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What to discover?
The international airport, which is the second most important in France, makes the town a compulsory entry point to Southern France. And it seems really prejudicial to land at Nice without visiting the town. Nice is a really impressive city: with more than 300 000 inhabitants on one hand, and a great tourist attraction on the other hand, Nice boasts a particular atmosphere. Nice is a real town, economically, demographically, but with all the leisure related to the sea.
The littoral is really impressive, the turquoise Mediterranean offers Nice a beautiful landscape but also delicious fishes and seafood, which you can savor at the famous Café de Turin on the Garibaldi Square. You can also discover the sea from inside by scuba-diving or snorkeling. The sea bed reaches high depths very quickly, which explains the diversity of the flora and fauna. Otherwise, thanks to the Mediterranean warm climate and sun, Nice is a city with flowers, palm trees and umbrella pines and is endowed with numerous magnificent gardens such as Albert 1st botanical garden.
Nice is also a town of culture. Historically, the town have been Italian until 1860. This is why, in the old-town, Italian architecture dominates with trompe-l'œil façades, typical colored cable streets, baroque churches and chapels such as the Misericord Chapel and its famous unfinished steeple. The Cours Saleya is crammed with gorgeous restaurants and cafes terraces.
Despite its historical richness, Nice is definitively turned toward the future. The MAMAC, which is the modern art museum, is world-famous for its innovative architecture and its masterpieces of Matisse, Nikki de Saint Phalle or Boltanski. Nice is also a city of traditions: culinary with the delicious socca made with chickpea flour and vivid markets, festive with the Nice Carnival which takes place every year since 1873.
Moreover, since the beginning of the 20th century, Nice is a city of luxury: luxury shops gathered in the Massena district, luxury hotels such as Le Negresco, Le Meridien or le Splendid, located on the Promenade des Anglais which you only have to cross for going sunbathe on the beach. Just bear in mind that some of the most famous tourist capitals are near such as Monte-Carlo and Saint-Tropez with their casinos, beaches and yachts. Nice is a place where days and nights are gentle and sweet: siesta in the shade of palm trees, parties in fabulous places till the sunrise on the Mediterranean… like La Siesta.
Let's not forget the countryside just inland from Nice ("arriere pays"), which is amazingly beautiful. Hundreds-year-old olive trees, lavender, almond trees stretch along hills and mountains the top of which one can admire the deep blue Mediterranean. Some of the most beautiful villages of France such as Coaraze, Gourdon and Sainte Agnes are very close, enjoy short breaks there, away from the hustle and bustle of the French Riviera.
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