to Spain’s second-largest city. Modern art museums and chic shops call for attention, too. Barcelona’s vibe stays lively well into the night, when you can linger over regional wine and cuisine at buzzing tapas bars.

The intimate village of Port-Vendres provides access to inland treasures, giving us the opportunity to stroll the streets of surrealist-style Figueres, wander the lanes of Collioure, or scale the walls, in true Robin Hood style, of Hollywood’s favourite movie set, the fortified town of Carcassonne; well, perhaps stand in the shade of its turrets. For those opting for a morning experience, our port location offers the perfect opportunity to explore the charming streets of an authentic French coastal town.

Personalise your exploration with our included ‘Your Choice’ experiences.

Option 1 – Morning experience: The Curious Case of Salvador Dalí

Our day starts with a drive, crossing the border into Spain, where we visit the birthplace of one of the world’s great surrealist artists, Salvador Dalí. Few artists struck an exotic pose as well as Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech. Famed for his dripping clocks, dream-induced flying tigers, and emotive spherical portraits, Dalí flaunted the art world’s most artistic moustache, a persistently surprised expression and the mind of a genius. True to his unique style, Dali roamed his hometown of Figueres, wearing a bread hat, leopard prints and stripey suits. It is no wonder that the museum dedicated to him is topped by a series of sculpted boiled eggs! This theatre-like gallery is a ‘stand and wonder’, raise an eyebrow, laugh- out-loud style of museum. We leave with more questions than answers, but we also leave wanting to go back.

Option 2 – Morning experience: Collioure – A Fauvist mecca

Our morning is filled with art as we visit the Fauvist haven of Collioure. This former pirate town is a treasure trove of maritime and medieval wealth. It's clear blue sky, colourful buildings, historic heritage and picturesque markets, have long attracted great artists like Matisse, Signac, Derain, and Picasso. The Musée d’Art Moderne preserves the town’s rich artistic history, highlighting the Fauvism movement that began here in the 20th century. Wander the Fauvism trail through cobblestoned alleys to see 20 reproductions of works by Matisse and Derain. Collioure is a must for art lovers and history buffs alike. For those wishing to linger longer, a popular coastal walk connects Collioure and Port-Vendres, offering a scenic two-mile walk, leading you back to where your ship awaits.

Option 3 – Full-day experience: The Prince of Walled Cities – Carcassonne

Surrounded by turreted walls and a deep moat, Carcassonne has attracted moviemakers since 1908, after French inventors the Lumiere brothers first produced short films using their newly developed motion-picture camera and projector. The setting for Charles Perrault’s classic tale of Puss in Boots, Carcassonne’s fortified walls offered a fairy-tale ambience, yet in reality, life in Carcassonne echoed the adventurous spirit of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which was fittingly filmed in the citadel. The reality of flaming arrows, grapnels, catapulted stones and towers full of French soldiers shattering the peace as the town braced itself for invasion, provides modern-day visitors with a truer tale of life in the Middle Ages.

Since being designated a European Capital of Culture for 2013, with an estimated €660 million of funding in the bargain, Marseille has been in the throes of an extraordinary transformation, with no fewer than five major new arts centers, a beautifully refurbished port, revitalized neighborhoods, and a slew of new shops and restaurants. Once the underdog, this time-burnished city is now welcoming an influx of weekend tourists who have colonized entire neighborhoods and transformed them into elegant pieds-à-terre (or should we say, mer). The second-largest city in France, Marseille is one of Europe’s most vibrant destinations. Feisty and fond of broad gestures, it is also as complicated and as cosmopolitan now as it was when a band of Phoenician Greeks first sailed into the harbor that is today’s Vieux Port in 600 BC. Legend has it that on that same day a local chieftain’s daughter, Gyptis, needed to choose a husband, and her wandering eyes settled on the Greeks’ handsome commander Protis. Her dowry brought land near the mouth of the Rhône, where the Greeks founded Massalia, the most important Continental shipping port in antiquity. The port flourished for some 500 years as a typical Greek city, enjoying the full flush of classical culture, its gods, its democratic political system, its sports and theater, and its naval prowess. Caesar changed all that, besieging the city in 49 BC and seizing most of its colonies. In 1214 Marseille was seized again, this time by Charles d’Anjou, and was later annexed to France by Henri IV in 1481, but it was not until Louis XIV took the throne that the biggest transformations of the port began; he pulled down the city walls in 1666 and expanded the port to the Rive Neuve (New Riverbank). The city was devastated by plague in 1720, losing more than half its population. By the time of the Revolution, Marseille was on the rebound once again, with industries of soap manufacturing and oil processing flourishing, encouraging a wave of immigration from Provence and Italy. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Marseille became the greatest boomtown in 19th-century Europe. With a large influx of immigrants from areas as exotic as Tangiers, the city quickly acquired the multicultural population it maintains to this day.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer, commonly referred to simply as Beaulieu, is a seaside commune on the French Riviera between Nice and the Principality of Monaco.

