Attractions
Nice is set between the soft curve of the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels) and the sheltering inland foothills of the French Alps, 560 miles south of Paris. With an exotic terrain dotted by citrus and olive groves, mimosa, cacti, palm trees, and eucalyptus, this fine slice of real estate has long garnered international interest – from the ancient Greeks and Romans who staked claims here to the tide of 19th century English and Russian aristocrats who poured in to claim Nice as their fashionable winter retreat. American globetrotters soon followed, deeming summer their season of choice. The city has also been the inspiration for countless artists; two of the most famous, Chagall and Matisse, left their own legacy through their prolific works while based in Nice, highlights of which are displayed in their namesake museums.
The last half-century has seen Nice cater to a decidedly more middle-class traveler by exploiting its relative bargains over other chic Riviera resort towns and touting itself as a great base for further exploration along the coast – in good traffic, such revered seaside hotspots as Cannes and Monaco are within a 30-to 40-minute drive.
Visitors will spend much of their time along the Promenade des Anglais, dubbed “La Prom” by locals, a wide seafront boulevard that contours the bay for some four miles, providing access to the beaches, open air cafés, high-end hotels, and casinos. The eastern edge of the Promenade, known as Quai des Etats-Unis, serves as a buffer between the narrow, atmospheric streets of Vieux Nice (Old Nice, also referred to as Vieille Ville) and the sea. The towering rock known as Le Château, or Castle Hill, caps this road, site of the city’s ancient Greek settlement and a long-demolished medieval castle, and finally, the animated, Italianesque port. Further inland, the affluent residential neighborhood of Cimiez in northeast Nice hosts some fantastic museums and maintains an aristocratic air.
These main tourist areas, excluding Cimiez, are fairly compact – hotels in downtown Nice are no further than a 10-minute walk to the Promenade. Public buses are available, a new tourist-friendly tramway is due in fall 2007, and taxis can easily be arranged from your hotel or hailed from designated stands about the city. Driving should be reserved for ventures outside of the downtown area, as the city is truly best explored on foot and parking garages can be pricey. The Promenade is delightful to explore via bike – rentals can be arranged near the main train station at Nicea Location Rent (12 Rue de Belgique; 04-93-82-42-71; 5€/hour,18€/day; www.nicealocationrent.com), which also rents out mopeds (57€/day), a common mode of transportation in Nice.
Double-decker, open-top bus tours with English commentary can be arranged through Nice Le Grand Tour (Promenade des Anglais in front of the Beau Rivage beach; departures every 30 min from 9.30am-6.30pm; 04-92-29-17-00; 18€ for one-day pass; www.nicelegrandtour.com), which features hop-on, hop-off service with 11 stops throughout the city. You can also take a 40-minute city tour on the Little Tourist Train (Promenade des Anglais in front of Jardin Albert 1er; departures every 30 min, daily Jun-Aug 10am-7pm, Sep-Dec and Apr-May 10am-6pm, Jan-Mar 10am-5pm; 06/16-39-53-51; 6.50€; www.petittrainnice.com) – these miniature “trains” take to the pavement to hit up sights like the Cours Saleya, Castle Hill, and the Promenade des Anglais. The Nice Convention Visitors Bureau offers weekly 2.5-hour walking tours (in French and English) focused on Old Nice’s history and architecture (Nice Visitors Bureau, 5 Promenade des Anglais; Saturdays 9.30am; 08-92-70-74-07; 12€).
Visitors coming to Nice in the name of sun and surf are often pleasantly surprised to discover that the city is second only to Paris in the number of museums and galleries it houses – 19 in all. If you opt to ditch the beaches for the masterpieces, be sure to pick up a Carte Musées Ville de Nice (purchase at museums or at the Nice CVB; 6€) that provides admission to all city-run museums for one week (note that the Musée Chagall and Musée des Arts Asiatiques museums are excluded).
For event information, general sightseeing advice, and hotel-booking assistance, contact the Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau (5 Promenade des Anglais; June-Sept Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 9am-6pm; Oct-May Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; 08/92-70-74-07; www.nicetourism.com), located near Jardin Albert 1er. Additional outposts are located at the airport (June-Sept daily 8am-9pm; Oct-May Mon-Sat 8am-9pm) and at the main rail station (June-Sept Mon-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 9am-7pm; Oct-May 8am-7p Mon-Sat, Sun 10am-5pm). The Regional Committee of Tourism Riviera Côte d'Azur (www.guideriviera.com) is another handy resource for regional information.
Promenade des Anglais & Beaches
Wide and well landscaped, the four-mile-long Promenade des Anglais is perfect for biking, alfresco dining, strolling, or people watching from one of the ubiquitous blue chairs that line the waterfront. Dominating the skyline near the center of the thoroughfare, the majestic neoclassical palace Hotel Negresco (37 Promenade des Anglais) has been a quintessential symbol of the opulent French Riviera lifestyle since 1912. Peep in and check out the hotel’s famous Salon Royal with its glass dome and magnificent Baccarat chandelier (see Where to Stay).
