Beautiful Saint-Paul de Vence | Souvenir Shopping

Grab your credit cards, a bundle of euros, and a carry-all bag with good handles to put all your little bags into. Wear comfortable footwear and tell your husband to plan on ordering out for dinner, because ladies, you'll be home late; for there is no shortage of souvenir shopping in Saint-Paul de Vence.

Whether your thing is galleries, funky jewelry shops, perfume, wine and food, craft shops, or all of the above, it seems that with every street you're on, and around every corner, there's a new shop to discover. It.never.ends!

And good luck trying not to get lost in the village's maze-like streets. My advice, should you find yourself souvenir shopping in this beautiful village, is to let yourself get lost. Who cares? You'll eventually find your way out, one insanely cute shop at a time. And if you don't see everything, you have an excuse to come back : )

Go toward the light...

Your biggest problem will probably be in deciding which shops to enter. I hate to break it to 'ya, but you cannot do them all in one day. Each shop will seem more inviting than the next. You'll have to be a little choosy. Or be quick.

A warm glow draws you in...lovely scents fill the air...a wonderfully decorated window...oh, what to do, what to do! Just keep an eye on the time in case you're part of a tour. You don't wanna miss the bus!

Window shopping in the maze-like streets

If you like perfume, you'll definitely want to stop here

Save La Collégiale for last, or do it first, just be sure to make time for this wonderful souvenir shop. 

It's the oldest shop outside the ramparts (that's that huge wall that was built around the village to protect it from the bad guys). This merchandise packed store is across from Fragonard. Both Fragonard, which you won't want to miss, and La Collégiale are practically at the village's entrance.


At La Collégiale you can find all sorts of beautiful French fabrics, purses, hand crafted figurines, that famous French soap in more scents than you can dream of, jewelry, and adorable ceramic birds in a rainbow of colors. And there's more, so much more. 

You'll want to set aside quite a few minutes for this store. 


To tease you, I've added some photos!


What would you buy? What could you fit in your suitcase? 

La colombe (dove), very plump and adorable! Wait, are these pigeons?

an iconic symbol of France

one plentiful section of La Collégiale

Loved these fat, little doves! Just didn't love the price. Anne, what color to choose?

If you shop 'till you're about to drop...

The French espresso, or simply called coffee to them, is the perfect thing to recharge those batteries.

Don't have more than two though; you'll become jittery and may end up buying a whole store.

















Just roll on down the hill 'till you get to a lovely little square, or even a little further down, just outside the ramparts you'll find the Café de la Place, where you can sip your coffee while enjoying the local entertainment in the dirt courtyard: men playing boules.

a great spot to rest your feet and reflect on your wonderful day

this must be beautiful at night

From the square in the previous two photos, if you look over the ramparts, you'll see this below you, The Café de la Place, and the dirt courtyard where many matches of boules, also known as pétanque, take place.

Across from this charming café (left) is the Colombe d'Or (right), a well-known restaurant. You can just see on the roof of its terrace a giant sculpture of a dove. Le Colombe d'Or means The Gold Dove.

A match of boules is underway! Grab a seat and people watch. My dad would love this.

A woman at the Café de la Place, probably recharging her batteries. In the background, the ramparts.

Ramparts definition: A defensive wall of a castle or walled city, having a broad top with a walkway and typically a stone parapet.

Parapet definition: A low protective wall along the edge of a roof for concelament of troops.

Part of the ramparts (wall) and on the left a bastion. Do you remember learning about what a bastion is from history class? Neither do I. So here's a definition below. Also, note the tall, grey structure, called The Esperon Tower. Centuries ago, this was used to store gun powder.

Bastion definition: A projecting part of a fortified wall, or a well-fortified position, built at an angle to allow defensive fire in all directions.

A Traveling Tip :
At the Café, Act Like a Local, Even If You Won't Sound Like One
Why not try using a little French with your waiter? Even if your pronunciation isn't perfect, they usually appreciate the effort.  
Start with this: Bonjour monsieur/madame...un café, s'il vous plaît? (Hello sir/ma'am...a coffee, please?)
To ask for the check: L'addition, s'il vous plaît?
It's not expected of tourists, but the French are big on the pleasantries such as Hello's and Good-bye's, so as you're paying/leaving, just a simple: Merci, au revoir! (Thank you, good-bye!)

If you still have time, money, and energy for shopping...head on up the hill, and enter the village once again. So much still awaits you...

Here's where you'll enter the village. It's so exciting! 
Stop to look at the cannon, called the Lancan Cannon, named after a soldier 
from Saint-Paul de Vence, who served in the army of François I. 
Lancan brought this cannon back to the village in 1544, 
marking the French king's victory during a battle in Italy. 

Now...are you ready to get lost again in this charming, medieval village? Yes! More shopping!!! Best to leave the husbands at the café, watching the matches of boules.

Dashing through old streets...
So many shops on the way...
O'er the stones I go....
Laughing all the way!!!!      

Happy Holidays, everyone!