The beautiful city of Nice, located on the French Riviera, has a lot to offer in addition to its beaches and is the ideal starting point for excursions on the Cote d’Azur. On the contrary to what I believed, the city did not seem to me as expensive as others in France, so I recommend you to stay here for several days, take the time to enjoy and visit famous places like Monaco or Cannes on day trips.
What is there to see in Nice?
Promenade des Anglais
I am going to start with what many of us look for in the summer: the sea. If you do not want to complicate yourself looking for more deserted beaches -because yes, France and Italy are crazy in the summer-, you can go to the main beach that is attached to the old town. There you will find the Promenade des Anglais, a seven kilometer boardwalk that is a delight to visit, because you have the sea on one side and the beautiful buildings on the other side of the street. At the end (or at the beginning, depending on how you take it), you will find the #ILoveNice sign for the selfie to capture valuable memories.
Take your picture even if you have to wait until there are no people, walk calmly through the promenade, cool off in the waters of the Mediterranean, lie on the beach even if it is stony, have a delicious rosé wine from Provence or just sit in one of the blue chairs to enjoy the view that inspired artists like Matisse and Chagall.
Vieux-Nice
The old town is one of the main attractions of the city where the Italian influence is best appreciated, with its old, colorful buildings and wooden windows. Its streets will lead you to fascinating squares and beautiful churches. Old Nice must be toured quietly, savoring an ice cream that is sold in the gelaterias that abound there.
And wherever you stroll, you will surely pass at some point the beautiful pedestrian street of Cours Saleya, always full of life with its restaurants and the market assembled with flowers, fruits, crafts and local products.
Colline du Château
In reality, there is no castle, only ruins, but you ascend to the Colline du Château to walk in the park, recommended if you go with children because there are games, but especially because from up there, you get very nice views of the city. You can go up by foot or by elevator.
Promenade du Paillon
This park was my favorite, perhaps because the first afternoon, we had a picnic here and spent a few amazing hours relaxing. There are children’s play areas, picnic areas, sculptures, and it has a fountain area called Fontaine Miroir d’eau that had all the children fascinated because they could play in the water. Recommended for a pleasant walk from the National Theater to the Promenade des Anglais.
Place Massena
I loved this square and found it very original. I was impressed to get there at night from the Jean Médecin Avenue, as the installation “Conversation à Nice” by the Catalan artist Jaume Plensa stood out, which consists of seven 12-meter-high columns, with statues of men sitting on them, illuminated with different colors and representing the seven continents (it is not an error, some count them as seven continents, I am left with the classic version of the five).
From there, this square is a feast for the eyes, the illuminated sculptures, the floor with black and white squares like a gigantic chess board and the Fuente del Sol as cherry on the cake, surrounded by beautiful terracotta colored buildings with their wooden windows. in mint color.
Place Garibaldi
A very pretty square, surrounded by yellow buildings, with a statue dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the leaders in the unification of Italy.
Tête au Carrée
This building, the work of the sculptor and painter Sacha Sosno and the architects Yves Bayard and Francis Chapuis, is truly impressive. It is the head of a man covered by a box, as indicated by its name “Thinking inside the box” and it is made of aluminum. It looks like a giant sculpture, but in reality the building has use, since it is part of the central library.
Port Lympia
The Nice Harbour was opened in the late XIX century by the Empress of Russia, Maria Alexandrovna. It is very easy to reach, since it is very close to the old town. You can visit it after seeing the Tête au Carrée or when you go up to the letters of #ILoveNice, just continue walking to the port.
Marc Chagall and Matisse Museums
Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954, so it is impossible not to visit the museum at Villa des Arènes, inside the Chimiez archaeological site. This museum is highly relevant because the same painter selected the works that he would donate.
You also can’t leave without visiting the Chagall Museum, which houses the artist’s largest public collection, with more than 400 works. It was originally created after the painter donated his works of the Biblical Message to France. In 1970, the city of Nice donated the land for the project and Chagall himself was very involved in it and in the early years of the museum. After his death, his heirs donated more works and the name was changed to the Marc Chagall National Museum.
Villefranche sur Mer
Very close to Nice, just 7 kilometers away, is this beautiful town on the French Riviera. We visited it because the Tourist Office very kindly provided us with the French Riviera Pass, which gives you free access to many museums and activities, as well as the red Nice Le Grand Tour tourist bus.
The bus goes to Villefranche sur Mer and on the way, you can listen to the tourist explanations that are offered in nine languages. There in Villefrance sur Mer, in addition to walking its picturesque streets and admiring the sea view, you can also visit the Citadel, a XVI century fortress where the Town Hall is located. In general, it is a charming town.
I really enjoyed Nice, having spent more days there was the best decision we could make. Was it enough? No, after getting to know the city more thoroughly, I think Nice will always leave me wanting more.
Note: at the time of writing this article, the Covid-19 pandemic had not yet been triggered, so the crowded beaches of France and Italy are still mentioned. There will surely be things that will change after everything has happened.
If you want to travel to France and would like us to design and organize your trip 100% customized through our travel agency Tripdreaming, please contact me at silvia.lucero@tripdreaming.com.
For editorial questions, please contact me at silvia.lucero@latrotamundos.com.
