Nice - What to see and do

I loved staying here! This hotel is right next to the train station and Avenue Jean Médecin, so the location was ideal. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff was always friendly and helpful. Staying close to the train station was ideal for my day trip plans. I often advise against staying close to train stations since they tend to be not-so-nice or safe areas, but this wasn’t the case here at all. The beach was only five minutes away by tram (which has a stop right next to the train station). Even if you prefer to walk, it's not too far, and it's a pleasant walk through a nice area of the city.

This is practically unavoidable, but you would not want to miss out on this pleasant walk along the beach in the first place. The Promenade des Anglais (named so after the many English tourists that visited the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) has a magnetic pull to it. Whether you’re walking down to see the beautiful buildings or to look at that beautiful ocean, you’ll surely enjoy it. Some mornings I opted to take my breakfast to go or buy it at the market and sit here eating while taking in the view of the ocean. I can’t imagine any café with a better view! Some of Nice's main attractions can be found between Hotel Negresco and Coline du Chateau.

This square is named after André Masséna, who was born in Nice and rose to prominence during the Napoleonic era. Work for the creation of this square started in 1820–1830. It wasn't finished until 1860, just in time for Napoleon III's visit, due to a series of setbacks, including a flood in 1837. It became a central space in Nice’s life and culture, especially during the Belle Epoque, and it still is today. The constant movement, colorful buildings, and proximity to the sea turn this into another magnetic spot.

The fountain was inaugurated in 1956. The statues depict characters from Greek and Roman mythology. The one in the center represents Apolo in a very specific form. Similar to Catholic saints, Greek deities frequently assimilated into local cultures and adopted traits from earlier local deities and costume traditions. It’s not unusual to see Roman gods receive the attributes of Gaul gods, for example. Because of that phenomenon, widely worshiped gods like Apolo have several different forms and titles depending on the place where they were worshiped or their “function” at the time. It’s the same system that works for Barbie dolls: the basic shape remains, but they have several different lives and professions depending on what people want from them. So, this is Apolo Atepomarus. We can tell by his crown, made of small horse figurines. This unusual accessory comes from the ancient Gaul god Atepomarus, a healing god who is often associated with small figurines of horses. Horses in Celtic and Gaul mythology were linked to the sun, and Apolo is supposed to be a sun god, so it all tied together.

Leaving Place Masséna in the opposite direction of the Promenade des Anglais, it goes all the way up to the train station area and is one of the main shopping streets in Nice. If you do not want to walk up or down the avenue, the tram line runs the entire length of it.

An old fortification once stood in this location. The area has been transformed into a park with breathtaking vistas of Nice. There is an elevator that takes you most of the way up, but it was broken when I visited. I’ve no idea if that’s a frequent issue or not, but if you want to go up, be prepared to find lots of stairs. The view is breathtaking at any time of day, so they are totally worth it! You will enjoy a full panorama of Nice and its stunning Baye des Anges. According to tradition, fishermen named this bay “Bay of Angels” after the many angelsharks that were often found here.

This market has been operating since 1861 and sells primarily flowers, food, and, more recently, artisan crafts and souvenirs. This is the most aesthetically pleasing market I have ever seen. Everything is just so pretty! This is also a great place to try local foods, including one of the typical dishes of Nice, socca. For the film "To Catch a Thief," directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this market and other places on the French Riviera were used as shooting locations. Not my favorite Hitchcock in terms of plot, but one that I’ve watched more than once just because of the views, which is probably what made me want to visit the Côte d’Azur in the first place. It might be fun to watch it before or after your trip and try to identify the locations. (Also, it's always a bonus to see Grace Kelly and Cary Grant.)

Nice's old town is a delight to explore. The narrow streets with colorful houses are full of pretty details, shops selling local products, restaurants, and cute surprises at every corner.

This cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of Nice, was built between 1650 and 1699. I appreciated it more for the brightly colored facade and cupula, and I loved the square right in front of it. I didn't find the building's interior to be particularly noteworthy. But that’s mostly a personal issue: I’ve visited way too many cathedrals by this time, and unless they have a very distinctive feature, they tend to meddle together in my mind.

