Located in the southeastern corner of the French Riviera, a mere 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Italian border, the glittering city of Nice is the the undisputed queen of the French Mediterranean coast — And a city with an exceptional cultural heritage

The Vielle Ville is wedged between the hills and the sea.

Founded around 350 B.C. by the Phocaeans (a colony of Greek mariners), who called it Nikaia, after Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, it was conquered by the Romans during the 1st century AD. Then from the Middle Ages on, Nice frequently oscillated between French and Italian dominion before passing under the protection of the Counts of Savoy in 1388. The house of Savoy held Nice for the next 500 years, until 1860 the city was ultimately annexed to France.

The Old Town

The Old Town is a maze of narrow streets.

Huddled between the sea and the western base of a steep granite hill known as Le Château, (although the castle that once crowned it was destroyed in 1706), Le Vieux Nice has been the vibrant heart of the city since medieval times. Its maze of narrow  streets lined with a jumble of pastel tenement houses, Baroque churches and the occasional Renaissance mansion all eventually lead to the Cours Saleya

The Chapel of Mercy is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

This vast square is especially famous for its flower and produce market held every morning except Mondays. Then it become an all-day antiques and flee market where you can find all manner of items, such as furniture, jewelry, books, vintage clothing and bric-a-brac.

On the northern side of the square, the 18th century Chapelle de la Misericorde (Chapel of Mercy) is a masterpiece of Italian Baroque architecture. It is only sporadically open to visitors but if you are fortunate enough to get inside, prepared to be dazzled by the exuberance of frescoes and gilt.

La Cathédrale Sainte Réparade

Saint Reparata Cathedral is the hub of the city’s religious life.

An other Italian Baroque gem is the Saint Reparata Cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of Nice. Built from the 17th century on, it remains the center of the city’s religious life. The adjoining bell tower was added the 18th century and the facade renovated in 1830. A reliquary holding the remains of Saint Reparata is located in the main altar. The entire building, including its ten sumptuous side chapels, is richly decorated.

Palais Lascaris

The Palais Lascaris is known for its superb interior decoration.

Right behind the cathedral, the Lascaris Palace, with its monumenta frescoed staircase and lavishly decorated rooms is the most remarkable example of Baroque civil architecture in the city. Built in 1648 by the Lascaris-Vintimille, one of the most prominent Niçoise families, it is now a museum, housing one of richest collection of music instruments in Europe.

Modern Times

The Promenades des Amglais stretches along the Mediterranean shore.

In the second half of the 18th century, a trickle of English aristocratic families, lured by the mild climate and the natural beauty of the area, took to spending their winters in Nice. The city’s famous  seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais (Walkway of the English) owes its name to these earliest visitors, who originally sponsored the creation of a strolling path along the shore in 1822.

Today the most popular attraction in Nice, it stretches for miles between the blue sea and beach on one site and a wide boulevard, its two lanes separated by palm trees and flower beds on the other — all of it against a backdrop of storied Belle Epoque (Golden Age) hotels; such as the Negresco, or the Westminster Hotel.

The Belle Epoque Hotel Negresco remains a focal point of the Promenade des Anglais.

With the Industrial Revolution now in full swing, the steam-powered locomotive opened up a whole new world in transportation. In 1864 the railway line reached Nice, and the trickle became a steady stream, now including the cream of French, Germans and Russians society. An extravagant new Nice began to burst out of  the confines of the Old Town to accommodate in splendor these august winter visitors.

Place Massena

The Place Masséna is surrounded by spectacular galleires.

A square, the Place Charles Albert, had begun to take shape at the western edge of the Old Town in the early years of the 19th century. But it is not until 1850, when a prominent architect from Turin, Guiseppe (a.k.a Joseph) Vernier was commissioned to design it that the great architectural ensemble we admire today finally occurred. It was he who defined the arcades of the square to mirror the aesthetics already in place on the side of the Charles-Albert square. 

Place Masséna – a marble statue of Apollo dominates the Fountain of the Sun.

