The hotspots you must see in Nice
Delightfully warm sunshine and azure waters. Who could resist the South of France?
Nice is the centerpiece of the South of France, a resort city known for swimming, tanning, shopping, and of course, its colorful carnival.
Rue Massena
Riviera Bar Crawl Nice
This is the main street of Nice. This pedestrianized boulevard is packed with shops and restaurants. You’ll also find pantomime-like performances and street painters lining the streets to paint portraits. From Piazza Massena to the first intersection is mainly shopping, and from the intersection to the beach, it’s a luxury street with stores like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Armani, and more. At the next intersection, Massena Street is mainly lined with restaurants, and at the next five-way intersection, there is a food alley on the left. You can eat and shop here before heading to the beach.
Nice beaches
French Riviera Villefranche Bay Snorkeling Tour from Nice
Nice’s beaches are a sight to behold. The beach is lined with palm trees that you’ve only seen in pictures, and the beach is cooler than you can imagine in France. There are stairs to go down to the beach from the streets along the beach. Unlike other beaches, it is pebbled and clean, and it stretches for 4 to 5 kilometers from the west near Nice Airport to the east at the foot of the hill of Nice Castle. If you’re planning to swim here in the summer, be careful as the sun can be very strong in the middle of the day. The best time to swim is between 4 and 6 pm, when the crowds thin out and the sun is a bit weaker. Sitting on the beach in the evening and enjoying a cold beer with friends is part of the fun of visiting Nice.
Musée national Marc Chagall
Visit Marc Chagall Museum and Cimiez district
Chagall was born in Vitebsk in the former Soviet Union, but his paintings were set in France. As a Jew during World War II, he fled to the United States to escape the massacres, but returned to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, near Nice in the South of France, when the war ended.
The museum houses more than 450 works, starting with 17 paintings donated by Mr. and Mrs. Chagall to the French government in 1966 and later donated by Chagall’s family members. Chagall donated to France a series of 17 oil paintings depicting stories from the Old Testament, including 12 Genesis and Exodus-themed works, including “The Creation of Man,” “Adam and Eve Expelled from the Garden of Eden,” “Noah’s Ark,” “Abraham and the Three Angels,” “The Sacrifice of Isaac,” “Jacob’s Dream,” “Jacob Wrestling with an Angel,” and “Moses Receiving the Ten Commandments” in the central hall, and five Song of Songs-themed works in the “Song of Songs” room. Most of Chagall’s works are biblical themes, and they are so brightly colored and mysterious that they feel almost fantastical.
To house Chagall’s works, the Musée Chagall was built on the Simier hill in Nice at the initiative of André Malraux, then Minister of Culture. Opened in 1973, it features stained glass windows by the artist himself, as well as a concert hall and library.
Musée Matisse
Nice Self-Guided Audio Tour
Henri Matisse, a magician of color, was a painter who spent most of his life in Nice. Matisse stayed at the Hôtel Régina, until the city of Nice bought the Villa des Arènes, a building right next door to where he lived.
The museum’s red walls and light yellow window frames against the blue sky recall the vivid colors of Matisse’s paintings. Matisse, who lived in Nice from 1917 to 1954, was known as the master of the Beast School. More than 450 of his works are on display, including his famous “Dance” series in Room 8.
After Matisse’s death in Nice, his family donated his works to the city, which led to the creation of the Matisse Museum. In 2017, the Matisse Museum expanded its building to increase its exhibition space. Now you can see everything from the painter’s early works to the design of his final masterpiece, the Roger Chapel.
The best viewpoints in Nice,
Point de vue Colline du chateau
Walking Tour of Old town and Castle Hill
Castle Hill is one of the top attractions in Nice, France, and the hill that towers over the city offers beautiful views of the harbor and old town.
The Castle Hill Observatory is a highlight of any Nice, France travel itinerary. The castle itself was destroyed in 1706, but you can still see the old buildings, including the old cathedral and defense walls.
Nice Old Town
Walking Tour of Old town and Castle Hill
In contrast to the neatly laid out New Town, the Old Town is an impressive place where old buildings stand forehead to forehead in intricate, narrow alleys. The centerpiece is Place Rossetti in front of the cathedral. The restaurants and ice cream parlors that surround the square have long-standing reputations. The two side streets to the right as you face the cathedral are a fun mix of small souvenir shops and other stores. The alley to the left of the cathedral leads to the large Nice court building, whose forecourt hosts a book flea market every Saturday. One more alley down towards the waterfront is Cours Saleya, where the Marche aux Fleurs (flower market), a specialty of the old town, is held every day except Mondays, from early in the morning until around 2pm.
Travel to other cities near Nice
St. Paul de Vence
Half-Day Trip to St Paul de Vence and Cannes from Nice
A one-hour train and bus ride from Nice will take you to St. Paul de Vence. This hilltop medieval town has long been home to artists and celebrities such as Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, and Yves Montaigne, and attracts thousands of tourists every year. From the entrance, you’ll walk down the alleyway and into the medieval castle, and you’ll immediately notice that the town has retained its old character. And true to its nickname, “the big atelier,” the streets are lined with 60 to 70 art galleries, private galleries, and artists’ workshops. Outside the village, in the cemetery, lies Marc Chagall (1887-1985), who fell in love with St. Foldvangs, stayed for 20 years, and died here.
Ville Franche-sur-Mer
The Best of the French Riviera Small group Guided Tour from Nice
Ville Franche-sur-Mer is a 30-minute bus ride from the beaches of Nice.
Not only is Ville Franche-sur-Mer a beautiful town, but it’s also a quintessentially French place and a favorite among locals.
It is one of the only remaining medieval towns on this coastline and has managed to retain its quaint charm despite being located between the glamorous Nice and Monaco.
The pastel-colored buildings typical of the south of France make for plenty of Instagram-worthy photos, and the quaint alleyways are sure to delight travelers.
