Nice is a beautiful big city. This Mediterranean city overlooking the Baie des Anges is undoubtedly worth a visit due to its extraordinary heritage and everything it has to offer.
Here are 7 good reasons to come and enjoy a memorable stay:
The blue of the Côte d’Azur
It is true that, here, the sky is invaded by blue which fades into the sea in a palette of ultramarine, turquoise and navy. This blue puts us in a good mood and bathes the city in extraordinary light, a unique light adored by the painter Matisse, a huge fan of Nice.
The blue of the Baie des Anges, for example, is unique with its long fringe made lighter in colour by the pebbles reflecting the colour of the sky.
Old Nice
With its Ligurian Italian style, its tall houses in ochre yellow or with hints of orange and pink, its narrow streets, its old luxury hotels, Old Nice alone is a fascinating place which is worth the detour. Unmissable: the splendid Cours Saleya market where high-end grocers rub shoulders with local florists and producers from the hinterland, Sainte Reparate Cathedral (dedicated to the patron saint of Nice), a Baroque masterpiece and finally the little sun-kissed squares where the terraces exude a certain joie de vivre.
La Promenade du Paillon
In just a few years, this tree-lined, blooming “green walkway” has become the place to take a stroll in Nice: shaded and cooled by its fountains in Summer, it offers those who walk along it a vision of family life in Nice. Children love its many wooden toys in the form of strange animals as well as its play trails. Parents enjoy chatting as they wander along the walkways. It’s a meeting spot, a place to hang out, to dream and, what’s more, it’s pretty.
La Promenade des Anglais
Famous worldwide, this huge sea front (7 kilometres) along an enchanting Mediterranean is a paradise for walkers, joggers and, thanks to its long cycle path,
cyclists. Palm trees, blue chairs, small and elegant beach restaurants, the welcome shade from the Negresco give it unique personality and charm. A sort of cross between the Italian Riviera and the Californian Coast…which says it all…
An outstanding (and very diet-conscious) cuisine
Visiting Nice to indulge and lose weight? This is an option since local cuisine centres on fish products (fish, octopus, baby sardines and anchovies) and Mediterranean vegetables: tomatoes, aubergines, squash, courgettes and peppers. All of this is cooked in the local olive oil (Alziari) as are many traditional dishes, such as pissaladière (olive and anchovy tart), socca (chickpea flour pancakes), deep-friend courgette flowers. And many delicious, traditional local recipes.
The only exception to the diet: irresistible ice cream stands with all the flavours on offer: you can tell Italy isn’t far away!
Beach or mountains? Both, of course!
Nice’s biggest draw? Its unique position, spread out between the sea and the mountains, in the well-named “Alpes Maritimes”. Sea? All the pleasures of the sea await you, from swimming to paddle-boarding, to parasailing, via boat excursions and dolphin-watching mini-cruises (leaving from the port).
Mountains? You’re right there! Majestic and snow-covered in winter and joyful and carpeted with flowers in summer, discover the foothills of the Alps and the many resorts there to accommodate you: from Valberg to Auron via Isola… forest hikes exploring the Mercantour national park, a huge wilderness that is home to mouflons, chamois, eagles and marmots..
Around Nice, the Côte d’Azur and hinterland: 1,000 trips and excursions
From Nice you can travel everywhere: explore the Cap Ferrat with its lavish villas (Villa Rothschild, Villa Kérylos), visit Monaco, Menton or Cannes, since Nice is located at the centre of all of the gems of the Côte d’Azur, and just a few kilometres from the Italian border. A strategic location for anyone wishing to explore this surprising region.
If you are a lover of history, nature lover, the extraordinary abundance of the Nice hinterland and the hills dotted with Medieval villages, Nice is also the ideal location for an unforgettable stay.
Read also > The Wonders of the Mercantour National Park