Waterfront Penthouse
- Unique vacation rental waterfront penthouse apartment with large balcony in historic 13th – 18th century building, featured in many paintings and postcards of Villefranche throughout the ages
- Panoramic views of the bay, from the cliffs at one end to its entrance, including all of Cap Ferrat
- Private 12-meter-long balcony has gas barbecue, a few potted herbs, dining and lounging areas
- Newly remodeled, artistic and comfortable décor features beautiful antiques, art and lighting
- 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully equipped modern kitchen
- Perfect location in a charming, quiet corner of the Old Village, within walking distance to everything
- Private WiFi, Smart TV, stereo with Bluetooth connection and indoor and outdoor speakers
- Five-minute walk to train station, 10-minute walk to bus, excellent public transport
Waterfront Penthouse
2 bed, 2 bathThis apartment is available for long term rental
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About the Location
The Waterfront Penthouse is one of our waterfront vacation rentals. It is located on the waterfront of Villefranche, so close that you can see the fish swim in the sea below you while you sit on the balcony. It has a commanding, panoramic view of the Bay, Cap Ferrat and the stunning cliffs of Villefranche laden with beautiful gardens and villas. You are extremely private, however, as no one can see in. It is a very romantic place, day or night, but at night it is especially romantic with the beautiful golden light from the old street lanterns that create a wonderful dancing reflection on the sea. This building is one of the most photographed in Villefranche and appears on many postcards and in books about the area. It has also been painted many times throughout the ages including paintings that hang in museums in Paris as well as in Nice.
The back of the apartment looks onto Place du Conseil, on rue du Poilu, where you enter the building. The Place has a charming double staircase that goes around a bench and small fountain, that serves cool potable water, where local people and visitors passing by stop for a rest and a drink. Rue du Poilu is a convenient location and one of the principal pedestrian streets in the Old Town. About 200 meters from the apartment you will find several restaurants, a variety of shops including a grocery store, an excellent Italian traitteur and a boulangerie. However, this end of rue du Poilu is all residential so it’s very quiet yet still close to everything. From the front door of the building you can go one direction to the shops and bus stop, or the other direction to the train station, beach and a number of lovely coastal paths that including the walks to Beaulieu sur Mer or St. Jean Cap Ferrat. You enter the building on the 3rd floor, therefore there are only two flights of stairs to the Penthouse, one of which is inside the apartment. Read more about the location in About Villefranche.
- Unique vacation rental waterfront penthouse apartment with large balcony in historic 13th – 18th century building, featured in many paintings and postcards of Villefranche throughout the ages
- Panoramic views of the bay, from the cliffs at one end to its entrance, including all of Cap Ferrat
- Private 12-meter-long balcony has gas barbecue, a few potted herbs, dining and lounging areas
- Newly remodeled, artistic and comfortable décor features beautiful antiques, art and lighting
- 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully equipped modern kitchen
- Perfect location in a charming, quiet corner of the Old Village, within walking distance to everything
- Private WiFi, Smart TV, stereo with Bluetooth connection and indoor and outdoor speakers
- Five-minute walk to train station, 10-minute walk to bus, excellent public transport
About the Apartment
When you first arrive to the main floor of the apartment, you are struck by the sun streaming in the windows, panoramic views of the bay with the turquoise sea right at your feet, and the feeling of space with the cathedral ceilings. It is dramatic and beautiful and takes your breath away. People always exclaim how beautiful it is.
The apartment’s location is very convenient, although you must be comfortable with stairs as there are two flights of stairs to get to the main living space of the apartment. Plus, you are living in the Old Town which is all pedestrian and full of stairs. An added benefit of living here is that you can really enjoy life without a car. If you want a car, there is parking nearby (in July and August is it more challenging to find parking but you will). But honestly, who wants a car when you mostly just want to enjoy swimming and hanging out on your balcony or at the beach. If you love to walk and get a little exercise each day, living here provides you with a fabulous lifestyle, with one of the nicest walks in the world beginning right at your doorstep.
The decoration of this apartment is somewhat eclectic, as are all of our apartments, each having their own personality. There is a mix of antiques and modern furnishings, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the lighting (all on dimmers) and the artwork. The building is old, around 650 years old, so one must work with the quirkiness of the building (i.e., crooked walls). We have artwork from local current artists, plus artists that died over a century ago. The main painting in the apartment we happened to find by chance in a gallery in Paris where we were strolling. We walked by the gallery and stopped dead in our tracks and exclaimed “Oh my God, that is our building”! We couldn’t believe our eyes or the chance of finding such a piece. This painting was done in 1893 by a “petit maitre” (a listed but not famous painter) from Paris who was here, as so many artists were, to paint the light in the south. It was done in winter, at sunset, we can tell from how the sun is setting on the building, plus we know the winter light. The women mending the nets was a scene that we still witnessed when we first moved here in 2001. The men would spread the nets out along the waterfront quai, just as they are in the painting, while the women would mend them for the next day’s work. It is still done today in fact, but now by men. But not so long ago, it was still the exact scene shown in the painting. The other old painting, a copy of a museum painting from 1863, is also of the waterfront quai but it was with morning light. It is a scene in front of where La Mere Germaine and L’Oursin Bleu restaurants are now located.
