Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, and one of the most
sophisticated. It hugs the coastline, and its elegant hotels
along the Promenade des Anglais have a perfect view of the ocean
just across the street. From the coast, Nice stretches upward to
Le Chateau, once topped by a beautiful castle but now crowned
only in picturesque ruins.
The city was founded by the Phocaeans of Marseille, Greek
mariners, in around 350 BC, and was probably named for the Greek
goddess Nike in honor of a victory over a neighboring colony.
This history still lingers in Vieux Nice, the oldest quarter, in
the maze of narrow flagstone streets still used today. It was
conquered by the Romans in the first century AD and became a
busy trading port, and later fell to the Saracens. During the
Middle Ages, it was held by the counts of Provence and later the
counts of Savoy, and regained its might as a trading port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, composed of Vieux Nice, the harbor, and the
business district, is separated from the new town by the Paillon
River. Le Chateau is on the old town side, along with the Musee
Terre Amata and, above an ancient cemetery, Colline de Chateau,
a medieval castle ruin. To the west of this castle, and
sandwiched between it and Paillon River, are a variety of
different attractions: the Chapelle de la Misericorde, Chapelle
de l'Annonciation, Chapelle de St. Jacques-Jesu, and Cathedral
Ste-Reparate, all picturesque and primarily baroque churches;
the Palais Lascari, home of a marshal of the duke of Savoy and
today open to the public for a fee; and the Place Garibaldi,
where you can walk around the fountain while choosing which
picturesque café you're going to eat at today.
Promenade des Anglais
After you've exhausted walking around Vieux Nice during the day,
you're probably ready for some excitement during the evening.
Nice is the leading resort city of the Cote d'Azur, and there
are plenty of things to do at any time of the day. Plan the time
of year you come carefully, and you can enjoy some of their
regular festivals, including the Carnival of Nice, their premier
celebration. Or you can try the Casino Ruhl, a neon-lit modern
counterpoint to the ancient streets of Vieux Nice, and later
lounge in the Bar Anglais at the nearby Hotel Negresco. In July,
the Nice Jazz Festival draws international performers.
In the new part of town during the day, you'll want to take at
least one walk down the Promenade des Anglais, two wide
carriageways separated by flowerbeds and palm trees, and
stretching two and a half miles down the waterfront. On one side
of the promenade, you'll find grand hotels both modern and
quaint, and along most of the other side stretches the beaches
of the Baie des Anges. The beaches alternate between public and
private, and you can find waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing,
jet-skiing rentals in many places.
For less athletic pursuits, you'll find two fine art museums,
Musee des Beaux-Arts Jules-Cheret and the Museum of Art and
History in the Palais Massena. The Jardin Albert I rises over
the River Paillon, beautiful both during the day and in the
evening.
Cimiez
In Cimiez, further away from shore, there are a bouquet of
museums: the Musee Matisse, Musee du Message Biblique
Marc-Chagall, and the Musee Archaeologique. Matisse and Chagall
are among the French impressionists who lived here for some
time, and they left their marks on the culture of the area.
You'll also find the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre here.
Transportation in Nice
The airport at Nice is one of the most important in France, and
as a hub of transportation on the Cote d'Azur, Nice is a great
place to start from for driving tours. There is also a regular
passenger service to Corsica.
Shopping
Though Nice is primarily a resort city, you'll also find a wide
variety of luxury goods for sale here. Gallons of fresh virgin
olive oil can be purchased at tiny market stalls for a bargain
price, and some of the best French perfumes are manufactured
here and north, and can be found here. Crystallized fruit, a
Nice specialty, is sold at Henri Auer, and there are a fresh
flower market and lots of antiques as well.
Cuisine
Nice, like most of the Cote d'Azure, uses lots of garlic and
olive oil; in fact, their version of mayonnaise is made of olive
oil and seasoned with garlic. Ratatouia, or ratatouille, was
first cooked in Nice before being exported to New Orleans as a
staple. For a true taste of Nice, try pissaladiera, an onion
flan with anchovies and black olives.
Other attractions
Nice is a growing cultural center. The Centre Universitaire
Mediterraneen holds conferences on language studies and
contemporary problems, a university for law, science and letters
has been established there, and an international art school –
appropriately – was established in 1970.
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