Tourism PACA / South

Nice : discover and taste "Nissa la Bella"

"Nissa la bella" has 300 days of sunshine per year. Not bad, right? And if that was all it had to offer, it would already be beautiful. Except that Nice is much more than just sunshine. It's even more than the "Grande Bleue" that borders it. It's a city full of beauty and art of living that you absolutely must discover.

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Nice : between sea and mountain

As my grandmother used to say... No one can do the impossible! And frankly, it's not possible to make Nice fit in 2 minutes. So I'm telling you right now, I'll be back. The Nice hinterland alone would deserve several visits here, as it is a cascade of history, colors and emotion that flows from the Alps, that passes between olive trees and villages high up on the side of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, just close enough to Grasse to smell its perfumes, a cascade that ends up leaving you at the foot of the immense Bay of Angels, your soul ruffled. 

Nice et la baie des anges / photo par Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com Nice et la baie des anges / photo par Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com 

 

Near "the Big Blue"

The soul is also happy when it knows behind it the immense mountains of the Alps and that you have just in front of you the nourishing sea of the West and the East. The Mediterranean. Once you have recovered from your emotions, you immediately feel at ease when you take a stroll through the streets with their tall, colorful houses, a break on the piazzetta, or a good meal in the old town of Nice. Whether you come from elsewhere, what strikes you is the chance that the people of Nice have to live here, on the Côte d'Azur, never far from the 8 km of the Promenade des Anglais, in a city where the sun shines 300 days a year. A city where clouds are only tolerated and therefore water just enough to offer the most beautiful gardens in the city and around, on the side of the Citronneraie in Menton or the Villa Rothschild between Beaulieu and Villefranche. Nice, between sea and mountains, between France and Italy, not so far from Monaco, is a beautiful place to consider that, whatever happens, life is beautiful... 

Nice / photo par Reuben Teo/Shutterstock.com Nice / photo par Reuben Teo/Shutterstock.com 

 

TOP 5 things to see in Nice 


1 the Promenade des Anglais

Nice la promenade des anglais / photo par Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock.com Nice la promenade des anglais / photo par Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock.com 


The people of Nice say "la prom". It is aptly named since it was the English, inventors of tourism, who made this place a real spot in the 19th century. The city dedicated this magnificent promenade to them in 1844. Already, in the 17th century, when the ramparts were razed, Nice began a relationship with the sea that was more than just utilitarian. The sea was no longer just a place to fish, or where enemies came from, but a place to admire. All along the 8 km, blue iron chairs, typical, allow to rest... 

 

2 the hill of the castle 

Unavoidable to take pictures. Between the port and the old town of Nice, on the site of an old fort, this 20-hectare park dominates the Baie des Anges and offers an incredible view of "Nissa la bella".

 

3 Visit the old Nice

Le vieux Nice / photo par Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock.comLe vieux Nice / photo par Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock.com

Through small streets, you will discover multiple facades, some of which are painted. It is a place full of small restaurants. Its heart is the "Cours Saleya", with its market, and in particular its flower market, it is a lively place all year long. You will be able to taste the specialties of Nice: the socca, the small stuffed dishes, the famous salad or the fritters of zucchini flowers and the chard pie. 

Le Cours Saleya à Nice et son marché / photo par Rostislav Glinsky/Shutterstock.com Le Cours Saleya à Nice et son marché / photo par Rostislav Glinsky/Shutterstock.com 

 

4 Stroll along the port.

Le port de Nice / photo par Cristina.A/Shutterstock.com Le port de Nice / photo par Cristina.A/Shutterstock.com 

A nice neighborhood, at the roots of Nice, with its beautiful painted facades, it is an opportunity to meet craftsmen and to have lunch. Sometimes you can discover amazing ships. 

 

5 The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art 

Nice : Facade du Musée d'Art Moderne et D'Arc Contemporain (MAMAC) / photo par InnaFelker/Shutterstock.com Nice : Facade du Musée d'Art Moderne et D'Arc Contemporain (MAMAC) / photo par InnaFelker/Shutterstock.com 

It is located at the end of a magnificent promenade called "Promenade du Paillon" which goes from the Place Garibaldi to the Promenade des Anglais. You will have a superb view from the roofs. The building itself is worth seeing and inside you will discover temporary or permanent exhibitions of international and modern artistic currents. 

 

But also : 


Nice is also the gardens of the monastery of Cimiez, not far from the Archaeological Museum of Nice or the Matisse Museum. It is to take a little height to see Italy from the Mount Boron and the military fort of the Mount Alban that you will reach after a nice health course. 

 

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Top 5 specialties of Nice : 

 

1 La Socca 

Une socca / photo par bonchan/Shutterstock.com

Une socca / photo par bonchan/Shutterstock.com 

A delicious chickpea cake in oil, quite large and baked like a pizza. 

 

2 The Niçoise salad:

It is prepared with olive oil. It is made with tomatoes, peppers, red onions, fava beans, cucumbers, and of course hard-boiled eggs, tuna, and olives.

 

3 The pissaladière 

Une pissaladière / photo par EQRoy/Shutterstock.com Une pissaladière / photo par EQRoy/Shutterstock.com 

A kind of pie made with bread dough and olive oil, candied onions and on top of which are anchovies and olives from Nice

 

4 The little stuffed ones 

Vegetables, and God knows if there are any in the beautiful country of Nice, that are stuffed with meat and bread mixed in milk. 

 

5 The fritters of zucchini flowers 

Zucchini flowers, dipped in a liquid doughnut paste and fried: delicious! 

Beignets de fleurs de courgettes / photo par Tatiana Vorona/Shutterstock.com Beignets de fleurs de courgettes / photo par Tatiana Vorona/Shutterstock.com 

 

But also: 


The fabulous "Pan bagnat", in some ways the local sandwich, the pie with chard (and that is sweet) or the daube of Nice 

 

The websites: 


The Nice tourist office has some good ideas. 

The site of the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and its destinations.

Another destination ? type its name in our search engine 

Our translator can make mistakes. We apologize for this.

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Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme is "monsieur de France" the author of this site.