Place des Arcades, a Louis Bréa altarpiece, the glassblowing hall and the Fernand Léger National Museum: the complete guide to visiting Biot from Monaco.
Fifty minutes by road from Port Hercules, a hilltop village looks out to sea over the pine trees. Biot fits into a handful of cobbled lanes, an arcaded square and two museums that any capital city would be proud of. People come first for bubbled glass, the material speckled with air bubbles that was born here from a workshop accident in 1956. They stay for the monumental storage jars, an altarpiece by Louis Bréa and a medieval festival that fills the ramparts every spring. This guide brings together everything you need to visit Biot from Monaco: what to see, when to come, how to get there and how long to allow.
Why visit Biot from Monaco?
Biot is unlike any other village in the Alpes-Maritimes. Èze overlooks the Mediterranean, Saint-Paul-de-Vence lives off its galleries, Vallauris off its ceramics. Biot was built on two successive crafts: terracotta first, with jars exported across the Mediterranean, then blown glass from the middle of the twentieth century.
The result is a village where craftsmanship is not a re-enactment staged for visitors. The furnaces are running, the glassblowers work in front of you, and the old town workshops sell what they make a few metres away. That is rare on the French Riviera, and it is the first reason to make the trip.
The second reason is distance. From the Principality, allow around fifty kilometres on the A8, slightly under an hour door to door. Biot combines easily with Antibes or Cap d'Antibes in the same day, and you are back in Monaco for dinner without feeling rushed.
Biot at a glance
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Alpes-Maritimes (06410), between Antibes and Valbonne, hilltop village at around 80 m |
| From Monaco | About 50 km, 50 to 60 min via the A8 then the D4 |
| From Nice | About 25 km, 35 min. TER train to Biot station then Envibus line 10 |
| Specialities | Bubbled glass, terracotta jars and ceramics, art crafts |
| Top sights | Place des Arcades, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church, La Verrerie de Biot, Fernand Léger National Museum |
| Time needed | 2 hours for the old village, a full day with the glassworks and the Léger museum |
| Main event | "Biot et les Templiers", free medieval festival, in spring |
| Village access | Fully pedestrian, car parks below and a free shuttle in high season |
Information checked in August 2026. Opening hours and prices for the sites listed may change.
Biot old town: what to see in a morning
The historic centre takes about two hours on foot, allowing time to push open a few workshop doors. No cars circulate, the lanes climb gently and the whole thing sits within three hundred metres.
Place des Arcades, the village drawing room
This is Biot's centre of gravity. Lined with arcades on both sides, the square occupies the site of the first thirteenth and fourteenth century castrum, seat of the Templar commandery. The arches are irregular, mixing Romanesque semicircles and Gothic points depending on the house: each was built in its own era, with no concern for uniformity.
Terraces move out under the vaults as soon as the weather turns. This is where you understand best why painters stopped here: the light coming through the arcades changes every half hour.
Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church and its Louis Bréa altarpiece
The fifteenth century church, backing onto the square, holds two altarpieces by the Nice primitives. The most famous, the Virgin of the Rosary, is attributed to Louis Bréa and dated to the very start of the sixteenth century. It shows a Virgin of Mercy opening the sides of her cloak to shelter humanity, protection invoked against the plague that had emptied the village a century earlier.
Entry is free. Take five minutes to study the faces under the cloak: village notables are recognisable, painted from life.
The fortified gates and the lanes
Two sixteenth century gates survive from the old ramparts: Porte des Tines and Porte du Migranier. They mark the lower entrances to the village and give a good sense of its medieval footprint. Between the two, the lanes line up craft workshops, glassmakers, ceramicists and jewellers, often set up in former potters' storerooms.
♦ The concierge's tip
Walk the village in this order: come up through Porte des Tines, cross Place des Arcades around 10 am while the light still reaches under the vaults, then head back down rue Saint-Sébastien where the workshops are concentrated. That leaves La Verrerie de Biot and the Léger museum, both located below, for the afternoon, without ever climbing the hill twice.
La Verrerie de Biot: the birthplace of bubbled glass
This is the address that made the village famous far beyond the Alpes-Maritimes, and it can be visited free of charge.
How bubbled glass was born from a flaw
La Verrerie de Biot was founded in 1956 by Éloi Monod (1918-2007), a ceramics engineer trained at the École de Sèvres, alongside master glassblower Fidel Lopez and young blower Raymond Winnowski. Monod wanted to revive an entirely handmade blown glass production, against the grain of the industrialisation of the period.
An air bubble trapped in a piece, first seen as a failure, became his signature. He developed a process for deliberately introducing bubbles using bicarbonate of soda, and bubbled glass was born. Seventy years later, it remains the village trademark.
Watching the glassblowers at work
The glassblowing hall is open to walk through, no ticket required: you follow a walkway above the furnaces, a few metres from the teams at work. The blowpipes turn, the glass shifts from orange to transparent, the movements follow one another without a word. It is the kind of spectacle that keeps children still for twenty minutes, which is no small thing.
