Travel guide – nice

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Overview

With an international airport and the fast train from Paris, Nice is the first experience of the renowned Côte d'Azur for many tourists. The city was established by the Greeks and named for Nike, goddess of victory, but the Romans started the tourism industry here when they popularised their mineral baths on Cimiez. British and Russian aristocrats favoured Nice in the 19th century, but today it is more of a commercial centre and not as fashionable as its smaller neighbouring resorts. Nice still has excellent connections, but these are in the mode of transport options rather than the pedigree of its visitors. In spite of modernization, the city retains its medieval heritage in the Vieille Ville (old town), with its closely-packed red-tiled roofs and narrow winding streets packed with shops and small restaurants. The Cours Saleya has a flower market and food market every morning. There are scores of stands, from large, professionally displayed wares to folding tables set up by family farmers with their produce directly from the farm. Separating the Cours Saleya from the sea is a strip of low buildings. Once the repository for the fishermens' catch, they have given way largely to seafood restaurants. The other side of the Cours Saleya is lined by terrace cafés in lovely old buildings. Nice's beaches are shingle; only from the peninsula at Antibes do they become sand. The Promenade des Anglais lines the shingle beaches for about five miles (eight km) and has been a favourite for leisurely strollers since Victorian times.

Attractions in Nice

Muse Matisse

Matisse spent the last few years of his life in Nice and he is honoured by this museum. The museum has several permanent collections, mostly painted in Nice and many donated by the artist and his heir. The better known paintings include Nude in an Armchair with a Green Plant (1937), Nymph in the Forest (1935/1942) and Portrait of Madame Matisse (1905). There is also an ensemble of drawings including The Créole Dancer (1951) and Blue Nude IV (1952). Seeing his nude sketches today, you'll wonder why early critics denounced them as 'the female animal in all her shame and horror.'

The Chteau

With wonderful views over the rooftops and gleaming mosaic tiles of Old Nice, along the sweep of the promenade des Anglais and out to the Mediterranean, the Château park is good place for visitors to orientate themselves with the city. The Château has long gone but with cool walks in the shade of the trees, a large grassy park, Roman ruins and a waterfall it is a great place to spend an afternoon. To reach the park, visitors can either climb the steps at the front, from the Quai des Etats Unis, or for those who aren't up to it an elevator is available.

Phoenix Parc Floral de Nice

Outside Nice, near the airport, this vast tourist attraction includes a botanical garden and a bird and insect zoo where visitors can tour a greenhouse full of wonderful butterflies. There is also a tacky theme park with automated dinosaurs and mock Mayan temples but the highlight of the park is the Musée Départemental des Artes Asiatiques, which houses a collection of ethnographic artefacts, including silk goods and pottery, as well as traditional and contemporary art.

Muse des Beaux-Arts

Housed in the former residence of the Ukrainian Princess Kotchubey is a fine collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, including works by Boudin, Ziem, Raffaelli, Renoir and Monet. The gallery also includes great sculptures including works by J. B. Carpeaux, Rude, and Rodin. There's an important collection devoted to the masters of the Second Empire and Belle Epoque.

Cimiez

In a residential area in the hills above the hustle and bustle of the city, the grounds of 'Cimiez' include a large park set amidst olive groves, the Archaeology Museum, Matisse Museum and the Franciscan Museum and Monastery. Also within the gardens the Musée National Message Biblique Marc-Chagall displays some 450 of the artist's oils, drawings, pastels, lithographs, sculptures, and ceramics. During a couple of weeks in August, Cimiez is the site of the Nice Jazz Festival, with music being played every day until midnight and performed on three stages, in the olive groves and the Roman Amphitheatre. It is an hour's walk, or a short bus ride from the town centre.

Climate

A Mediterranean climate prevails along the coast of the French Riviera, with long hot summers and mild winters. The region enjoys a pleasant, warm climate throughout the year. Strong winds, known as la Mistral, can occur particularly during winter and spring (November to April).

Health

French hospitals and health facilities are first class. British, and visitors from other EU countries, are entitled to heavily discounted medical treatment and medicines on presentation of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Otherwise doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Medical insurance is advised. Pharmacies will provide some first aid, but charge for it. There have been increased reports of hantavirus (caused by rodents) in the Ardennes, Aisne and Jura regions. Rabies also occurs occasionally. In February 2006, France confirmed its first cases of bird flu; all affected birds have been culled and precautionary measures taken. The risk is low for travellers, but close contact with domestic, wild and caged birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked.

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