Cours Saleya

"Cours Saleya market in Nice is at the heart of the Old Town and it’s always pulsating with life. Striped awnings cover its centre and shelter the products on offer in the daily market. Crowds of locals and tourists come here to do their shopping or sometimes just to look and snap photos of the colourful displays. The scents of fresh produce and flowers seem to put everyone in a good mood and the atmosphere is friendly. Cours Saleya hosts four different markets. The most well known is the Marché aux Fleurs, or Flower Market, held Tuesday through Sunday. It’s actually a combination of the flower market and the fruit and vegetable market but the name, Marché aux Fleurs is commonly applied to the whole thing. The fruit and vegetable stands pack up by 1.30 in the afternoon but the flower stalls stay open until about 5.30. Maybe the flower sellers get this special treatment because of the importance of the flower market in Nice’s history. In 1897 Nice opened the first wholesale cut flower market in the world. The growers in the hills would bring down their cut flowers every morning. After the wholesalers had made their bulk purchases, the market would be opened for individuals to buy their bouquets."

"Cours Saleya hosts four different markets. The most well known is the Marché aux Fleurs, or Flower Market, held Tuesday through Sunday. It’s actually a combination of the flower market and the fruit and vegetable market but the name, Marché aux Fleurs is commonly applied to the entire market. The only day you won’t find flowers and food in Cours Saleya is Monday. That’s the day for the marché à la brocante, the antiques/flea market. Here you can find all manner of items, such as furniture, jewellery, books, vintage clothing, bric-a-brac, etc. HOURS: Flower Market – Marché aux fleurs – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 6.00-17.30. Wednesday and Saturday 6.30-18.30. Sunday 6.30-13.30. Closed Mondays. Fruit and Vegetable Market – Marché aux fruits et legumes – every day except Monday from 6.00-13.30 Antiques/Flea Market – Marché à la brocante – 7.00-18.00 – every Monday Evening Market – Marché artisanal nocturne – 18.00-0.00 – June through September"

"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.) "