NICE TOWN
Nice is the 5th biggest city in France with a population of appr. 350.000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly 1 million. Nice is the main city in the Alpes-Maritimes. Nice was an Italian city until 1860 when it became french. Nice Aeroport is the 3rd biggest in France after the 2 in Paris and offers liaisons with France, Europe and even direct flights to New York and Dubai.
When in Nice, the best way to move around is by walking, taking the tram or the bus. Buy a Lignes d’Azur Card and download the App LignesdAzurMetropole
Good to know – Pass Musée de Nice is free for locals with an ID and proof of residence. Nice Museum Pass gives access during 48 hours for 15 €.
Both passes gives access to all municipal museums .
Nice events
Nice Opera
4-6 Rue Saint-François de Paule, Nice
Discover the new season 2024/2025 “Free to love”.
Nice opera is performing Opera, Ballet and concerts.
www.opera-nice.org/fr/calendrier
Marathon Nice-Cannes
Promenade des Anglais
The Marathon Nice-Cannes is a 5 star experience for the runners.
The departure is at Promenade des Anglais in Nice at 8 am and the Finish line at the Croisette in Cannes.
Sunday 3 November
Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules-Chéret
33, avenue des Baumettes, Nice
Celebrating 150 years of impressionism, Musee d’Orsay in Paris presents a big Exhibition including 30 museums all over France. Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice expose exceptionally Claude Monet’s Les Villas à Bordighera.
Until 5 January 2025
Musée Masséna
65 Rue de France, Nice
Nice, my city, my neighborhood
Is a journey through the urban history of Nice and the collective memory of its inhabitants.
Until 2 March 2015
Palais Lascaris
15, rue Droite, Nice
Dans l’intimité des Collections
The exhibition “In the Intimacy of the Palace”
is an invitation to explore 7,500 objects that make up the collections of the Palais Lascaris.
Until 10 March 2025
Musée de la photographie
1 Place Pierre Gautier, Nice
VIVIAN MAIER ANTHOLOGY
Vivian Maier (New York, 1926 – Chicago, 2009), was a nanny in the United States during the mid-20th century who lived her life in silence and anonymity. Her brilliance as a photographer was only revealed after the accidental discovery of her work.
Until 16 mars 2025
Matisse Museum
164 Av. des Arènes de Cimiez, Nice
There are actually two Exhibitions
The Collection – The museum’s collection was created thanks to the generosity of Henri Matisse and his family. The public collection is today one of the most important in the world.
Yves Klein Counterpoint in the collections of the Matisse Museum – The MAMAC being currently closed for renovations, the Matisse museum is exhibiting eight works by Yves Klein.
Until 14 April 2025
MAMAC
Place Yves Klein, Nice
MAMAC is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
The Museum is temporary closed until 2028
as part of the renovation project of the Paillon Promenad 2.
Matisse Museum
164 Av. des Arènes de Cimiez, Nice
Henri Matisse discovered Nice for the first time in 1917 and stayed there until he died in 1954. Here he created the majority of his works. Nice city organized a few exhibitions at the end of his life.
The Matisse family donated many of his artwork to the town who created the Matisse museum in this villa called « Villa des Arènes ».
The permanent exhibition is not very big, but it tells the life of Matisse and shows some of his works. It takes less than an hour to go through it.
Take bus no 5 from Massena/Guitry
Temporary closed until 22 October
Musée Chagall
Av. Dr Ménard, Nice
The Cry of freedom
A spectacular exhibition presenting Chagall’s art representing historical events during his lifetime.
Until 16 September
Nice Jazz fest
Place Massena
The yearly jazz festival takes place in August this year (normally in July).
See the full program here
August 20-23
Nice to visit
Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice
Avenue Nicolas II, Nice
This beautiful Eastern Orthodox Cathedral is the largest in Western Europe.
In the mid-19th century, Russian nobility visited Nice and the French Riviera, attracted by the pleasant climate.
The cathedral was built by Tsar Nicolas II and opened in 1912.
Cascade de Gairaut
Rac de la Croix, Nice
The Gairaut waterfall was artificially built in the 19th century. Above the fall is an alpine cottage in wood works. The place offers an exceptional panorama view over Nice.
