Are you holidaying on the French Riviera, whether to study French or just to enjoy the sun, and would like to visit a lovely nearby village?

Why not discover Villefranche-sur-mer?

Out of all the activities and excursions we offer our foreign language students, Villefranche is recurrently popular. Only 5 minutes by train from Nice, it is a charming seventeenth century fishing village. You will be enamoured with Villefranche’s vibrant colours, vaulted medieval passageways, citadel, and St. Peter’s chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau – all sloping down to the authentic and unforgettable harbor of Villefranche.

Here are some of our Villefranche favourites…

• Stroll through Villefranche’s old town and fall in love with the colourful, ancient houses

• Enter the « Rue Obscure », the village’s old rampart which is now covered with houses

• Visit the baroque St Michel church

• Visit the St. Peter’s Chapel, entirely renovated by the artist Jean Cocteau

• Explore the Citadel and its museums: Volti, Goetz-Boumeester and Roux

• Swim or snorkel in Villefranche bay.

• Watch the fishermen return from fishing and eat freshly caught fish in one of the harbour’s restaurants

• Take a boat and go dolphin and whale watching.

So don’t hold back, go and visit this stunning village!

Are you holidaying in Nice, whether to study French or just to enjoy the sun, and would like to explore the French riviera ?

Why not discover Saint Paul de Vence ?

At St Paul de Vence we like to…

• Walk along the ramparts towers the village, entering through the gate at Vence
• Wander through the streets discovering historical monuments, archways, towers, ornate buildings and houses
• Visit the chapel designed by artist Belge Falon
• Roam the galleries, workshops and boutiques
• Soak in the atmosphere in the mythical square where boules is played, imagine Yves Montant and Lino Ventura playing there just as they did many years ago
• Have a drink at Café de la Place, where artists once wrote about the village’s history, and learn about them in the streets (Tobiasse, Chagall, Soutine, Léger, Jacques Prévert…)
• Have a meal at La Colombe d’Or which has served some of the greatest artists of the 20^th century
• Try the local wine (the vineyards are just below the village’s ramparts), with a tasting and chance to try Provençal specialties at La Petite Cave de Saint Paul de Vence
• Try Provençal specialties (olive oil, tapenade, pesto, terrine)
• Go shopping at the farmers’ market
• Discover the town at night with a candlelit tour every Thursday during summer (5 euros per person) and appreciate the village’s calmness and serenity, the evening coolness of the streets, their stories and their secrets

At St Paul we visit…

 

La Fondation Maeght 623 Chemin des Gardettes 06570 St Paul de Vence +33 4 93 32 81 63 Price: 10€ (with a student card)

Chapelle du Rosaire (decorated by H. Matisse) 466 Avenue Henri Matisse, 06141 Vence +33 4 93 58 03 26 Open every day apart from Friday. Sunday Mass at 10am.

 

Getting there: Take the Bus 400 at Jardin Albert 1er in Nice Masséna

 

See www.lignesdazur.com

We all know that the first day of any new school or job can be daunting, however, shortly after arriving at alpha.b the few apprehensive feelings that I did have quickly vanished.

    

Situated on a quaint street not far from the main shopping promenade (Jean Médecin), alpha.b is easy to find and if the welcome boards in the courtyard are not instantly clear, the very friendly staff are accommodating and more than happy to assist you.

In order to tailor the best experience for you, on your first day you will have to complete a placement test deciding which class you will be in during your time at alpha.b. Made up of a 3 parts – oral, writing and grammar, it’s a quick and effective way of finding the right class for you.

After the test, in the afternoon, we were rewarded with a visit of beautiful Nice!

Pacôme showed us some of the city’s highlights which confirmed that I had made the right decision when choosing alpha.b: improving my French in the setting of such a vibrant city, what more could you want?!

Some of my personal favourites were the “Place Massena”, the “Palais de Justice” and “Cours Saleya” a dynamic area with markets during the day and lots of restaurants and bars by night.

