Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Perched on the narrowest spine of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, this flamingo-pink Belle Époque villa was built between 1905 and 1912 for Béatrice de Rothschild and commands simultaneous views of the Baie des Anges to the west and Villefranche Bay to the east. The interiors overflow with Sèvres porcelain, Flemish tapestries and Tiepolo ceilings — it is one of the most complete surviving examples of Gi
Nine Gardens, One Vision
The estate's nine themed gardens cascade down the hillside like a green staircase: the French formal garden at the top features a musical fountain that dances on the hour, while the Japanese, Florentine, Spanish and exotic gardens each occupy their own terraced pocket below.
Don't miss the rose garden in late April or May when hundreds of antique varieties are in full, fragrant bloom — the scent on a warm morning is genuinely intoxicating.
The tearoom on the main terrace serves a decent crème brûlée with a view that justifies every euro of the entrance fee.
Inside the Villa
Béatrice instructed her architect to model the villa on a cruise ship, complete with a crew dressed as sailors — a whim that explains the unusual elongated floor plan. The Fragonard Salon alone contains enough 18th-century French furniture to fill a small auction house.
Audio guides are available in English and genuinely add depth; the story of how Béatrice outbid European royalty for individual pieces is as entertaining as any of the objects themselves.
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