Moving to and Living in Mougins

All the information you need about Mougins if you are planning a move or are already living there. Get details about the different places to live in Mougins, things to do, schooling, transport and where to go for all administration procedures...

Mougins, with over 300 days of sunshine a year, surrounded by woodland and nestled in the hills just north of Cannes and south of Grasse, has historically been frequented and inhabited by many world-famous artists from Picasso, Léger and Cocteau, to Man Ray, Piaf and Dior, to name but a few.

Historically an area of floral production with the cultivation of jasmine, lavender and roses for the perfumeries in nearby Grasse, Mougins has become massively urbanised by neo-Provençal villas and, in the last decade, more modern and contemporary architecture. The old town is replete with art galleries and artists’ studios and home to several renowned restaurants.

Quartiers, or neighbourhoods of Mougins

A large part of the Sophia Antipolis technology park lies in the commune of Mougins and has attracted an important international population to the area. Mougins housing prices are high, some of the highest on the Riviera, but the advantages are significant - just 15 minutes from Cannes, 10 minutes from Grasse, a low crime rate, a major international school, sports facilities, protected woodland, and the close proximity of the Sophia Antipolis technology park all contribute to making Mougins a desirable destination on the Côte d’Azur.

Mougins is divided into five main quartiers:

Mougins Centre – including Mougins-Village, Le Val, Tournamy, Notre Dame-de-Vie: The heart of Mougins, with the post office, food market, tourist office, the Mairie, art galleries and restaurants, a primary school and crèche, and venue for the famous Festival International de la Gastronomie. Tournamy and the Val de Mougins consist essentially of apartment blocks, small shops, restaurants and banks.

Mougins Est – including Devens, Font de l’Orme, Bréguières: In the Font de l’Orme area, to the east, you will find a gymnasium, the Devens school, the Clinique de l’Espérance and Mougins International School. Also tennis courts and other sports facilities including a football stadium, the Cannes Mougins Golf Country Club, the Etang de Fontmerle and the Parc de la Valmasque.

Mougins Sud – including Cabrières, Aubarède, Campelières: South Mougins borders on Cannes and Le Cannet and has a college, nursery and primary schools, gymnasium and swimming pool.

Mougins Ouest – including Pigranel, Saint-Martin, Grand Vallon: West Mougins has nursery and primary schools, the Collège de la Chênaie with a gymnasium bordering on Mouans-Sartoux, and the Royal Mougins Golf Club.

Mougins-le-Haut – including Ferrandou, Voie Julia: Built in the 1980s and based on a copy of an authentic Provençal village with residential apartments in a neo-Provençal style, and some small local shops on ground level.

Transport

Mougins lies between Cannes and Grasse, close to the Sophia-Antipolis business park and the protected Valmasque forest.

The closest airport to Mougins is Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, 25 kilometres away, operating flights worldwide including several UK destinations.

The nearest SNCF railway stations are Mouans-Sartoux and Cannes, with trains connecting to all major cities along the Côte d’Azur and beyond.

Mougins’ main bus network is run by Palm Bus, operating services in and around Mougins as well as routes to Sophia Antipolis, Cannes and Mouans-Sartoux.

TAM, the Département des Alpes Maritimes official bus network, also operates routes between Mougins, Valbonne, Cannes, Sophia Antipolis and Mouans-Sartoux.

For taxi services in and around Mougins see the Directory for Taxis, Shuttle & Airport Transfer.

International Schools & Nice Sophia-Antipolis University

One of the main attractions of Mougins for expat families is its international school, Mougins School, offering the British curriculum for students aged 3 to 18.

Other nearby international schools on the Riviera are The Centre International de Valbonne (CIV) offering the possibility of sitting the French Baccalaureate in various specialities with the International Baccalaureate option, and the EIB Internationals Schools.

• See the Directory for other internationals schools in Mougins and nearby

The closest university is the Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, with campuses in Nice and Sophia, and is a popular destination for foreign students. 

Mougins is also home to the famous Cannes Rosella Hightower dance school.

Shopping & Markets

Mougins-Village has few shops other than ones selling art or tourist souvenirs with the usual local produce including olive wood and lavender or jasmine sachets. 

The commune of Mougins doesn’t have a central shopping area as such but has a number of large supermarkets, garden centres and DIY shops. The nearest shopping towns are Cannes and Grasse, both of which offer a range of high-street shops and boutiques.

Most of the bigger shops are open from 10:00 to 19:00, whereas smaller boutiques tend to close over lunch.

There is an organic food market in Mougins-le-Haut twice a month. For other produce markets, see our Markets section for details of dates and times for each market.

Culture in Mougins

The Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM) houses a large collection of Roman, Greek and Egyptian antiquities displayed alongside a collection of modern and contemporary art with a classical subject matter. Artists include Picasso, Cézanne, Matisse, Dali, Degas, Dufy, Chagall, Warhol and Hirst. 

Other noteworthy museums and sites are the Musée de la Photographie André Villers (André Villers Photography Museum), the Espace Culturel & Musée Maurice Gottlob, the Musée d’Histoire Locale (local history museum), and the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Vie.

• See our Museums guide for contact details and further information about museums in the region

Mougins, capital of gastronomy, hosts the annual international Gastronomy Festival, Les Etoiles de Mougins, every September in the village. Two of France’s celebrity chefs, Roger Vergé and Alain Ducasse, have managed restaurants in Mougins, contributing to its culinary history and reputation.

Mougins also hosts the International PRO AM Golf Festival and an organ festival launched in 1997.

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