La Gaude: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

La Gaude showcases its history and present day in very different places. The Chapelle Saint-Ange was built in 1875 for the White Penitents. It was restored between 1996 and 2003 and decorated with murals by Alexis Obolensky and stained-glass windows by Alain Peinado; the wall ceramics are inspired by scenes from the Gospels. The chapel can be visited independently, with the key available for loan at the reception desk of La Gaude Town Hall upon deposit of an identity document.

During a stay in La Gaude, you may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Nature

The municipality of La Gaude consists of wooded hills and reaches a maximum elevation of 349 metres. La Gaude is bordered by the Cagne to the west and the Var to the east. The Parc Naturel Départemental des Rives du Var is open to visitors.

A special garden is the Jardin de l’Argelière, which received the “Jardin remarquable” label in 2019. The garden can be visited from April to June and from September to October by prior appointment and contains more than 1,200 plant species. It also houses an extensive collection of old and botanical roses.

Culture

The Sainte-Victoire Church was blessed on 6 January 1629. It was initially dedicated to Saint Peter before being dedicated to Sainte-Victoire in 1646. The church contains a painting from 1695 depicting Sainte-Victoire between Sainte-Agathe and Sainte-Pétronille. There are also stained-glass windows dating from 1977 by Alain Peinado, the stained-glass artist from La Gaude.

La Coupole was built in the 1980s by the La Gaude-born architect Dominique Pétry-Amiel as an octagonal, single-room building. Today, La Coupole is an active cultural centre with a cinema, theatre productions and art exhibitions.

The Centre d'études et de recherches IBM bears the “Patrimoine XXe” label, awarded by the regional commission for heritage and historic monuments on 28 November 2000. The centre was designed by Marcel Breuer and Robert Gatje; M. and R. Laugier were involved as executive architects. It is a sculptural architectural work regarded as a reference in office building design.

The olive mill is also one of the area’s historic landmarks. Visits are possible as part of events organised by the municipality of La Gaude. The mill preserves a milling floor with a millstone, two presses, a boiler and several large vessels for storing the oil. At the end of the 19th century, olive oil was one of La Gaude’s most important resources.

Natural History Sites and Events

The Eco Musée Vivant de Provence was founded in the 1980s by the Danish entomologist and filmmaker Ib Schmedes and is located in the Sainte-Appolonie district of La Gaude. It has an educational purpose; all visits are guided and accompanied by commentary. Insects as well as snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs are on display. The biotopes of the individual animals have been recreated true to nature.

In November, the “Jazz sous les Bigaradiers” festival brings international artists and artists from the Côte d’Azur together in La Gaude.

Other places: Le Cros-D'utelle, Nice, Colomars, Le Mas, Pégomas, Châteauneuf-Grasse, Le Tignet, L'escarène

To the higher-level travel overview: Alpes-Maritimes.