Antibes, France

Graham Greene, who lived in Antibes for more than twenty years, considered it the only place on this stretch of coast to have preserved its soul. And although Antibes and its twin, Juan-les-Pins, haven't completely escaped the overdevelopment that blights much of this region, they have avoided its worst excesses. Antibes is a pleasing town, extremely animated, with one of the finest markets on the coast and the best Picasso collection in its seafront castle; and the southern end of the Cap d'Antibes still has its pine woods, in which some of the most exclusive mansions on the Riviera hide.