In high season the glassworks opens from 9.30 am to 8 pm, and from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm then 2.30 pm to 7 pm on Sundays and public holidays. In winter, hours tighten to 9.30 am to 6 pm. In July and August, free guided tours run Monday to Friday at 11.30 am and 4.30 pm, in French or English, with no booking required.
The glass ecomuseum and beginner workshops
On the same site, the ecomuseum retraces the history of glass in Biot and displays landmark pieces. To go further, the glassworks runs introductory glassblowing sessions: you leave with your own piece, fired and cooled, to collect or have shipped. Booking is essential, places go quickly in summer.
Glassblowers in the morning, Port Hercules at sunset: one hour of road separates the two.
Check availabilityThe Fernand Léger National Museum, a quiet masterpiece
At the foot of the village, a low building carries a monumental 400 m² mosaic on its facade. It had been designed by Fernand Léger for the Hanover stadium and was never produced. Today it serves as the sign for one of the finest artist museums in France.
The story is worth telling. In 1955, a few months before his death, Léger bought the Mas Saint-André at the foot of Biot. His widow Nadia Léger and his collaborator Georges Bauquier created a museum there in his honour, opened on 13 May 1960 in front of five thousand guests, under the patronage of Picasso, Braque and Chagall. The couple then handed the whole estate to the State: André Malraux inaugurated the national museum on 4 February 1969.
The collection covers the painter's entire career, from cubist research to the great compositions of working life. The garden, planted with ceramics and sculptures, is as much a part of the visit as the galleries.
The museum opens from 10 am to 6 pm from May to October, from 10 am to 5 pm from November to April, and closes on Tuesdays as well as 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Allow 5.50 EUR outside temporary exhibitions and 7.50 EUR during exhibitions. Entry is free for under 26s and free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
The jars of Biot: a thousand years of terracotta
Before glass there was clay. And before clay there were the Templars.
In 1209, the Count of Provence granted the Order of the Temple part of his rights and lands at Biot. The Templars founded one of the most important commanderies in the region and built up, through successive purchases and bequests, the territory of the present commune.
The Black Death of 1348 and 1352 decimated the population and roaming mercenary bands finished the job: the village was abandoned for almost eighty years. In 1470, King René, Count of Provence, decided to repopulate it and settled around fifty families from Oneglia, in the Imperia region, offering them land and privileges.
Those Ligurian families brought the art of the jar with them. Thanks to the quality of its clay deposits and its kiln stone, Biot became the leading Mediterranean centre for jar production: around forty workshops were operating by the middle of the seventeenth century, and the pieces travelled across the Mediterranean carrying oil and wine.
The Museum of Biot History and Ceramics, housed in the former White Penitents chapel at 9 rue Saint-Sébastien, tells this story. Small, dense, well done. Entry costs 4 EUR, 2 EUR reduced, free for under 16s. From July to September it opens daily except Monday from 11 am to 7 pm; the rest of the year, Wednesday to Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Biot et les Templiers: the great spring medieval festival
Once a year, in spring, the village tips back into the thirteenth century. "Biot et les Templiers" turns the glassmakers' town into a medieval encampment: tournaments, fire shows, flag throwers, a craft market and troubadours in the lanes. The event has become one of the largest medieval festivals in Europe and entry remains free for all activities.
The tenth edition ran from 10 to 12 April 2026 on the theme "Women and the Temple". Dates for the following edition are published each winter by the town hall and the tourist office. If your stay falls on that weekend, arrive early: the village is pedestrian and the lower car parks fill before midday.
Where to have lunch in Biot
The village has around fifteen places to eat, almost all concentrated around Place des Arcades and rue Saint-Sébastien. The cooking is Provençal and unpretentious: stuffed vegetables, fish of the day, Swiss chard tart. The terraces under the arcades are the most sought after; in July and August, book the day before.
For a quick lunch, several addresses on the main street serve plates of local produce to take away, to eat on the ramparts with a view over the Brague plain and the sea beyond.
In the evening it is better to head back down: Biot goes to sleep early. Our guests often return to Monaco for dinner at La Môme restaurant, on the sixth floor of the Port Palace, where the terrace watches the yachts of Port Hercules light up one after another.
☉ Good to know
Do not confuse the two Biots: the Alpes-Maritimes commune and Le Biot, in Haute-Savoie, compete for the top search results and weather forecasts. Check the 06410 postcode before setting your route. One other useful point: Marineland park, often associated with the area, closed permanently on 5 January 2025 and can no longer be visited. Opening hours for the Biot sites are published on the Biot tourist office website.
How to get to Biot from Monaco
By car, the simplest option
Take the A8 towards Nice then Cannes, the Villeneuve-Loubet or Antibes exit depending on traffic, then the D4 climbing towards the village. Allow around fifty kilometres and 50 to 60 minutes outside peak hours. On Friday evenings and summer Saturdays, the Nice to Antibes stretch can double that time.
By train and bus
Biot station is served by regional TER trains on the Nice to Cannes line, but it sits 4 km from the village, down by the sea. Envibus line 10 links the station to the old village; in summer, free shuttles cover the same route. From Monaco, allow one TER to Nice-Ville, a second to Biot, then the bus: the option exists, but it takes around two hours each way.