It’s a popular place to visit on hot summer days as it’s offering some freshness and calm.
Since 2001, the site is listed as “Historical Monument”.
To go there, take the tram line 1 to the end station and then a bus. It takes a little bit more than 30 min. Or if you are courageous you can walk there, it takes 1h30 and it’s a lot uphill.
Musée des Beaux-Arts
33, avenue des Baumettes, Nice
The museum is situated in a superb residence, built in 1878 by the Princess ukrainienne Elisabeth Kotschoubey. The city of Nice bought it 1928 and created the Museum of FIne Arts.
The collections consist of paintings and sculptures from XIVe au XXe century.
Different temporary Exhibitions are regularly presented.
Open every day except Mondays.
Cours Saleya
Cours Saleya is mainly known for its flower market. Already 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.
There is also a Fruit and Veg market in the mornings.
But on Mondays, the antiques/flea market takes over. Here you can find all manners of items.
Art Deco
Nice has many beautiful Art Deco houses especially in the Musicians’ quarter around Boulevard Victor Hugo and Boulevard Gambetta.
It says that the street crossing of rue Verdi/rue Berlioz is the most beautiful in Nice as it has an Art Deco house in all four corners.
If you have the opportunity to enter one of the buildings you will discover magnificent floor settings and mosaic art.
Villa Massena
65 Rue de France, Nice
Villa Massena is a villa from “Belle Epoque” dedicated to the history of Nice including many interesting objects. But the 1st floor is in itself an art because of its sumptuous interior decoration, furniture and art pieces. The Prince Victor d’Essling, grandson to André Masséna, made it his winter residence. His son André donated it to the city of Nice and it was inaugurated as a museum in 1921.
The second floor hosts different temporary exhibitions.
Vieux Nice (Old town)
Vieux Nice is the old town of Nice.
Stroll around on the narrow cobblestone streets admiring the colorful buildings.
There are lots of small shops selling soaps and Provençal textiles and many other things.
Grab some local specialities such as a socca or a pain bagnan over the counter. Rest on a terrasse with an ice cream or a drink.
Port Lympia
Port Lympia in the center of Nice is a beautiful mix of colorful fishing boats ( les pointus) and luxury yachts, the ferry boat to Corsica and sometimes a huge cruise ship.
At Lympia Gallery there is a permanent exhibition of the history of the harbor.
Le Negresco
37 Prom. des Anglais, Nice
On 8 January 1913, Le Negresco opened its doors. The hotel, designed by Henri Negrescu, was bought by Jeanne Augier in 1957 and has been one of the favorite places for the international jet set and chic evenings. Mme Augier lived at the hotel with her cats until her death in 2019 at 95 years. Rumors say that the cats are still living there and that you can meet them in the salons.
The hotel is full of precious art of different eras and styles. One of the most famous ones is “Nana Jaune” by Niki de Saint Phalle in the Salon Royal.
The bar is worth a visit.
Opéra de Nice
4-6 Rue Saint-François de Paule, Nice
Nice Opera was designed by the Nice architect François Aune and was built in 1885 and is today listed as a historical monument. It can accommodate 1000 spectators. The main facade facing rue Saint-Francois de Paule has 4 statues of 2 meters each at the top representing Tragedy, Comedy, Music and Danse.
The program has a good mix of Opera, Concerts and Ballet.
Palais Lascaris
15, rue Droite, Nice
This old palace in baroque style is situated in the heart of the old city. It’s dedicated to art and music of the 17th and 18th centuries and is the home to a remarkable collection of antique musical instruments.
The palace is a remarkable civilian baroque monument in Nice with its monumental staircase, its frescoes and its luxuriously decorated salons. It was built in the middle of the 17th century for the Lascaris Vintimille family.
The legend tells that the family decorated the house in front of the main floor so that they could show visitors that they lived in a nice area (which was not the case at that time).
Musée Chagall
Av. Dr Ménard, Nice
The Marc Chagall museum is located at Cimiez. The museum presents 17 Biblical Message paintings displayed in the rooms according to the artist’s original installation plan. 12 of them are illustrating Genesis and the Exodus, while 5 paintings of The Song of Songs can be found in a separate room. The museum also presents 15 stain glass projects that he realised including many of his preparatory drawings. The most beautiful in my opinion is “La Rose bleue”.
