What do you miss about it when you’re away?  The atmosphere – something I can’t quite put my finger on. There’s a sense of the exotic and of danger, with huge walls running around the town. It’s exciting.  What is the first thing you do when you arrive?  Have a gin and tonic on the terrace of our home nearby. Judy [his wife, the presenter Judy Finnigan] and I have a home located between Vence and the village of Saint-Paul de Vence. So when we arrive home – unless it’s in the morning – we open up the shutters and doors and pour ourselves a G&T with a big slice of lemon to toast being back.  Where is the best place to stay?  Château Saint-Martin (0033 4 93 58 02 02; chateau-st-martin.com) . It has amazing views towards the Mediterranean as well as a wonderful terrace, spa and a great restaurant.  Where are your favourite places for lunch?  La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul (4 93 32 80 02; la-colombe-dor.com) or, within Vence, La Clemenceau (4 93 58 24 70; 22 Place Clemenceau) , a pizza restaurant in the old square. It’s in the heart of the old town and they do the best wood-fired pizzas. The restaurant/bar at La Victoire (4 93 24 15 54; hotel-victoire.com) does nice French brasserie fare, soupe de poisson and home-made pâté.  The market stalls in the old town of Vence (Alamy)  Le Pigeonnier (4 93 58 03 00; 5-7 Rue du Peyra) , a small, inexpensive restaurant in the old town. I also like Le Saint-Martin at Château Saint-Martin. It’s hard to get a bad portion of anything in Vence.  Where would you meet friends for a drink?  Henry’s Bar (4 93 58 67 83; 48 Avenue Marcellin Maurel) is a bit of an institution, and is where locals like to congregate. Or there’s K’fé malté (4 93 32 52 36; kfemalte.fr) , an intimate wine bar with artisanal French beers. There’s a little bread shop, just off the roundabout that takes you to Vence, that’s good for a coffee. I don’t think it has a name.  Where would you send a first-time visitor?  To the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence (4 93 58 03 26; vence.fr/la-chapelle-du-rosaire-chef-d) , Matisse’s last great work. I remember going with Judy about five or six years ago and was blown away by it, from the colours of the stained-glass windows to the simple drawings, particularly of the Madonna holding Christ in her arms. It moved me to tears because it spoke so eloquently of maternal love.  Also see the galleries in and around Vence, where you can find wonderful, inexpensive art.  The Fondation Maeght (4 93 32 81 63; fondation-maeght.com) on the outskirts of Vence has huge sculptures and all sorts of paintings. It has a nice space with green lawns, fountains and a shaded area. Also visit the beautiful Vence Cathedral, which has a real stillness about it.  And don’t be afraid to speak French. Even if it’s really bad, people in Vence appreciate it. They won’t be snobby and will correct you in a nice way if you get it wrong.  If you’re using Vence as a base to explore further afield, don’t be seduced by St Tropez. I strongly recommend you don’t go near it in the summer, when it can take hours to get in and out, and frankly there’s not much to see.  The winding, bougainvillea-lined streets of Vence (Alamy)  What should I bring home?  Something from the antiques market in the square which is on from time to time and some excellent Provencal rosé in the supermarket.  Anywhere that’s not your kind of town?  Funchal in Madeira. I went years ago with Judy for our anniversary and found it gloomy and depressing. It rained every day and we got food poisoning.  'The Way You Look Tonight’ by Richard Madeley (Simon and Schuster, £7.99) is out now  Reader offer: Explore our range of world-wide escorted tours, cruises, city breaks and holidays. Discover Telegraph Travel Collection (telegraph.co.uk/travelcollection).  France holiday booking guide Marseille city break guide Nice city break guide St Tropez travel guide Cannes city break guide Rachel Khoo’s Marseille: My Kind of Town  Win one of 40 holidays worth £800,000 Telegraph Travel Awards 2014: vote for your favourite destinations and travel companies for the chance to win one of 40 luxury breaks worth a total of £800,000.  Travel Guides app Download the free Telegraph Travel app, featuring expert guides to destinations including Paris, Rome, New York, Venice and Amsterdam  Follow Telegraph Travel on Twitter Follow Telegraph Travel on Facebook Follow Telegraph Travel on Pinterest Follow Telegraph Travel on FourSquare
Richard Madeley, the television presenter, shares his favourite haunts in the historic market town of Vence, in the south of France