If you are planning several excursions during your stay, our guide to getting to and from Monaco sets out the useful connections.
Parking
The old village is entirely pedestrian. Car parks sit below, at the lower entrances, and a free shuttle climbs back to the centre in high season. Arrive before 10.30 am in July and August, or after 4 pm, to avoid circling.
Getting to Biot from Monaco
| Mode | Route | Time and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Car | A8 towards Nice then Cannes, Antibes or Villeneuve-Loubet exit, then the D4 | About 50 km, 50 to 60 min outside peak hours |
| Private transfer | Pick-up outside the hotel, drop-off at the foot of the village | Same duration, arranged by the concierge for our guests |
| Train + bus | TER Monaco to Nice-Ville, TER Nice to Biot, then Envibus line 10 to the village | About 2 hours. Biot station is 4 km from the village |
| Summer shuttle | Biot station to the old village, in addition to line 10 | Free, in season only |
| Parking | Car parks at the lower entrances, village fully pedestrian | Free shuttle to the centre in high season |
When to visit Biot
The village can be visited all year round, but each season has its own character.
- Spring: the best window. Mild temperatures, the Léger museum gardens in flower, the medieval festival in April, lanes still quiet.
- Summer: the glassworks runs at full tilt and guided tours are daily, but the village is busy and heat builds quickly in the enclosed lanes. Favour the morning.
- Autumn: remarkable light, terraces still usable, visitor numbers well down. Our favourite season for the hinterland.
- Winter: workshops open, museums almost empty, a Christmas market in the lanes. Check reduced opening hours before setting off.
What to do around Biot
Biot fills half a day. To fill the second half, several options lie within twenty minutes:
- The Brague departmental park, below the village: shaded paths along the river, pleasant in summer with children.
- The Bonsaï Arboretum de la Côte d'Azur, chemin du Val de Pôme, a step from the Léger museum: a collection of miniature trees in a Japanese garden. Call before you travel, hours vary.
- Antibes and Cap d'Antibes, a quarter of an hour away: the old town, the covered market on cours Masséna and the Picasso museum in the Château Grimaldi.
- Vallauris, twenty minutes away: the other craft village in the area, focused on ceramics and shaped by Picasso's time there.
If you are building a series of day trips from the Principality, our guides to the village of Èze, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and La Turbie cover the other Riviera classics, all reachable within the day.
Staying in Monaco to explore the French Riviera
Biot, Antibes, Èze, Menton: the Principality is a convenient base for exploring the Riviera, with motorway access a few minutes away and the station a five minute walk from the Port Palace.
Our boutique hotel, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has 50 rooms and suites that all look onto Port Hercules and the Prince's Palace. Coming back from a day inland and finding that view again makes a real difference to a stay.
When you stay at the Port Palace, your concierge can arrange the whole day: private transfer, car hire, restaurant booking and a slot at the glassworks. Our rooms and suites facing the harbour come in four categories, from the Superior Room to the Grand Suite. Families combining excursions with days on the spot will find further ideas in our guide to Monaco with children.
Port Palace Monaco
The glassmakers' village by day, Port Hercules by night
Our 50 rooms and suites all overlook the harbour and the Prince's Palace, a five minute walk from Monaco station and minutes from the motorway access. When you stay at the Port Palace, your concierge arranges your Riviera excursions, from the private transfer to the table waiting on your return.
Book your stayFrequently asked questions about visiting Biot
How long do you need to visit Biot?
Allow two hours for the old village alone, half a day if you add La Verrerie de Biot, and a full day if you include the Fernand Léger National Museum and lunch on Place des Arcades.
Do you have to pay to visit La Verrerie de Biot?
No. Access to the glassblowing hall and the walkway above the furnaces is open and free. Only the introductory blowing sessions are paid and require booking. In July and August, free guided tours run Monday to Friday at 11.30 am and 4.30 pm.
What is Biot famous for?
Bubbled glass, developed at La Verrerie de Biot from 1956 onwards, recognisable by the fine air bubbles trapped in the material. Before glass, the village was the leading Mediterranean centre for terracotta jar production, a craft inherited from the Ligurian families settled there in 1470.
Is Biot a good place to visit with children?
Yes, it is one of the easiest outings in the area: the glassblowing demonstration holds younger visitors, the village is pedestrian and the Brague park allows a run around at the end of the day. Note that Marineland park, long associated with the area, closed permanently on 5 January 2025.
Can you reach Biot from Monaco without a car?
Yes, by TER to Biot via Nice-Ville, then Envibus line 10 or the free summer shuttle up to the village from the station, which sits 4 km away. Allow around two hours each way. A car or a private transfer remains significantly faster.
Biot in short
A village three hundred metres long that produced the jars of the Mediterranean then invented bubbled glass, with a national museum below and a medieval festival in spring: Biot is well worth the detour from the Principality. Choose the morning for the glassblowers, Place des Arcades for lunch, the Léger museum for the afternoon. And keep the evening for Monaco.
To plan your stay, discover our rooms and suites overlooking Port Hercules and let your concierge arrange the rest.