This is a couple’s dream getaway — romantic, comfortable, beautiful, fun, healthy, relaxing, uplifting. Well, at least that is what we think and what our guests tell us. We hope you will feel the same way about this unique apartment, as that is the experience we hope to provide our guests.
Lastly, this building underwent an extensive renovation and the end of 2018 and most of 2019. The entire roof was removed and a new one installed, all balconies were redone, all subfloors reinforced with I-beams, the building was belted in four areas, windows and shutters were redone, and the façade was redone. It was a huge and expensive project, but it is now good for another 200 years.
Apartment Features
The Waterfront Penthouse has two bedrooms and two baths. The master bedroom is in the mezzanine (a loft) which is accessed by a lovely, custom-made stairwell. The mezzanine is open to the main room below but private for dressing. Although this is a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment, it is really suited for a couple with an occasional guest or grown child. It is not ideal for two couples as it is an intimate and romantic apartment so if you are two couples you would miss enjoying the real pleasure of relaxing in this apartment. It is too special to share the living space with someone else, maybe for dinner but maybe not for overnight.
From the main living area in the apartment, three French doors open onto its 12-meter-long, wraparound balcony. The main room consists of the living, dining, and large gourmet kitchen. There is even a little desk area that has a commanding view of the bay so if you want to do some work, there is the perfect corner to do it in. Everyone who comes to this apartment loves this desk setup. There is of course excellent WiFi and a phone line with free international calling.
From wherever you sit or lay down in the living / dining area, you see the beautiful view. There is nothing that obstructs the view. The living room seating includes two armchairs, reading lights, and a comfortable sofa from which you can enjoy the beautiful views of the bay even while laying down and daydreaming away or taking a little nap. One of my favorite views is at night as I love how the streetlights cast a golden glow over the bay and shimmer with the movement of the sea. I think you will love the night views also.
The kitchen has all the amenities, including a gas stove, electric oven, dishwasher, beautiful stone countertops, a full refrigerator, microwave and all the cooking utensils to enjoy cooking and entertaining in this home. The dining table comfortably seats four but can accommodate six and even eight with the leaves extended.
Entertainment technology includes a private WiFi, Smart TV with French and SKY (English-speaking stations), a DVD and stereo system with Bluetooth so you can connect your music, and inside and outside speakers.
The balcony has a gas barbecue which you will enjoy using year-round, and a dining table that comfortably accommodates two or four people for meals or aperitifs. There are two sun lounging chairs as well and folding stools and chairs for additional seating. There’s also a laundry hanging area, since we rarely put dryers in our homes — the smell of fresh, sun-dried laundry is such a treat and on the Riviera your laundry dries in just a few hours any time of the year.
There is a washing machine and excellent heating system, and many other comforts. We sincerely try and design and furnish our apartments as though we would live there and hope we have thought of everything that makes you feel that you are in your home away from home.
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
The master bedroom has a queen bed, with lovely bedding and down pillows as well as reading pillows, two bedside stands with reading lights, a great reading chair and footstool, closet space for hanging clothes, a dresser, and shelves for folded clothes. The dressing area is sufficiently private from the living space below. When you are sitting or laying in bed, you can see the bay below through the French doors of the living room. The view is quite beautiful and dramatic. The color of the sea is so turquoise, and it is really nice to hear the sounds of the sea gently lapping the shores. There are two skylights that provide excellent air circulation and one that offers beautiful views of the cliffs at the end of the bay that you can also see from bed. The ensuite bathroom has a large bathtub, with the shower being inside the bathtub, plus a toilet, sink and more than adequate storage for toiletries.
The second bedroom is downstairs and has a double bed with two nightstands and reading lights, plus a beautiful view of the beach and the cliffs at the end of the bay and a window overlooking Place du Conseil. The bedroom is flooded with light. There is a closet with hanging and shelf space. Our beds are of the best quality, as are our linens.
The downstairs bathroom is just off the downstairs bedroom and is equipped with a shower and sink with lots of storage, counter space and good lighting. Both bathrooms are equipped with hair dyers and a good supply of linen.
Waterfront Penthouse
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