Antibes Attractions

The town of Antibes - to which the resorts of Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins belong - lies to the east of Cannes at the western end of the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), which reaches as far as Nice. Cap d'Antibes, which extends south into the Mediterranean, closes off the huge sweep of the bay. The actual area of the town occupies the Peninsula of Garoupe.

Flower-growing is of great importance to the economy; roses, carnations etc. are grown under about 3sq.km/1.2sq.mi of glass.

8km/5mi inland along the D35/103 the Sophia Antipolis Industrial and Technological Park has been developing since 1972. At the end of 1990 it covered an area of 580ha/1,450acres, on which 834 firms with 14,000 employess had become established. Of those some 60 were foreign firms, and 700 companies and organizations were working in advanced fields of technology such as electronics and telecommunications, energy and environmental research, chemistry and biotechnology. More than a half of the work force are "white collar workers", and of them 40% are foreigners from 50 different countries. A further 32,00ha/8,000acres are expected to be developed by the year 2000. There should be advantages in the proximity of the Sophia Antipolis University, which is expected to take 25,000 students.

Antibes was founded in the fifth century B.C. by Greeks from Phocaea and named "Antipolis", meaning the town lying opposite the settlement of Nikaia Polis (Nice). The settlement became a Roman municipium, later a bastion against the barbarians. From the 14th century onwards it was a frontier town between Savoy and France. In 1481 the town together with the whole of Provence fell to the French throne. Later the old fortifications were remodelled by Vauban and Fort Carré, of which only a few remains still exist, was built. The castle in the Old Town was for many years the seat of a bishop and a holiday residence of the Grimaldi family.

Today Antibes, Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins form a three-part community.

Antibe has a fine situation on the northeast side of the cape between the little bays of Anse St-Roche in the north and Anse de la Salis in the south.

Above Anse St-Roche rises the picturesque 16th century Fort Carré, a relic of the town defenses. Nearby is a sports and youth center.

South of the old fort lies the harbor (Port Vauban) which was laid out by Vauban himself.