Luxury real estate in Valbonne
Valbonne is without doubt one of the most charming villages in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its fine architecture and 16th century buildings sit side by side in perfect harmony. You'll find much to discover and enjoy here, and is well worth further investigation for those considering investing in property in the French Riviera.
Discover other localities :
- Antibes
- Biot
- Cannes
- Castellaras
- Chateauneuf de Grasse
- Grasse
- Le Rouret
- Mandelieu
- Mougins
- Nice
- Plascassier
- Provence
- Roquefort les Pins
- St Jean Cap Ferrat
- St Paul de Vence
- St Tropez
- Théoule sur Mer
- Tourrettes sur Loup
- Villefranche sur Mer
In summer it plays host to locals and tourists alike in search of the many delights this rather special little community has to offer. Valbonne consists of the ancient village itself, which lies North West, and Sophia Antipolis situated in the East. Developed in 1970-84, Sophia Antipolis technical park is host to a number of companies specialising in computing, electronics, biotechnology, and pharmacology.
The name Antipolis was adopted from the ancient Greek colony of Antipolis which resided in the nearby village of Antibes. This plateau was one of the few remaining vast sections of land that had remained untouched in the French Riviera. Initially, investors interested in Sophia Antipolis were mainly oil and mining companies. The park, however, was when the University of Nice decided to move parts of its campus to the plateau in the 1980s. As a result, Sophia Antipolis became an important site of research and development. Today, Sophia Antipolis has evolved into a highly recognized multinational community, with more than 1,000 companies employing more than 25,000 people. It covers an area of 2,500 ha spread over the municipality of Valbonne and its surrounding boroughs, Antibes, Biot, Mougins, and Vallauris. The community continues to grow day by day with the recent establishments of the municipalities of la Colle-sur-Loup, Roquefort-les-Pins and Villeneuve-Loubet.
In the centre of the old village is the charming 16th-century Place des Arcades. The central square is surrounded on all sides by picture postcard arcades, and chic café terraces that are so typical of all that is French, and, which makes the simple past time of just strolling, such a memorable experience. Colour is everywhere one looks; the wonderful Sardinian red, dark orchre or pale yellow façades of the villages houses serve as a wonderful backdrop to Bougainvillea, Plumbago and Jasmine plants that scramble over old brick walls and arches adding a distinct fragrance to an already pleasing village.
In addition to the outstanding natural beauty of Valbonne, the area has a wealth of outdoor pursuits and interests to choose from. There are the nearby coastal resorts of Cannes and Nice to explore and enjoy, and there is much to occupy the resident and visitor in the immediate vicinity. This includes art galleries, museums, first class golf courses, tennis courts, and fishing. And of course there are the restaurants, serving the most wonderful food and wine; whether it is lunch during an idyllic afternoon or dinner by candle night in the warm Mediterranean night air. There are several great markets and boot sales around and about for those seeking out a little bit of both contemporary and old world French artifacts and treasures.