1. The Picasso 'War & Peace' chapel
A Romanesque chapel entirely covered in 1952 by Picasso with two large painted panels. Quiet, dark, and unmissable. Combined ticket with the National Picasso Museum on the same square.
Local guide · Vallauris
Things To Do in Vallauris
Vallauris is a small ceramic town on the French Riviera, ten minutes from Antibes. It rewards slow visits. Here is a short, biased guide written from inside a working sculpture atelier.
2. The ceramic ateliers
Madoura, where Picasso produced his ceramics, plus dozens of independent ceramists and sculptors with open doors along rue Sicard, rue Hoche and avenue Georges Clemenceau.
3. The Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics
Held in summer of odd years, it turns the whole town into an open-air gallery of contemporary ceramic and sculptural work.
4. Model your own piece
Half-day clay modelling sessions in Karine Garzi's atelier — the most direct way to understand why this town exists.
5. Walk down to Golfe-Juan
Twenty minutes on foot through pine-lined streets brings you to the sea, where Napoleon landed in 1815. A swim and a plate of grilled fish make a perfect end to the day.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Vallauris famous?
- Vallauris is the historic ceramic town of the French Riviera, revived in the late 1940s when Picasso worked at the Madoura pottery. It remains home to working ceramists and sculptors today.
- What can visitors do in Vallauris in one day?
- Visit the Musée National Picasso 'La Guerre et la Paix', walk the old town and its ceramic ateliers, and book a studio visit or short sculpture session with a working artist such as Karine Garzi.
- How do I get to Vallauris from Cannes or Nice?
- Vallauris is about 20 minutes by car from Cannes and 30 minutes from Nice. There is also a regular bus service from Golfe-Juan train station, a few minutes away.