But being English, I was particularly excited by the “Promenade des Anglais” an avenue that stretches 7km along the coast and was named after the 19^th century English aristocrats who came to Nice during the winter months in search of better weather and fresh sea air.

However in order to get the ultimate panoramic view of Nice, don’t miss the “Colline du Château”. Although originally built to protect the residents against barbaric invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire, it is now the perfect vantage point to appreciate the coastline and port while wandering through the picturesque hill-top gardens.

My day finished with the weekly ‘Welcome Party’ at a bar in the centre of Vieux Nice, the perfect opportunity to see just how vibrant Nice is at night and where I met some of my future classmates, instantly putting me at ease.

If you also want to book a course at alpha.b you can find all the information here !

Sie suchen last minute noch einen Französich Kurs für diesen Sommer in Frankreich? Wir zeigen Ihnen, warum alpha.b und die Stadt Nizza eine Reise wert sind.

Wenn Ihr noch nicht wisst, wie Ihr diesen August sinnvoll gestalten sollt, dann bucht doch einfach kurzfristig einen Sprachaufenthalt mit uns bei alpha.b Französisch Sprachschule in Nizza.

Raus aus der Hitze und rein ins Vergnügen

Die Hitzewelle, die schon länger in Europa herrscht, hat auch vor Nizza nicht ganz Halt gemacht.

Aber wir profitieren in der Hauptstadt der Côte d‘Azur von einem einzigartigen Mikroklima, und mit der leichten Meerbrise sowie den vielen Wassersport-Möglichkeiten lassen sich sommerliche Temperaturen besser ertragen. So hat Nizza heute 31° im Vergleich zu Montpellier mit 36°, Aix en Provence mit 38° und Lyon mit 35°…

Unsere Französisch Sprachschule ist klimatisiert, damit Ihr beim Französisch Lernen an der Côte d’Azur einen kühlen Kopf bewahrt.

Nachtleben in Nizza und Umgebung

Der Charme der Sommernächte ist in Nizza ganz deutlich zu spüren. Gerne sitzt man noch lange in einem der vielen Straßencafés bei einem Glas Rosé mit einigen Eiswürfeln, oder tingelt noch am Strand oder auf der Promenade des Anglais.

Dieses quirlige Nachtleben ist natürlich der ideale Anlass für Veranstaltungen und Musikkonzerte.

Konzerte und Musikfestivals in Nizza und Umgebung

So findet zum Beispiel vom 23. bis 26. August das „Crossover Festival“ statt. Dieses Open air Festival feiert seinen 10. Geburtstag im Théatre De Verdure, 1 Promenade des Anglais in Nizza.

Für Fans der Elektro Musik hält Cannes eine Überraschung bereit. „Les Plages Electroniques“ zählt seit 2006 zu den größten Beach Partys in Europa. Das Festival findet am Wochenende vom 11. bis 12. August statt. Nach Cannes kommt Ihr ganz einfach und schnell mit dem Zug.

Les Plages Electroniques, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette (Plage du Palais des Festivals), 06400 Cannes.

Eine Liste und Info aller Festivals und Konzerte an der Côte d’Azur findet Ihr unter www.festivalsrock.com/festivals/region/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur.

Sommernacht Feuerwerk an der Côte d’Azur

Cannes hat auch jeden Sommer noch ein weiteres Highlight. Bis einschließlich 24. August könnt Ihr dort noch in den Zauber des „Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique“ eintauchen. Internationale Pyrotec Künstler stellen dort ihre Feuerwerk Kreationen vor. Ein magisches Schauspiel, jeweils ab 22H in der Bucht von Cannes (Baie de Cannes).

Aber auch die Stadt Antibes bietet ein tolles Spektakel. Am 9., 16. und 24. August geht es in den Endspurt des „Festival Pyromélodique“. Ein Zusammenspiel von Lichteffekten und Sound in der schönen Bucht von Juan-les-Pins. Jeweils ab 22 Uhr. Und auch nach Antibes könnt Ihr einfach und bequem mit dem Zug ab Nizza fahren.

