Nice Travel Guide

Nice is the capital of the French Riviera and the easiest way to fall for the Côte d'Azur. The Promenade des Anglais curves along a bay of impossible blue, backed by the candy-coloured facades of the Old Town, where the Cours Saleya market spills flowers and produce each morning and socca — chickpea pancake — sizzles on every corner. Climb the Colline du Château for the view that has drawn painters for a century; the light here is why Matisse and Chagall stayed, and both have museums in town.

Beyond the city, Nice is the perfect base for the whole coast: Monaco, Èze, Antibes, and Cannes are all a short train ride along the shore, and the hill villages of the hinterland are close behind. Beaches are pebbled, not sandy, but the sea is warm and the pace is pure Mediterranean. Come for the coast, stay for the way the city lives outdoors.