Livorno is a gritty city with a long and interesting history. In the early Middle Ages it alternately belonged to Pisa and Genoa. In 1421 Florence, seeking access to the sea, bought it. Cosimo I (1519–74) started construction of the harbor in 1571, putting Livorno on the map. After Ferdinando I de’ Medici (1549–1609) proclaimed Livorno a free city, it became a haven for people suffering from religious persecution; Roman Catholics from England and Jews and Moors from Spain and Portugal, among others, settled here. The Quattro Mori (Four Moors), also known as the Monument to Ferdinando I, commemorates this. (The statue of Ferdinando I dates from 1595, the bronze Moors by Pietro Tacca from the 1620s.)In the following centuries, and particularly in the 18th, Livorno boomed as a port. In the 19th century the town drew a host of famous Britons passing through on their grand tours. Its prominence continued up to World War II, when it was heavily bombed. Much of the town’s architecture, therefore, postdates the war, and it’s somewhat difficult to imagine what it might have looked like before. Livorno has recovered from the war, however, as it’s become a huge point of departure for container ships, as well as the only spot in Tuscany for cruise ships to dock for the day.Most of Livorno’s artistic treasures date from the 17th century and aren’t all that interesting unless you dote on obscure baroque artists. Livorno’s most famous native artist, Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920), was of much more recent vintage. Sadly, there’s no notable work by him in his hometown.There may not be much in the way of art, but it’s still worth strolling around the city. The Mercato Nuovo, which has been around since 1894, sells all sorts of fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, and fish. Outdoor markets nearby are also chock-full of local color. The presence of Camp Darby, an American military base just outside town, accounts for the availability of many American products.If you have time, Livorno is worth a stop for lunch or dinner at the very least.

United with France only since 1860, Nice has its own history and atmosphere, which dates back 230,000 years. It was on Colline du Château (now château-less) and at the Plage des Ponchettes, in front of the Old Town, that the Greeks established a market-port in 350 BC and named it Nikaia, which would become Marseilles’ chief coastal rival. The Romans established themselves a little later on the hills of Cimiez (Cemenelum), already previously occupied by Ligurians and Celts, and quickly overshadowed the waterfront port. After falling to the Saracen invasions, Nice regained power as an independent state, becoming an important port in the early Middle Ages.So cocksure did it become that in 1388, Nice, along with the hill towns behind, effectively seceded from the county of Provence, under Louis d’Anjou, and allied itself with Savoie. Thus began its liaison with the House of Savoy, and through it with Piedmont and Sardinia, it was the Comté de Nice (Nice County). This relationship lasted some 500 years, tinting the culture, architecture, and dialect in rich Italian hues.By the 19th century Nice was flourishing commercially, locked in rivalry with the neighboring shipping port of Genoa. Another source of income: the dawning of tourism, as first the English, then the Russian nobility, discovered its extraordinary climate and superb waterfront position. A parade of fine stone mansions and hotels closed into a nearly solid wall of masonry, separated from the smooth-round rocks of the beach by what was originally named Camin deis Anglés (the English Way), which of course is now the famous Promenade des Anglais. This magnificent crescent, which is seeking UNESCO recognition, is one of the noblest in France. Many of Nice’s most delightful attractions—the Cours Saleya market, the Old Town streets, the Hotel Negresco, and the Palais Masséna—are on or close to this 10-km (6-mile) waterfront, making it the first stop for most visitors, while the redevelopment of Nice’s port, around the other side of the Colline du Château, makes it easier for amblers who want to take in the Genoese architecture or peruse the antiques at the Puces de Nice, now part of the Promenade des 100 Antiquaires, along Quai Papacino. Nice also has the distinction of the “Family Plus” label, with free strollers, play areas, and restaurants with child-friendly activities.