Biot

Biot and Antibes have a commun history.

The unspoilt town, only about 15 minutes by car (or bus) from Antibes, provides the visitor with an excellent insight into some of the more traditional Provençal crafts, architecture and lifestyles.

Visitors today can still see many well preserved remains of the towns Roman beginnings, the Mausoleum of the Chèvre d'Or, the large Roman wall of Vaugrenier as well as several aqueducts and assorted ruins.

Site classified by the Historic Buildings, Biot knew to preserve the authentic character of medieval village where each stone seems to reveal you a piece of its history.

Medieval doors with the old covered way the visitor will have any leisure to discover the lanes on the unequal ground, the houses with the covered frontages of ivy spanning for better defending them, these narrow passages.

While reconsidering its steps, it reaches the door of Tines (1565) which leads to Rondon, then with punt forms panoramic, the street of the Goldsmiths and that of the Fish shop, to arrive at the heart of the village, on the place of the Arcades.

Its architecture characteristic of galleries opening on the place by blind arcades in semicircular arch or warheads always astonishes the visitor.

With some steps the place of the Church with its polychrome pavement opens drawing two Maltese crosses.

Rebuilt in XV century, it contains two splendid tables: "the Virgin with the Rosary", allotted to Bréa (fine XV century) and "Ecce Homo" allotted to Canavesio (XVI century).

If you've heard of Biot before it's probably because of one thing in particular ... Glass.

Few visitors leave the town without at least one piece of the unique hand blown glass, a thick heavy glass swirled in light colours with hundreds of tiny air bubbles.

La Verrerie is the place to browse for glass products and you can also watch the glass being blown at the workshop just southeast of the village.

Many genuinely gifted artists have located there over the years, potters, sculptors, ceramists and painters.

Small studios and workshops can be found dotted around the town and most artists are happy to receive visitors, however you may need to make an appointment first.

If you are an art lover then a visit to The Fernand Léger Museum is an absolute must. The artist himself had the museum built, and inside you will find a superb selection of the artists work from 1905 to his death in 1955.

Biot with its narrow streets and picturesque squares also makes an excellent venue for lunch or dinner, with many restaurants serving traditional Provençal dishes and high quality "Bellet" wines. All in all well worth a visit.

It is one of the communities on whose land the park of Sophia Antipolis is located (Valbonne is another one).

As is the case with so many villages around here, the oldest part is perched on a hill that overlooks the surrounding area.

The old village features charming, narrow streets that are more adapted to pedestrians (and maybe donkeys) than cars.

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Videos

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Virtual Tours

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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Virtual tours courtesy of Philippe Laval for this page.

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Useful Links and Resources

• City Council and Tourism Official Website (French only).
• The Riviera Times Website (English newspaper).
• The Riviera Reporter Website (English magazine).
• Riviera Radio Website (English radio).
• International Radio Website (English radio).

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