Sommer Freizeitaktivitäten Eurer alpha.b Sprachschule in Nizza

Auch in unserer Französisch Sprachschule passt sich das Freizeitprogramm den sommerlichen Temperaturen in Nizza an. Es stehen folgende Aktivitäten auf dem Programm:

Apéro & Pétanque – Mit dem Boules-Spiel und dem Aperitif geht es hoch zum Schlosshügel, um dort zur Aperitif-Zeit an einem schattigen Platz in geselliger Runde den Lieblingsbeschäftigungen der Franzosen nachzugehen J

Wassersport – Kayak, Stand up Paddling, Fun Fahrten mit Banane und Reifen, Parasailing, Tauchen, Schnorcheln… es ist für jeden Geschmack und jedes Budget etwas dabei.

Stadtbesuche – berühmte Städte an Côte d’Azur, wie Cannes, Antibes und Monaco besuchen wir am Abend. Tingeln durch die kleinen Gassen der Altstadt, das Casino in Monaco, der Hafen von Antibes (der berühmte „quai des milliardaires“, der als größte Marina in Europa gilt),“ La Croisette“ und die Stufen des „Palais du Festival“ in Cannes… an einem lauen Sommerabend hat die Côte d’Azur noch mal ihren ganz besonderen Charme.

Und? Habt Ihr Lust bekommen auf einen Französisch Sprachkurs in Nizza? Neugierig auf hochwertigen Französisch Unterricht und Sommervergnügen an der Côte d’Azur?

Dann meldet Euch doch gleich an www.alpha-b.fr/de/einschreibung-fur-den-franzosischkurs

A très bientôt à alpha.b

 

 

 

 

 

Once again this year, May was marked by the presence of the 50+ students for 15 days. This special class is only composed of seniors from all around the world who want to learn French or deepen their knowledge of the language. They also participated in different excursions and activities to discover French culture, Nice and the French Riviera.

This year, our group was composed of former participants from previous years, but also newcomers.

French class in the morning emphasizes on oral practice and discussions between students and teacher. You have the opportunity to talk about a wide range of subjects, according to your interests. Afternoons are dedicated to immersing yourself in the local culture. This year, the program was packed!

We started the week with a themed visit of the city of Nice at the Belle Époque with its luxurious villas, palaces, and hostels. Nice’s architecture is unique in its own way; it would be a shame to not talk about its gorgeous facades and its history.

The Club 50 also visited some museums, like the Photography museum and the Matisse museum in Nice, and the archeological garden of Cimiez with the ruins of the Roman arena, the thermae and its Benedictine monastery with its beautiful garden, maintained by monks in the old days.

The tour of the town of Antibes also included the Picasso museum, before participating in a demonstration of a real glass-blower, Didier Saba ! The group was pleased to get home with their very own glasses, made by themselves.

This year, the goal for the school was to find excursions that former participants did not already know and new people could still enjoy. In order to surprise everyone, our group went to the castle of la Napoule in Mandelieu and its gardens. Our group had the pleasure to have their lunch at the restaurant of the 14th-century castle, before discovering the surprise their guide, Pacôme, prepared for them… A commented cruise along the coast of the “Corniche d’Or”, with its ochre cliffs and breathtaking landscape!

After all these adventures, we took some time to enjoy French culture and gastronomy around a “degustation” for a tranquil wine testing evening. Regional wines were handpicked to be paired with different types of French cheese and bread. We learned a few things about how to properly drink wine and tried 6 different kinds of cheese.

In order to keep improving their oral comprehension outside the classroom, the group also went to see a play in French in a theater in Nice, but also enjoyed a game of “Pétanque”, a tradition in the south of France, while drinking a bit of rosé.

We also traveled in the Provencal region and spent an afternoon at the Saint Cassien’s Lake, between relaxing under the sun and feet in the water.

Unfortunately, our adventure came to an end with a farewell lunch at the restaurant La Langouste, a few minutes away from the school, and a promise to see each other next year.