LES NIÇOISES
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ART & CULTURE • BEAULIEU-SUR-MER

Villa Kérylos

An archaeological recreation by the sea could have turned into a theme park for classicists. Mèfi, it is much more elegant than that.

Villa Kérylos, Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Photo: Miniwark, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
LES NIÇOISES SAY

Kérylos is one of those places that makes the Riviera wonderfully absurd: a reimagined Greek villa completed in 1908, sitting above the Baie des Fourmis.

Why we go

Théodore Reinach and architect Emmanuel Pontremoli wanted to recreate a Hellenistic Greek house without giving up early-20th-century comfort. Marble, mosaics, frescoes and custom furniture make the project obsessive, which is precisely why it works.

What to actually look at

The peristyle, andron, mosaics and sea views. Give the rooms some time. Just because everything is photogenic does not mean you need to turn the visit into a property shoot.

PRACTICAL

1 April to 30 September: 10am to 6pm. Full price listed at €15. Combined ticket available with Villa Ephrussi. Checked August 2026.

Pair it with Beaulieu or Ephrussi if you enjoy planning. Do it alone if you still remember how to wander.