Juan Les Pins tourist information
Hard to believe, but more than a century ago this seaside resort, the most renowned of the Riviera was a beautiful pine forest bordered by a magnificent sandy beach, protected from the wind by the Croisette Point and the Cape of Antibes.
In 1881, the Duke of Albany, one of the sons of Queen Victoria, fell in love with this area. Soon villas and hotels started to pop up everywhere. The English upper class was the first to discover the region. The casino was built in 1908, but its investors were soon thwarted by the First World War. Juan-les-Pins has thus become a little haven of peace for some fortunate holiday-makers.
During the twenties, madness took hold of Jaun-les-Pins. The casino became a must and the celebrities of the time: Douglas Fairbanks, Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett experienced the first summer season with the revolution of the first becoming bathing costumes. Limousines started to move up and down the entrances of the luxury hotels and private clubs.
In 1927, the "Provençal", a huge luxury hotel was constructed. Today it has been abandoned and is reminiscent of a passed era. The rich used to come here to spend their fortune and the stars started new fashions.
The turning point in the astounding life of this microcosm came in the fifties, when jazz appeared in Europe. Jaun-les-Pins fell in love with this music. Sydney Bechet got married here in 1951 and all the musical talent of New Orleans came down here for the festivities. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ray Charles and even Chick Corea followed to make the public swing. A festival, that still continues today, was born. Jazz at Jaun, under the pine forest, takes place each year in mid-July.
In addition to its crazy musical evenings, Juan-les-Pins also offers the visitor its private beaches, bars, its recent casino - the old one was destroyed some years ago, its clothing shops and night clubs in summer. In winter, it is quite deserted but the atmosphere is less superficial.
