Villefranche-sur-Mer

This is the town of Villefranche sur Mer. Centuries ago the French King wanted a town here to support the port but nobody wanted to live here. So he did the smart thing and declared that anybody who lives in this town will not have to pay taxes. The name literally means tax-free town on the sea.

This is one of the deepest ports on the Mediterranean Coast. It's about a thousand ft deep and that's why it was the preferred port for the US Navy during World War II.

The ridge just east of town is the beginning of the Alps. If you follow the spine of the Alps from Vienna, Austria, it ends here at the sea where the Rothschilds have their vacation compound.

The Memorial Rose garden is dedicated to the resistance members and those who were deported to the concentration camps. The dashing fellow in the Fedora is Jean Moulin, the man that General de Gaulle chose to lead the French Resistance forces. He gave his life for France.Read more