Most summer visitors are intent on swimming in the pristine waters of the Baie des Anges. A couple dozen beaches, both public and private, stretch along the Promenade des Anglais. But don’t expect to build a sandcastle – these beaches are comprised of smooth pebbles, leading some beachgoers to wear water sandals. Though free, public beaches are usually crowded and offer no amenities; instead, we recommend splurging on entry to a private beach (from 10€/day) where you’ll not only get a chaise lounge (a near necessity if you plan on spending any amount of time on the pebbly shores) as well as parasols, showers, changing rooms, waterfront restaurants, bar service, and, on occasion, water sports rentals. The centrally-located Neptune Plage (across from Hotel Negresco; 04-93-87-16-60) has extras like a children’s swimming pool, while Castel Plage (8 Quai des Etats-Unis; 04-93-85-22-66) at the eastern edge of the Baie des Anges, boasts dramatic cliffs as a backdrop and tends to be less crowded. Note that topless sunbathing is the norm in the south of France, so leave your inhibitions behind.
If water sports are on your agenda, waterskiing, parasailing, and windsurfing can be easily arranged through outfits like Nikaia Water Sports (btwn Beau Rivage and Opéra Plage; 06-09-16-02-16; from 20€; www.nikaiaglisse.com). Jet-skiing is available exclusively through Jet Evasion (Plage de Carras; 06/98-10-50-62; from 30€; www.jetevasion06.com) on Plage de Carras. Scuba diving for beginning and experienced divers alike is offered at the Centre International de Plongée de Nice (2 Ruelle des Moulins; 04-93-55-59-50; from 30€; www.cip-nice.com).
Vieux Nice & Castle Hill
The Promenade des Anglais turns into the Quai des Etats-Unis on its eastern end, where it is dominated by a rocky hill known as Le Château, named for a castle torn down some three centuries ago. This lofty ledge also provided the setting for the ancient Greek settlement of Nikaïa, from which Nice derives its name.
Scattered ancient ruins peek through the rich flora of the Parc du Château (Jun-Aug 9am-8pm, Apr-May and Sep 9am-7pm, Oct-Mar 10am-5.30pm; 04-93-85-62-33), a public park that spills over from the imposing hilltop and is accessible by elevator for a small fee (.80€ one-way; 1.10€ round-trip) near the Bellanda Tower at the eastern end of Quai des Etats-Unis, or via steps from Vieux Nice. Once on top, it’s all about the views! Wander to the eastern side and enjoy scenic vistas over the massive yachts and tiny fishing boats in the Italian-flavored port of Nice, a pleasant place to stroll with good-value dining options. The southwestern side of the park is even more picturesque, with views over the Mediterranean melding into the orange-hued rooftops of the buildings, their protruding balconies each striving to catch a glimpse of the sea. Once you’ve had enough of the views, follow the sound of rushing water to the artificial waterfall a level below the park's summit – bathing in its mist is a terrifically refreshing way to spend a warm summer day.
Continue down the stairwell from the waterfall (or head back to the elevator) to reach the narrow, picturesque streets of the Vieille Ville, the city’s historic core stretching west from Le Château to Place Masséna. The pedestrian-friendly alleys (some closed to automobiles) are lined with pastel yellow- and ochre-colored buildings with Italianate facades and sienna-tiled roofs. It’s a great neighborhood to sample traditional Niçoise dishes like ratatouille, socca, or pissaladière (see Where to Eat), or to savor a pastis after a long day of sight-seeing.
One of our favorite areas in Old Nice, Cours Saleya (two blocks north of Quai des Etats-Unis) is a pedestrian thoroughfare marked by lively outdoor cafés and Marché aux Fleurs, a bustling market selling flowers and fresh produce (See Where to Shop).
On the northern edge of Cours Saleya, the Chapelle de la Miséricorde marks one of the city’s finest examples of baroque architecture. Dating to 1740, the structure boasts a lovely gold edifice and an extravagant interior with frescoes, chandeliers, faux marble, and a Bréa altarpiece. Old Nice’s narrow streets turn up several more excellent baroque-influenced buildings, including one of the city’s oldest churches, Eglise St-Martin/ St-Augustin (Place Saint-Augustin), which although dates from 1405, was later updated with a fantastic baroque interior; the 17th-century Cathédrale Ste-Réparate, dedicated to the patron saint of Nice (Place Rossetti); and the expansive 17th-century Eglise du Gésu (Rue Droite).
