Nice: 4 must-see attractions
Tourist attractions
Places to visit in Nice
Beaches
You can’t miss the famous Promenade des Anglais which follows the entire coastline for 8 kilometres. Its 1930s look is still evident today and luxurious buildings like the Negresco Hotel and the Barrière-Le Ruhl Casino add to its charm. If you fancy a swim, don’t choose the beaches in front of the Albert-1st garden as they’re always crowded. Instead, continue west towards Fabron to reach some much quieter ones. Don’t forget your beach lilo as there’s no sand here, just pebbles!
Museums
There are many interesting museums to visit in Nice. The best known is probably the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Mamac), right next to Nice’s National Theatre and the Louis Nucéra Library. There’s also the Musée Masséna, dedicated to the history of Nice and housed in a Belle Époque villa by the sea and the Palais Lascaris, a baroque temple. The Asian Art Museum, in the beautiful Phoenix Park with its tropical greenhouses, is also worth a visit.
The Castle and Port
Opposite the Rauba Capeu quay is Castle Hill which rises above Nice. However, don’t expect to find a castle there: it has long since disappeared and only a few ruins remain. However, the view of the sea and Nice’s old town is superb and well worth the (rough) climb. Many families and groups of friends meet here on Sundays to play and enjoy picnics on the grass.
Le Vieux Nice (Old Town Nice)
What could be more picturesque than getting lost in the alleys of Nice’s old town! Craft shops, tasty and inexpensive restaurants and shady squares. You can enjoy tasting the local specialties: petits farcies (stuffed vegetables), pissaladière (onion, anchovy and olive pizza), chard pie, socca (chickpea pancakes) ... For dessert, choose from the huge variety of flavours at Fenocchio’s, an iconic Italian ice cream parlour, and enjoy a delicious sorbet sitting in Rossetti square in front of the beautiful Ste-Reparate cathedral. In the evening, the streets come alive and fill up with party goers ready to enjoy the many bars, such as Wayne's or Akathor. If you’re in the mood for getting up early the next morning, go to the Cours Saleya market: it’s famous for its fresh and colourful scents and flavours.
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