by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:15th February 2019
A captivating city that deserves so much longer
We were only in Nice for a few hours because we were visiting there as part of a day out and about touring around the Côte d'Azur. Although, it has undoubtedly given us a taster to want more of the delightful city.
Your first impression of Nice, whether you're flying into the coastal airport or driving along the stunning French Riviera, is the sweeping shoreline; it's beautiful.
The welcoming bay stretches for what appears to be miles and miles, and it's almost irresistible for a dip.
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#ILoveNice
Where is Nice
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Let's explore Nice
Rustic charmHowever, what Nice really won me over with was its rustic charm. It has the elegant promenade, the swaying palm trees and grand boulevards, but step one or two roads back, and you’re into the charming lanes and lived-in streets that are so appealing.
Rustic lanes
Character & charm
Although this city is busy with tourists and visitors alike, you still feel that Nice is continually bustling with locals getting on with their daily lives.
Cave Pierre Bianchi & Cie
You can imagine the wealth and glamour of years gone by. But Nice has not been left to decline; to me, it has the earthiness of “love me for what I am” and has not been polished up around the edges.
Life in Nice amongst the streets and lanes is so alluring you feel like the city is keeping something back for itself. And don’t get me started on the incredible architecture, wow.
Rue Rossetti
Down Rue Rossetti
The best of Nice
Get lost in the lanesWell, where do you start? For us, we just wanted to take in the atmosphere, walk and enjoy the hustle and bustle.
Fontaine du Soleil
So, we went for our own little promenade along the bay, and then into the Old Town.
Nice Opera House
Wandering up via Place Massena and around the Fontaine du Soleil. Strolling in and around the streets by the Hôtel de Ville, the Opera house and passing by a very quaint confiserie of Henri Auer, which has been trading since the mid-19th-century.
Confiserie ‘Henri Auer’
Why not?
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Discovering the real Nice
I love a street marketWe are heading a little further, and we are in Cours Saleya, a traditional town square where the local market traders sell their wares. Not only are they selling beautiful aromatic flowers, but there’s incredibly fresh fruit, dried chillies, aubergines, and of course, garlic.
Market in Cours Saleya
It is all so tempting; I just loved wandering around here and couldn’t resist buying a couple of nectarines.
Grapes at Cours Saleya market
The produce looks of the very highest quality, with care and attention to detail in how the stalls are laid out.
Fresh fruit at the market
How nice would it be to pick up something so fresh and take it back to your little French gîte, and knock up something so simple that your little French recipe books are full of - Mmmm.
There has to be garlic.
Crit'Air vignette required for driving in France
If you’re heading to France from the UK with your own vehicle, you’ll need a Crit’Air ‘clean air’ car sticker.
Just like our low-emission zones in the UK, France now legally requires the display of a Crit’Air vignette. The good news is, these stickers are readily available and affordable online through the official French government website.
The Crit’Air sticker lasts the lifetime of the vehicle, so it’s a one-off purchase. The RAC website offers an in-depth guide to everything you need to know and your requirements.
A taste of Nice
Only one thing for it!With the Côte d'Azur sunshine beating down upon us, there was only one thing for it, ICE-CREAM. So, we head to Fenocchio's ice-cream parlour in Place Rossetti. Fenocchio serves 94 flavours, 59 of them are ice-creams, and 35 are sorbets, some quite weird, like cactus or thyme.
I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to ice-cream, this is a serious matter. Gary is one for the more exotic flavours.
Me and an ice-cream from Fenocchio
Cathedral of Saint Reparata
In the same charming square as Fenocchio’s ice cream parlour is the Cathedral of Saint Reparata. Place Rossetti is such a pretty square; you’ll just want to sit down and watch the world go by.
Place Rossetti
If you love Provence as much as we do, you'll want to start planning your visit now.
I so enjoy using the DK Eyewitness books, as they are extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our Provencal road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.
The best view of Nice
Castle HillAfter our sugar hit, it’s now time to climb the hill. Castle Hill in fact, overlooks the whole of Nice and gives incredible panoramic views along the Promenade des Anglais and the terracotta rooftops below.
View across Nice
Now, I need you to take my word for this: the previous day, we drove along the promenade, and we could see an amazing waterfall cascading near the top of Castle Hill. Well, we arrived (I say arrive; I’m a bit exhausted by this point), and the waterfall wasn’t working. I couldn’t believe it, as it was only the day before that we saw it. We hung around for a while just in case it was our bad timing, but no, this “must-see” was a definite “must not see”.
Where’s the waterfall?
The main fortification of Nice Castle was destroyed in the 18th century; however, you can still see its ancient ruins and stroll around the gardens.
Nice Castle ruins
Enjoying Nice
Don’t hesitateI highly recommend heading up Castle Hill, as the views alone are worth it.
Nice harbour, Nice, France
There are a few options for getting to the top of the hill; the first is to walk (which I’m proud to say we did), and secondly, you can get the dotto train (which I’m proud to say we didn’t). However, the third is to get the elevator up, which I didn't know existed until I got back down to the bottom (and I believe it’s free). But, hey, I needed the exercise.
Our video of Nice
We have created a little YouTube video of Nice. Why not take a look?
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Au Revoir Nice
Until we return, which we willUntil we meet again, as I’m sure there will be a next time.
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Exploring this region of France is fun, and each adventure will be unique.
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