A great example of non-religious baroque architecture, the 17th-century Palais Lascaris (15 Rue Droite; Wed-Mon 10am-6pm; 04-93-62-72-40; free) is a Genoan-style aristocratic palace-turned-museum with an elaborate vaulted staircase ascending around an inner courtyard and into tapestry-filled staterooms; an apothecary shop from 1738 is on display on the ground floor.
Central Nice
Just west of Old Nice and bordering the Promenade des Anglais, the splendid Jardin Albert Ier unfolds. This park is an oasis of flowers, palm trees, fountains, sculptures – including the immense L’Arc by Bernar Venet – and even an old-fashioned merry-go-round. To the north of the gardens is the bustling commercial center of Place Masséna, marking the heart of the city and framed by Italian-style arcade buildings centered around a large bronze fountain, Fontaine du Soleil. A few blocks northwest, the 18th-century square at Place Garibaldi marks the transition from historic Old Nice to the newer part of the city. (Note that construction work on the new tramway is prevalent on the two squares, and won’t be wrapped up until fall 2007).
Adjacent to Place Garibaldi, the bold architecture of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Promenade des Arts; Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm; 04-97-13-42-01; 4€; www.mamac-nice.org) features a quartet of marble towers connected by glass passageways that overlook a concourse with outdoor sculptures; the collection of French and American art spans the ’60s to the present. On the same plaza, take notice of the architecturally daring Louis Nucéra Library (2 Place Yves Klein; 04 97 13 48 00; www.bmvr-nice.com.fr), a cube-shaped building designed to recall a human head.
Though you can’t easily walk to them, two central Nice attractions are worth a short taxi ride. The magnificent Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe St-Nicolas (Ave Nicolas II; May-Sept daily 9-noon & 2.30-6pm, Oct & mid-Feb-April 9.15am-noon & 2.30-5pm, Nov-mid-Feb 9.30am-noon & 2.30-5pm; services held Sunday morning; 04-93-96-88-02; 2.50€; www.acor-nice.com) is a testimony to the once sizeable community of Russian aristocrats who wintered here. Built at the beginning of the 20th century (Tsar Nicholas II himself was the benefactor), the Byzantine-style masterpiece is capped with six onion-shaped domes. Further west, the Musée des Beaux-Arts (33 Ave des Baumettes; Tue-Sun 10am-6pm; 04-92-15-28-28; 4€; www.musee-beaux-arts-nice.org) boasts an impressive fine arts collection in a truly regal setting – the 19th-century Italianate mansion of a Ukrainian princess.
Cimiez
Just a few of miles north of Nice’s city center is the affluent residential quarter of Cimiez – you’ll need transportation (taxis and several buses – including lines 15 and 17 – make the trip), but once here most of the attractions are within easy walking distance of one another. This posh hilltop suburb was the winter home of Queen Victoria and a large group of aristocrats, whose lavish villas define the landscape today. Long before the English entourage arrived, however, Cimiez was known as Cemenelum, an important settlement of ancient Rome with notable ruins of public baths and an amphitheater at the Arènes de Cimiez, (Place de Cimiez) home of the annual Nice Jazz Festival. The Archeological Museum (160 Rue des Arènes; Wed-Mon 10am-6pm; 04-93-81-59-57; 3.80€) here displays ceramics, coins, jewelry, tools, and other objects extracted from local digs.
Next door, the renowned Musée Matisse (164 Ave des Arènes de Cimiez; Wed-Mon, 10am-6pm; 04-93-81-08-08; 4€; www.musee-matisse-nice.org) features paintings, sculptures, gouache cutouts, and more by French artist Henri Matisse, who lived in Nice for much of the last four decades of his life. The collection is housed in a light-bathed 17th-century villa; allow at least an hour.
Nearby, the Monastère de Cimiez, a working monastery where several Franciscan friars still live, features the Musée Franciscain (Place du Monastère; Mon-Sat 10am-noon & 3-6pm; 04-93-81-00-04; free) that traces the history of the Franciscan order and showcases three masterpieces by gothic Niçois painter Louis Bréa. The adjacent Jardin du Monastère overflows with colorful rose gardens, wooden trellises, fruit trees, and fountains. Peer over the serene park’s perimeters for some lovely views of the city below, or climb up the stone steps for an amble through a secluded wooded area, worlds away from the hordes of downtown tourists.
Return via taxi or bus to the foot of the Cimiez hill, a few blocks east of Gare SNCF Nice-Ville (the train station) to reach the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall (36 Ave Docteur Ménard; July-Sept Wed-Mon 10am-6pm, Oct-June Wed-Mon10am-5pm; 04-93-53-87-20; 6.50€; www.musee-chagall.fr), which features late works by the Russian-born artist, including 17 biblical scenes on large canvases, as well as brightly hued stained-glass windows. The natural light-filled museum space, coupled with surrounding gardens and pools, makes for a superb viewing experience; allot at least an hour.
