Nice is the second largest city in Provence (after Marseille) and besides Paris it is also the most visited city in France, with about 4 million tourists every year. No wonder inhabitants are better in English than in many other cities in Provence.
Nice is famous for its Promenade, Promenade des Anglais, located along the beach and at the beneath Nice center. There is a lot of activities here with tourist shops, restaurants and bars along the promenade. The beach in Nice also teeming with life! The long beach provides space for many people, there are also many beach beds, beach bars and various beach and water toys.
In summer, Nice is full of life! With plenty of restaurants, bars and hotels. Nice is the city with the second largest number of hotels and sleeping capacity in France. One can see Nice as a small city that is teeming with language school students, tourists and French people. The main street in Nice is filled with shopping opportunities, with many of the major international clothing chains, as well as the French-known chains and fun little shops where you can find some real treasures. Many cozy outdoor restaurants and bars are also along the pedestrian street , where you can sit down and look at life. Are you tired of the heat, you can walk down to the beach just a stone’s throw away.
Colline de Château
The castle, Le Château, is located at the end of the Promenade des Anglais and is a beautiful castle which is located on a height that it certainly is worth walking up. From the pedestrian street and up there is a lot of stone stairs to walk up. The hill (Colline de Chateau) is decorated with beautiful flowers and plants and especially gorgeous waterfalls. The fortress on top is great, but it is the view most people come to see. You get a fantastic view of Nice and the beach promenade and harbours located on the other side of the hill.
Old Town (Vieux Nice)
The contrast one experiences when walking into the old town of Nice is huge. It opens up a myriad of small walkways, squares and not least an infinity of restaurants. On Course Saleya the city’s main market lies. Here you can buy flowers, fruits , vegetables, meat, fish, cheese etc. and it is an experience in itself to wander through the market. It is open every day until lunch. Except Mondays, when there is a flee market there. When the market closes the restaurants open, and in this area there are plenty of them.
Promenade des Anglais and the beach
The Harbour Promenade in Nice with its palms have been the symbol of the Riviera. Along the promenade lies many sumptuous buildings from the early 1900s and late 1800s. The most famous hotel is perhaps Hôtel Negresco from year 1912. If you want to see the inside you have to eat or stay here – and it can be an expensive affair.
Beneath the promenade are the beaches, these are pebbly beaches. Most of the beach is privatized and you have to hire sunbeds to use them, but there are also some parts that are open to everyone.
Matisse and Chagal museums
North of the city, in the Cimiez area lies the two famous museums. Musée Matisse is by far the most interesting of them. Matisse lived and worked in Nice, the museum has a good collection of his works and is very nicely located. See more on Museum website. Matisse lived close to where the museum is located in an apartment hotel – Villa Regina.
The Chagal Museum lies between Musée Matisse and the center of Nice. It is a small museum, with about 15 paintings, but it is certainly worth the trip for art lovers. All pictures are of biblical scenes. The museum’s website, which is only in French: http://www.musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr/chagall/