The nice city of Nice is located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille and Genoa. While the jet-setting heydays of the 1960s and ‘70s may have gone by, Nice is still a major tourist center and a leading resort on the French Riviera. If you come here for the beaches though, you’re in for a stony surprise!
Those who decide to forgo the pebbly pleasures of the beach will find some of the most esteemed museums in the south of France. The Old Town begins at the foot of ‘the Rock’ and stretches out from Massena. It is a maze of narrow streets, heaving with local life and packed with the city’s best value restaurants.
The shoreline is dominated by the Promenade des Anglais, a long promenade lining the beach and the main focus for leisure activities and people watching. Skateboarders and inline skaters compete for space with families on outings, while the lazy can rent blue chairs or cabanas to contemplate the azure waters of the Mediterranean.
Highlights
The Russian Cathedral: with its traditional Russian onion towers is just one of many Russian attractions in the city left over by the Russian aristocracy, who used Nice as a temperate getaway.****
Cimiez Museum of Archaeology: houses the ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez and exhibits Gallo-Roman life.
Le Chateau: can be reached by elevator or by hiking upstairs to the park atop the hill from where you’ll get a spectacular panoramic view of the city and sea.
Cimiez Gardens: feature a little olive grove, a Roman amphitheater and a monastery garden, which combine to create a paradise for strollers.
Castel Beach: is where to go to see and be seen, and where the bold and the beautiful top up their tans.
Misericorde Chapel: is a fine example of Italian Baroque influence, with its curved form, mock marble, golden stuccoes and beautiful paintings.