You'll be bowled over by the beautiful sea views from Nice's beachfront Promenade des Anglais. Feel the sun on your face as you wander the lanes and explore the flower market, bars and restaurants of picturesque Old Nice. There's plenty of window-shopping along busy city-centre avenues. Make your way to two or three famous art museums like the Musée des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum) – and save the others for your next visit.
You'll sense something fascinatingly different about Nice. That's because, until 1860, it was in Italy, which you can tell from the Italianate architecture of Old Nice. The Queen of the French Riviera, as Nice is known, dates back thousands of years. The city's flair and sophistication comes from the 19th century, however, when English villa owners created a grand waterfront promenade and Belle Èpoque hotels along it. Behind the Promenade des Anglais lie the parks, museums and shopping streets of the modern city centre.
Walk along the iconic Promenade des Anglais, the sea lapping on pebbled shores on one side, and grand hotels on the other. Just as important, explore the atmospheric lanes of Old Nice, Le Vieux Nice to locals, to find bright Provençal fabrics, herb-fragrant souvenirs and enticing market stands on Cours Saleya. Take time to visit the Chagall and Musée des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum). After all that, enjoy the fresh flavours of tuna, eggs, anchovy, olives, beans and potatoes in a salade Niçoise. Stewed tomato, courgette and pepper ratatouille and fresh fish are other local favourites, all washed down with crisp local rosé wine.
That hill at the end of the Promenade des Anglais is called Le Château. If you've never been up before, don't miss the lovely park around an ancient site at its summit, with stunning views over the beach and lively, picturesque port. Admire the grand 19th-century mansions in Nice's Cimiez district, just north of the Château, then take time to discover more of the great art museums of Nice, perhaps the Musée Matisse in heart of Cimiez or the brilliant Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) back in the modern town. .
France's second largest airport, Nice Airport transports more than 10 million passengers per year from its two terminals to 80 worldwide destinations. Located close to the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, it's a 15-minute drive into central Nice.
- Favourites
- Delicious
- Facebook
- Windows Live
- Digg
- Google
- MySpace
- Yahoo
More bookmarks- StumbleUpon
- Technorati
- Blinklist
- Ask
- Furl
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Fark
- Propeller
What are these?