Sightseeing in Nice - what to see. Complete travel guide

Famous boulevard Promenade des Anglais (English Embankment) is, without a doubt, the most attractive and noteworthy part of Nice. The boulevard stretches for five kilometers, and keeps amazing visitors with its luxury hotels and a long beach. However, Nice can offer much more than just the promenade and the beach!

Old Town (Vieux Nice).
The old Nice is located at the foot of the hill, on which you will find Le Chateau Castle . The old city quarter is limited by the hill in the east, and in the west of the quarter is separated from the New Town by the Le Paillon River. Taking into account the geographical location of the quarter, it becomes clear why this part of the city, founded by Greeks, has survived for two thousand years, in contrast to Cimiez, deeply loved by Romans.

The Old Town is the place where you can really feel a lively and merry atmosphere of a typical provincial town. In this quarter of Nice every day flower, vegetable and fish markets open their stalls and wait for visitors. This is the place where locals buy provisions. Watching how numerous traders and butchers work is the real pleasure. In these markets, you can buy everything from precious spices to exotic fruits. The products are put in such a picturesque way that it's really hard not to buy meat or pasta, even if you have absolutely no chance to cook them. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

It’s simply impossible to select one route for exploring the sights of the Old Town. While wandering in this quarter of Nice, you will surely pass Hotel de Ville , Palais de Justice and the Cathedral of Ste. Réparate . It is unlikely that you will be able to miss the main square of the city, Marché aux Fleurs. However, tourists, who will decide to devote more time to sightseeing, will consider the Old Town truly interesting. Make a walk to the most remote streets of the quarter, especially the ones located in the north, near the bus station. While exploring the Old Town, you will enjoy wonderful cool shadows – the houses are packed together so close that they do not let much light in. Do not forget to look up from time to time, otherwise you will not be able to see the colorful variety of houses of the Old Town.

When you wander in the old Nice for some time, you will feel like you’re in a small town in Italy. Houses painted in pastel colors, clothes drying outside the windows, dogs that lie lazily in front of front doors - all these elements create a sense of timelessness. Of course, if you look in every corner of the Old Town, you will definitely see that there are many very poor people who often live in difficult conditions. At lunchtime, many stalls and bars sell socca cooked in a wood oven. Socca is made from chickpeas flour. For many years the meal was considered the food for the poor, but today it is more like a delicacy. Large cakes that look like pizza can be sometimes up to one meter in diameter. They are very cheap, but can, however, satisfy hunger very quickly.

Le Château (Castle Hill).
The Old Nice is surrounded by Castle Hill on the east . Many years ago a castle and a cathedral stood on a hill of about 100 meters. At the time when Nice belonged to the county of Savoy, Louis XIV managed to occupy the city for a short time. Then, in 1706, he ordered to destroy the fort. This is the reason why you will see only a few fragments of the castle wall and not a medieval castle when you go up to Castle Hill. However, tourists are still recommended to climb the hill because of two reasons. Firstly, the plateau offers a magnificent view not only of the Old Town, but also of the whole Nice. From such a height you will be able to see the English Embankment in a great detail. From the hill you will be able to watch how planes fly away and land in the airport built opposite the hill. Secondly, the hill is worth climbing because you will be able to see a piece of a beautiful nature.

The entire territory is, actually, a huge garden with exotic plants, overgrown palm trees, cacti with huge and long thorns and a beautiful man-made waterfall in the center. The southern top of the hill is the place where you will find Musée Narval. The museum exhibits models of ships and navigational instruments. If you have enough time, do not forget to climb the castle hill twice, in the afternoon and in the evening. In the daytime, you will enjoy magnificent views of the city and the sea, and in the twilight you will be amazed by the endless sea of lights. The most beautiful time to observe Promenade des Anglais is at night, when it’s lit beautifully. A huge number of street lights, hotels’ lights, and the beach equipped with spotlights create an incredibly romantic and unique feeling.

Museums.
Once in Nice, do not forget to visit the famous Negresco hotel that has long become much more than just a hotel. Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, Marlene Dietrich, Francoise Sagan – this is not a complete list of famous guests, who have ever stayed in this hotel. Nice is a paradise for fans of museums – the Massena Museum that exhibits numerous items that throw light upon the history of Nice and the creativity of local artists, the Museum of Contemporary Art , which exhibits a collection of works by European and transatlantic avant-garde artists from the 60s of the previous century, Marc Chagall Museum and Matisse Museum .

Shopping.
Of course, when you’re in such a city as Nice, it’s natural that you want not only to visit museums and walk along the embankment or climb the hill, but also want to attend various shops. Rue de France will be the best choice for that purpose. Do not forget about rue Masséna , a pedestrian street adjacent to rue de France. When you cross rue Massena from the west to its end, you will reach Massena Square. This square is the location of the largest department store Galeries Lafayette . Other trading centers and good shops can be found if you go from Place Masséna to the north of Jean Medécin Street .