French Riviera / Côte d’Azur

While in French Riviera on our June 2023 summer trip, we had the chance to explore Nice on a blazing hot afternoon. Not the best time to do sightseeing but we got a glimpse of the city and there will be more next time.

Nice the capital of French Riviera might be the most popular name associated with the French Riviera. Indeed it’s a stunning city with a rich history, vibrant culture, and a crystal clear turquoise bay along its famous Promenade des Anglais, or “Walkway of the English”. As the name suggests the promenade is tightly connected with the English aristocracy of the 18th century that used to escape their harsh winters, here. In 1820, the promenade along the sea was constructed, funded by Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Tips: the beaches here are all pebbles. If pebble beaches are not your thing, the nearby Antibes or VilleFrance-sur-Mer have sandy beaches.

As a side note, I highly recommend traveling by train on your French Riviera trip. The train from Antibes meanders right along the coast and one can enjoy the azure color of the Mediterranean from the comfort of an air-conditioned train. But as I heard in the peak season trains are very crowded and one might not find seats.

The Old Town, or Vieux Nice, is a charming area full of narrow cobbled streets, pastel-colored buildings reminiscent of neighboring Italy, and bustling markets. Strolling through the streets we came along of hidden treasures like the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate in the Place Rossetti.

Still in Vieux-Nice, an interesting museum housed in a 17th-century palace is Musée du Palais Lascaris. The palace was owned by the very rich Vintimille-Lascaris family until 1802 when it became a museum. Now, it houses the second-biggest collection of historical musical instruments in France, with around 500 instruments. While the ancient instruments are definitely remarkable, what I remember the most is the impressive baroque architecture.

Nice farmer’s market is very famous, especially for the flowers as the name Marché Aux Fleurs Cours Saleya suggests but it just happened that we missed it that day since it was a Monday. If you are in the area in the morning 9am -1pm except Monday, don’t skip it.

The Place Masséna is the main square of the city named after  André Masséna. It is a large pedestrian square bordered by red-ochre buildings of Italian architecture. During the summer it hosts public events like the Carnival Parade or military procession on the 14th of July (Bastille Day).

Every big city has an Opera House. We stumbled over  Opéra de Nice while looking for a lunch place. Opéra de Nice started being known as Théâtre Royal built in 1776. In 1881 it burned in a gas leak fire and was complete redone by architect  François Aune with the approval of Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera. In 1902 it was renamed Opéra de Nice. It currently houses the Ballet Nice Méditerrannée and the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra. I wish we had time to enjoy a show but this will be a project for next time.

If you are traveling with teens but not only, do not miss the opportunity to take an  Instagrammable pic at #I Love Nice sign. It surely is a great spot that overlooks the Bay of Nice.

This concludes our short encounter with Nice. There is more to explore in the city. Places to visit next time while in the area: Musée Matisse and nearby Jardin du Monastère de Cimiez, Marc Chagall National Museum, Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice (Russian style cathedral), Villa Masséna Musée, Coline du Chateau for better views and hopefully with more luck weather wise a cruise to see the coast from the water.

Useful websites: Best of Nice blog