941km (585 miles) S of Paris; 11km (7 miles) NE of Nice

The hamlets of Èze and La Turbie, 6.5km (4 miles) apart, are picture-perfect hill villages that literally cling to the mountains. Both have fortified medieval cores overlooking the coast, and both were built during the early Middle Ages to stave off raids from Saracen pirates. In Èze’s case, it’s now tour buses that make daily invasions into town. Impossibly cute streets contain galleries, boutiques, and artisans’ shops. La Turbie is much quieter, offering a welcome respite from the summertime heat.