Èze Village

Èze Village is a unique medieval hill town built on a rock spur above the Mediterranean,sitting between Nice and Monaco. After climbing the hill you enter the village through the Poterne, a double fortified gate from the 14th century. It's the only piece of the old defences still standing today. Inside, the lanes a intricate maze that winds through the village. They are narrow, steep and running under vaulted passages that give you arch after arch to frame through, with climbing plants spread out over the pale stone. Light is the problem you will have to experiment with as you shoot. The lanes have pockets of deep shade while the walls above sit in full sun, so early or late in the day are the main times to aim for. Keep your eye out for gaps between the houses that open onto the sea as you climb. The church square gives you an amazing view where the warm ochre of the building and its bell tower stand out against the grey stone everywhere else. The village is free and open to explore, the garden at the summit charges admission but there are a lot of steps to climb everywhere and it does fill with tourists throughout the day. The village sits right along the 602 bus route from Nice so it is easy to pop over and explore for the afternoon. (Èze, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France)