Nice and the French Riviera

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The Cours Saleya in Old Nice hosts a daily flower and produce market, Nice and the French Riviera, France

An artificial waterfall pours down the slope of Castle Hill above Old Nice, Nice and the French Riviera, France

The Matisse Museum occupies a seventeenth-century villa in the Cimiez district of Nice, Nice and the French Riviera, France

Villefranche-sur-Mer rises above one of the deepest natural harbors on the Mediterranean, Nice and the French Riviera, France

About Nice and the French Riviera

Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera, set on a wide bay along the Mediterranean with the foothills of the Alps rising behind it. It became part of France only in 1860, and its old town still shows Italian influence in its ochre buildings, narrow streets and food. Mild winters made it a favored retreat for European aristocrats in the nineteenth century, and the coast later drew artists such as Matisse and Chagall.

The Promenade des Anglais runs for several miles along the pebbly beaches and is busy with walkers, cyclists and skaters. Vieux Nice, the old town, is a tangle of lanes leading to the Cours Saleya, known for its flower and produce market. Castle Hill rises above the harbor with views over the rooftops and the bay. In the hillside district of Cimiez, the Matisse Museum and Roman ruins sit near each other, and the Marc Chagall National Museum is close by. The onion-domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas reflects the city's past popularity with Russian nobility.

Nice makes an easy base for exploring the coast by train or bus. Villefranche-sur-Mer has a pretty harbor, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is home to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens. The hilltop village of Eze, the principality of Monaco and the lemon-scented town of Menton complete the route toward Italy.

Best seasonMay to June and September offer warm weather and swimming with fewer crowds than July and August.

Ideal stayFour to five days allows time in Nice plus day trips to Eze, Monaco and Villefranche.

ArrivingNice Cote d'Azur Airport is close to the city, and coastal trains link Nice with Monaco and Menton.

WiserMap travel guideNice and the French Riviera France Eze Monaco and AntibesPlan Nice and the French Riviera: Vieux Nice, Castle Hill, Villefranche, Eze, Monaco, Menton, Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, with train and food tips.Read the guide

12 Reasons to Visit Nice and the French Riviera

Landmarks 2

Promenade des Anglais

Nice's famous seafront runs for about seven kilometres along the Baie des Anges, from the old town to the airport. It takes its na...

Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas

Completed in 1912 with the backing of Tsar Nicholas II, this is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe and a rem...

Neighborhoods 1

Vieux Nice and the Cours Saleya

Below Castle Hill, the old town is a maze of narrow lanes painted in ochre and red, packed with baroque chapels, small bakeries an...

Viewpoints 1

Colline du Chateau in Nice

Castle Hill rises steeply between the old town and the port, on the site where Nice's medieval castle and early town stood until t...

Museums 1

Matisse and Chagall museums in Cimiez

Two of the twentieth century's great painters are celebrated on the leafy hill of Cimiez, a short bus ride north of the centre. Th...

Villages 3

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Just east of Nice, this little harbour town sits on one of the deepest natural anchorages in the Mediterranean, its pastel houses...

Eze village and its Jardin Exotique

Perched on a rocky spur some 400 metres above the sea, Eze is the classic eagle's-nest village of the Riviera, a knot of medieval...

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Encircled by sixteenth-century ramparts on a hill above the coast, Saint-Paul-de-Vence has drawn painters and writers for a centur...

Gardens 1

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The wooded peninsula of Cap Ferrat is one of the Riviera's most exclusive enclaves, ringed by a coastal footpath with sweeping sea...

Towns 3

Monaco: Monte-Carlo and the Prince's Palace

The tiny principality of Monaco lies less than half an hour from Nice by train, packing glamour, gardens and history into two squa...

Old Antibes and the Picasso Museum

Behind its sea walls, old Antibes is a lively warren of lanes, a covered Provencal market and cafes facing the port. The Musee Pic...

Cannes and the Lerins Islands

Cannes is best known for its film festival, held every May at the Palais des Festivals beside the beach, but it also rewards a slo...

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