Riviera

Riviera, narrow coastal strip between the Alps and the Mediterranean, extending, roughly, from La Spezia (Italy) to Hyères (France). Famous for its scenic beauty and for its mild winter climate, and dotted with fashionable resorts, hotels, and villas, the Riviera is a major international playground. Genoa is the center of the Italian Riviera and divides it into the Riviera di Levante (east) and the Riviera di Ponente (west). Among the well-known resorts on the Italian Riviera are Bordighera, San Remo, Portofino, and Rapallo. Also noteworthy is the rugged Cinqueterre coast near La Spezia. The French Riviera, also called the Côte d'Azur [azure coast], has the famous resorts of Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, and Monte Carlo (in Monaco). Flowers for export and for use in the perfume industry are grown throughout the region, particularly at Crasse (near Cannes). A panoramic highway runs along the Riviera from end to end; its section, the Corniche du Littoral, between Nice and Menton, France, which hugs the red cliffs of the coastline, is particularly famous.

Coastal region bordering the Mediterranean Sea in southeastern France, Monaco, and northwestern Italy. It extends from Cannes, France, to La Spezia, Italy. The Italian Riviera is divided into the Riviera di Ponente, west of Genoa, and the Riviera di Levante, east of Genoa. The French Riviera is also called the Côte d'Azur. Noted for its scenery and pleasant climate, it is one of the major tourist centres of Europe. Because of its mild winters, many delicate plants flourish there, and flowers are grown out of season for export to northern markets. Seealso Cannes; Nice; Monte Carlo.

Learn more about Riviera with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Riviera is an Italian term originally used from the Middle Ages to indicate the coast of Liguria, eventually popularised as the "Italian riviera". The term is now more generally applied to any coastal area popular with tourists, particularly in warm areas. The two places traditionally designated as "riviera" are:

• The Italian Riviera, the northwesternmost coast of Italy, in the Region of Liguria, bordering France.
• The French Riviera, the southeasternmost coast of France, the westward continuation of the Italian Riviera.

Other uses of the term include:

• Austrian Riviera
• Budva Riviera, in Montenegro
• Bulgarian Riviera, Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast
• Emerald Coast, a region of Florida near Panama City also called the Redneck Riviera or Emerald Riviera
• English Riviera, Torbay in the south of England
• Long Beach, New York, once known as The Riviera of the East
• Riviera Maya
• Redneck Riviera, a colloquial term for the Southern US coast from Mobile, Alabama to Apalachicola, Florida
• Mexican Riviera
• Miami Beach, Florida, also known as "The American Riviera"
• Pondicherry, India, known as La Côte d'Azur de l'Est ("The French Riviera of the East")
• Red Sea Riviera
• Rockaway Beach, Queens, once called the "Irish Riviera"
• Santa Barbara, California, sometimes called the American Riviera
• The South Shore (Massachusetts), also known jocularly as an "Irish Riviera"
• Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast

Riviera can also refer to:

• Riviera (hotel and casino) ("The Riv"), a resort on the Las Vegas Strip
• Riviera: The Promised Land, a Wonderswan Color role-playing game that was ported to Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable
• Buick Riviera, a luxury car built from 1963-1999
• Riviera Country Club, a country club in Pacific Palisades, California, notable for its golf course
• Riviera (company), an Australian pleasure boat building company
• La Spiaggia (The Riviera), a 1954 Italian movie
• Riviera (1987 film), a 1987 made-for-television American film
• Riviera (2005 film), a 2005 French film
• Riviera (television), a 1991 French television series
• Riviera (song), a song written and composed by Cy Coleman and Joseph McCarthy, Jr. in 1956 and performed by Mabel Mercer or Blossom Dearie
• A model of guitar manufactured by Epiphone.