When the museum opened in 1973, it was the first national museum dedicated to an artist during his lifetime. The house is surrounded by a garden with Mediterranean plants and trees.
Take bus no 5 from Massena/Guitry
Matisse Museum
164 Av. des Arènes de Cimiez, Nice
Henri Matisse discovered Nice for the first time in 1917 and stayed there until he died in 1954. Here he created the majority of his works. Nice city organized a few exhibitions at the end of his life.
The Matisse family donated many of his artwork to the town who created the Matisse museum in this villa called « Villa des Arènes ».
The permanent exhibition is not very big, but it tells the life of Matisse and shows some of his works. It takes less than an hour to go through it.
Take bus no 5 from Massena/Guitry
Temporary closed until 22 October
Lympia Gallery
2 Quai Entrecasteaux, Nice
This site was built in connection with the opening of the Lympia Harbour in 1752.
It has been a prison for a long time, and is now a cultural space. It contains two parts, one is a gallery in cut stone, vaulted and with different arcades. On top of the arcades is a big terrasse and in the north end a beautiful house and clock tower. It’s today protected as a historical monument.
At the terrace is a permanent exhibition of the evolution of the Harbour.
The Gallery hosts different cultural exhibitions and other related activities.
It’s open to the public Wed-Sun 10h-17h. And it’s free.
Botanical Garden
78 Cor Fleurie, Nice
This oasis is situated in the hills of Nice West. It was set up in 1983 and shelters more than 3,500 species of plants from all over the world on a total surface of 3 hectares.
If you are not too interested in the plants it’s a nice place to walk around, meditate or have a picnic. In summer times it offers a place to cool down from the heat in the city.
Place Massena
Place Massena is the center point of Nice and a beautiful square. both day and night.
The seven figures designed by Jaume Plensa are called “Conversation in Nice” and represent the different continents. The variations of colours in night symbolise the conversation between the communities in the society.
The “Fountain of the Sun” is a famous bronze sculpture of the Greek god Apollo.
Place Massena is also the spot for great public events
Place Garibaldi
Place Garibaldi is the second most important square in Nice. It was built in 1773 and the original name of the square is Piazza Vittorio.
Currently, the square is a meeting place. It’s surrounded by restaurants and cafes in the shade of trees or under the arcades.
In the middle is a monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was an Italian general, patriot, revolutionary and republican. He contributed to Italian unification and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy.
Urban stroll at Castle Hill
Take the stairs from Castel Plage up to Castle hill.
On the way up you can admire the Promenade, the Angels Bay and the Old city.
Castle hill is considered the cradle of the town Nice.
Recently the city covered the place with grass for sport activities or just a picnic.
At the other end you have an amazing view over the harbor and Cap de Nice.
Take a break for a refreshment, visit the graveyard and admire the waterfall. Attention, at 12 h there will be a Cannon shot.
To go down, you can choose the path to the Old city, Place Garibaldi or the Port.
La fetes des mai
Arenes de Cimiez
Every Sunday in May there are activities under the olive trees in the Arenes de Cimiez garden to celebrate Nice traditions.
The Nice language and culture is presented through music and dance. Everybody is invited to participate in the dancing.
And Nice specialties such as Socca, Pain Bagnat or Pissaladière are offered to eat.
It’s easy to reach Arene de Cimiez garden with Bus no 5 from Dubouchage stop close to Nice Etoile.
Nice Carnival
Place Massena and around
The Nice Carnival takes place every year in February/March for two weeks. 2024was the 139 edition. It’s the biggest carnival in France and one of the three biggest carnivals in the world after Rio and Venedig.
Over two weeks “the King” and other giant puppet heads offer a magical and burlesque spectacle. The whole city lives with the Carnival during this period and many restaurants are also decorated. Thousands of visitors come to Nice to see the parades.
Promenade des Anglais in wintertime
In 2021, Nice became an Unesco World heritage as “Winter resort town of the Riviera” for its mild climate. The British came here and walked along the coastline, thereof the name Promenade des Anglais. Take a walk at the 7 km long Promenade in January and enjoy the blue sea, blue sky and the sun. Take a rest on a blue chair or have a picnic at the beach. At the end of the day the sky becomes red during sunset.