This museum is housed in a beautiful villa named after André Masséna and built in 1898 by his grandson Victor Masséna. It was inspired by the Italian neoclassic style and by the Empire style as a sort of tribute to Napoleon, since the family owed the titles and high social standing to him. Napoleon gave away noble titles to his friends as freely as one may pass around popcorn on a movie night. In 1919, Victor Masséna's son (also named André) sold the villa to the city of Nice on the condition that it be turned into a museum. And so, the Mussée Masséna has existed as such since 1921. Given this family's history, you can expect to find a lot about Napoleon and his time in this museum. We have access to two floors. The first is the villa itself, which still has its rooms in a largely unaltered state. They are stunning beyond belief! Leaving the first floor, we head to a beautiful staircase with stunning murals on each side showing the family that lived here and some of their friends. The names of the individuals depicted in the paintings are visible underneath. The murals are so vibrant and alive that it seems as though the figures they depict may wave or welcome us at any time. The second floor is more focused on the museum's collection, which includes many priceless treasures from Napoleon's time and beyond. It primarily focuses on French history, as would be expected. However, because Nice was once a part of Italy, there are also a few significant artifacts connected to Italian history, particularly those related to Garibaldi, which you should see if you're also interested in his life. The bust of Napoleon's sister Paulina and the death mask of Napoleon are two highlights of the museum's collection. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Tuesdays. Tickets are 10 euros, but you can also purchase a 15-euro pass that allows you to visit most of Nice's museums for 48 hours. It’s worth considering if you're planning to visit more than one museum. Entrance is free if you’re under 18 years old.

Did you know Nice is home to the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe? This stunning building, just a short walk from Nice's train station, is an unexpected sight. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Russian nobility enjoyed spending time on the French Riviera, following the fashion established decades earlier by the English upper class and nobility. The cathedral was consecrated in December 1912 in memory of Nicholas Alexandrovich Tsarevich of Russia, who died in Nice. It was meant to serve the large Russian community living in the city as well as Russian tourists, including those from the imperial court. Tsar Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia, funded the construction work.

This museum is likely to be more interesting if you are interested in musical instruments; otherwise, it is not as noteworthy as, say, Musee Massena. Originally a palace constructed in the first half of the 17th century, it is now a small museum in the old part of Nice. The musical instrument collection is the main feature. It also has some beautiful architectural details, especially the ceilings and the staircase. I loved that it’s a bit of a surprise since it’s hard to tell just from the outside what’s inside; it meddles with the other buildings on the narrow streets quite seamlessly, but once you step inside, you figure that there was a palace hidden there in plain sight!

Great place to eat for absolutely delicious pizza (I havent tried the other dishes but I'm sure they're great as well!)

There are lots of great gelato shops in Nice but this one is probably my favorite. I almost had a nervous breakdown picking flavours, there are so many options, some quite unusual, and all delicious!

Right next to the train station and to the hotel I recommend, so it's a great breakfast spot. It has a large selection of delicious pastries and the staff is so nice and helpful!

This lovely seaside villa was constructed between 1907 and 1912 by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild (1864–1934), a member of the Rothschild banking family. The villa itself is extremely interesting. The Baroness enjoyed traveling and collecting art, so the rooms are filled with antique furniture, Old Master paintings, sculptures, and objets d'art. The gardens also reflect the baroness's love of travel. Even though the villa is stunning, the setting and the gardens are even more lovely. With the sea visible from every angle, the garden was designed to resemble a ship and be viewed from the house's loggia, which resembled a ship's bridge. (The thirty gardeners who looked after the space were even decked out as sailors, complete with red pom-pom berets, to fit the theme!) It’s divided into nine aeas with different themes: French, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, Provençal, exotic, a stone garden, a rose garden, and a garden of Sèvres. Given the variety of plant species, the ticket office offers a complimentary map that shows when is the best time to visit each garden based on the month and which flowers are in full bloom. Anyway, all year long the gardens are stunning! The area behind the villa is devoted to the largest garden, the French garden. One of its features is a recreation of the Temple of Love at the Versailles Petit Trianon palace, along with water features that are synced to music. A variety of gargoyles, columns, and other architectural features from historic and medieval structures can be found in the lapidary, or stone garden. The Japanese garden features lanterns, a bridge, and a wooden pavilion. Rare plants and enormous cacti can be found in the exotic garden. Adjacent to it is a pink-dominated rose garden, the owner's favorite color, featuring a statue encircled by columns. A garden of native Provence plants and a garden decorated with Sèvres porcelain are located on the east side of the villa. Bus number 83 took me from Éze village to the villa. At first, the bus was fairly crowded as many people boarded it in order to transfer to another bus that would take them to Monaco, but things improve significantly after those passengers depart. I then stopped at Montée du Rêve and then walked about 20 minutes to the villa, but if you don’t want to walk, there’s a bus stop directly in front of the villa’s entrance; you just have to switch to bus 15 then (you can use the same bus ticket). Coming from Nice, you can take the train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer and then take bus 15 to the villa (or walk about 30 minutes). It is possible to combine this day trip with a day trip to Villefranche-sur-Mer since Bus 15 also connects to that location. I have been to Éze, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and Villefranche-sur-Mer all in the same day (getting there later, around dinnertime); it is definitely possible, though you will need to get up early and have less time at each place. It is preferable to do just one or two on the same day, unless your main goal is to go to Villefranche-sur-Mer for dinner. Tickets to the villa and gardens cost 17€ and include an audioguide in multiple languages. Tickets are free for children under 7 years old and disabled visitors. There’s also reduced rates for students.