It is now the Place Massena, named for native son André Massena, one of the most illustrious general of Napoleon’s armies. With its distinctive black and white tiled flood surrounded by deep red brick buildings, the grand square is now a wide open, pedestrianized space.Today, Place Masséna is not only a historical landmark but also the bustling center of cultural and social activities in the city.

La Colline de Cimiez

The Cimiez Hill is home for substantial Roman ruins.

After the annexation of the County of Nice to France in 1860, in the hills north of the Old Town, the Cimiez Hill became a much thought after investment for land. Agricultural fields made way to luxury properties, while the nearby ruins of a Roman city once the size of Pompeii  remained mainly unheeded. The Riviera, in the eyes of the European aristocracy, was exclusively synonymous with mild winter sun and dramatic sea and mountain vistas.

The Hotel Regina was design to accommodate Queen Victory.

Excelsior Hôtel Regina

Among this elite was Queen Victoria of England, who in the later years of her reign followed the example of her wealthy countrymen as well as other European crowned head, to spend some weeks every winter on the Côte d’Azur. The resorts of Riviera competed for the opportunity to receive the royal families, in particular Queen Victoria who attracted around her a numerous entourage.

Queen and her entourage occupied the entire West wing of the Hotel Regina.

Built in the Belle Epoque style, the majestic Excelsior Hôtel Regina was designed to meet the requirements of queen. Behind its imposing 200-meter long façade, four hundred high-class rooms of unequaled comfort, offered a panoramic view over the whole city of Nice and the bay. The Regina was inaugurated by the queen in 1897. She stayed there for three consecutive yearly visits, when she and her staff occupied the entire West Wing of the property.

After the global financial crisis of 1929, the Regina could not survive as a luxury hotel. In 1937, it was converted into 98 luxury apartments and remains one of the most prestigious addresses in Nice to this day. 

Russia in Nice

The Russian elite built lavish Belle Epoque villas.

In the mid 1800s, the French Riviera also became a popular destination for the Russian elite as well as the Tsars. In 1856, Alexandra Feodorovna, widow of Nicholas I, was the first Russian Tzarina to winter here. She was accompanied by a coterie of aristocrats who also appreciated the climate and the bustling social life. From then on throughout the second half of the 19th century, they regularly spent their winters in Nice, and built palaces and mansions that still grace the city.

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral

The Orthodox Cathedral is a strong reference to the Russian architectural style.

Considered one of the most important orthodox buildings outside of Russia, the Saint Nicholas Cathedral of Nice was built in the early 20th century (and consecrated in 1912) with the support of Tzar Nicholas II, to serve the spiritual needs of the constantly growing local Russian community. The ornate exterior of its onion- domed building is a clear testimony to the Russian religious architectural style. The heavily gilded interior contains a rich collection of ancient icons, decorative woodwork and other items of huge historical value, in part moved from Russia during the Russian Civil War.

Tsarevich Nicolas memorial chapel.

A monumental white marble chapel stands immediately behind the cathedral. Built in 1867 by Tzar Alexander II, it memorializes his elder son Tsarevich Nicolas, who died suddenly of meningitis at the age of 22, while staying in a villa that stood on the site at the time. His bereaved parents raised the property and built a memorial chapel at the exact location where his deathbed had been.

Good to Know

• Getting there — Paris is just over one hour’s flight away from Nice or five hours by TGV (high speed train). The Nice airport is located at the far end of the Promenade des Anglais, a mere 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the center of town.There are daily direct flights from most European capitals and beyond. Tramways connect the airport to the center of town every 15 minutes.
• Getting around — Nice is an easily walkable city, and its modern center as well as the Old Town feature vast pedestrianized areas. Lignes d’Azur, the company in charge of managing the public transport system, provides a very reliable, cost effective network of more than 40 bus and tramway  lines to reach all the outlying neighborhoods.
• Visiting —  Palais Lascaris Museum  15 Rue Droite, 06300, Nice, is open year-round,  Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. It is closed on Tuesday, January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1 and December 25. Cathedral Saint Nicholas, Avenue Nicholas II, 06000, Nice, is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 1:30 pm and from 2 to 5:30 pm., and from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Modest attire is required.

A Few Souvenirs

Location, location, location!