The French Riviera

Nice

Nice France By: Riviera Posters

Nice is often referred to as the jewell of the French Riviera. It’s a city and as such has a slightly different flavour to the other resorts on the Riviera. The sea in the Baie des Anges is a beautiful shade of blue as depicted in many of Raoul Dufy’s paintings and the bay is backed by the famous Promenade des Anglais and the Belle Epoque style buildings. Why not take a dip in the blue waters and look back at the beautiful buildings lining the Promenade. Remember to take your beach shoes with you when you visit the pebble beach at Nice.

Nice offers many surprises if you take the time to get to know the town: from the Sardinian neighbourhoods around the port, to the Victorian avenues of Cimiez, from the magnificent views at the top of Mont-Boran to the narrow streets of the old town.

Things To Do In Nice

Don’t forget that Nice is a great base for trips into Provence and for visiting towns like Aix en Provence. If you don’t have a car then why not take the ‘Chemins de Fer de Provence’ 1-metre gauge railway which departs from Nice and goes to Digne-les-Bains. The Chemins de Fer de Provence station is located at 4 bis Rue Alfred Binet and is not far from the main station at Nice. If you want to shorten the rail journey you can get off at one of the many stops on the way such as Saint-Martin-du-Var or Puget-Theniers.If you decide on a bus trip out of town then why not take the number 100 bus from Gare Routiere along the lower Corniche road to Monaco or Menton. The bus ride only costs one Euro and takes you along one of the most panoramic coast roads in the world.


Nice

Gardens, Parks and Flora

One sight that goes hand in hand with Nice is that of its palm trees. It was in the 19th century with the arrival of the English that palm trees were acclimatised on the Cote d’Azur. They are now a symbol of the French Riviera. The mild Mediterranean climate allows a variety of vegetation such as olive trees, pines, cypresses, lavender, laurels, mimosa, carnations, citrus trees, cacti and of course bougainnillea.

Gardens: Jardin Albert 1er – Esplanade du Paillon, Square Leclerc, Promenade du Paillon. The oldest garden in Nice | Jardins Suspendus du Paillon – Promenade du Paillon. Phoenix palms and overhanging Mexican tropical and Asiatic gardens | Le Parc Du Chateau – Castle Hill | Le Castel Des Deux Rois – Amusement Park | Le Jardin Du Monastere De Cimiez – Monastry gardens | Le Jardin Des Arenes De Cimiez – Olive Grove | Parc Forestier Du Mont-Boran – Take the road out of town to the East. You will see magnificent views across the Baie Des Anges and Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat | Jardin Botanique – Avenue de la Corniche Fleurie | Parc Flora Phoenix – adjacent to airport at 405 Promenade des Anglais. It has the world’s largest greenhouse.

Restaurants

There are hundreds of restaurants in Nice many with an Italian flavour. If you have just returned from the main shops of Ave Jean Medecin and want a quick meal then why not try The Brasserie Lafayette on the corner of Rue Giofreddo and Rue Sacha Guitry. For an Indian restaurant then Noori’s would be a good choice located at 1 Place Grimaldi (they also have a branch in Brighton, UK). Another favourite is Le Delhi Belhi at 22 Rue de la Barillerie which is situated in the old town. For Chinese try the China Park restaurant located at 30/B, Rue de France on the corner of Passage Baralis and Rue de France.

Le Delhi Belhi

An excellent restaurant located in the old town of Nice just behind Cours Saleya. It’s a popular restaurant and probably best to book in advance.Opening Times:
Open 7 days a week from 1900 – 2330

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Nice France Hotels

There are hundreds of hotels in Nice with the most famous being The Negresco. Other well located and less expensive hotels include TheNice Riviera which has an indoor pool, The Armenonville hotel with it’s large garden, the De La Fountaine Hotel which is a short walk from the bars and restaurants, and the Hotel Windsor with it’s garden and pool. The rooms of the Windsor hotel have been decorated by contemporary artists. There are even Tintin posters on the walls and a lift in the style of a rocket ship with a countdown to lift off!

For Nice weather go to our Rivera weather page.