It's Nice in Nice!

Byline by Sujata Ghosh, a freelance travel writer.

Nice is located in the Southeastern part of France along the Mediterranean Sea. It is full of galleries, museums, narrow lanes, charming markets, gorgeous architectures, local foods and arts.

As Nice enjoys a Mediterranean climate throughout the year, travelers can visit anytime of the year but the best time is the summer time when the climate is dry and warm with average temperature around 27°c.

Things To Do in Nice

Explore the Art – Nice is full of museums and galleries. For the last few years, many new museums have opened up and some of the most famous are: Musée des Beaux Arts, Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain and Musée International d'Art Naïf Anatole Jakovsky. If you are an art lover, then visiting these museums is well worth it.

Sunbath in Private Beaches – The best beaches in Nice are private beaches. These private beaches have been taken up mostly by the hotels. If you want to work on your tan in a private beach, then you have to stay in a hotel that has a private beach. These hotels offer a range of facilities to their guests like carpet leading to the sea to protect their guests’ feet from pebble, mattresses, umbrellas, chairs, water sports and waiter services. However, if you are on a tight budget, then some of these beaches allow outsiders to enjoy their private beach with a fee.

Stroll Promenade des Anglais – If you are in Nice then visiting Promenade des Anglais is a must-do. It is a 7-mile beautiful walkway running along the Mediterranean Sea. You can take a long walk or just sit down on one of the blue chairs and enjoy the sunset. Or, you can explore restaurants and pubs that are lined along the promenade.

Enjoy a Panoramic View of Nice from Le Chateau – In French, “chateau” means an impressive country house (or castle) in France. There are only a few ruins left of Le Chateau but still I would recommend to visit this place because you can witness a panoramic view of Nice from here. La Chateau is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city and the harbor. You can walk to the top of the hill or if you want you can take the elevator. But if you can manage walking up to the hill, you can see a beautiful waterfall on your way up and can also witness medieval ruins, historic cemetery and a beautiful playground. The walkway is also full of shady trees.

Enjoy Vieux Nice - In France, Old Nice is often called Vieux Nice. It is a beautiful and unique neighborhood full of original features. The street of Vieux Nice is very narrow and dates back to 17th-18th century.  There are very few road signs in Vieux Nice so it is better to buy a local map that can guide you through the narrow lanes. It is a great place to do some local shopping like – arts, antiques, crafts, etc.  I would recommend that travelers should avoid Vieux Nice at night or travel in a group because this area has a higher crime rate.

Russian Cathedral – Russian Cathedral is one of the many Russian attractions in the city. In 1912, Tsar Nicholas II built this cathedral in Nice and it is the largest Russian Cathedral outside Russia. This cathedral offers an extraordinary architectural sight with onion towers surrounded with palm trees.

Savor Local Cuisine

Socca is a large pancake made out of chickpea flour, olive oil and black pepper. These thin pancakes are then put into a very hot oven for 5-6 minutes until the top turns golden brown. 

Beignets de fleurs de courgettes is actually Courgette/Zucchini flower fritters. These flowers are dipped into a paste of chickpea flour, egg yolk, salt, pepper, milk, olive oil and parsley, then deep fried for 2-3 minutes or until it turns golden. It is usually served hot with ketchup.

Ratatouille is a vegetarian dish made out of tomatoes, courgette/zucchini, aubergine/eggplant, carrot, pepper, onion, garlic, basil, thyme and bayleaf.  It is generally served as a side dish with pasta, rice or bread, but it may also be served as a main dish.

There are several hostels, mid-ranged hotels, and luxury accommodations in Nice. Travelers can choose their accommodation according to their budget. If you want a good hotel deal then keep a check on hotel booking sites as they sometimes offer very good deals. Hotels in Nice are generally expensive as it is a popular tourist destination so if you are a budget traveler then go for hostels or cheap hotels.

Sujata Ghosh is a freelance travel writer. Working as a freelancer not only gave her the opportunity to break free from her 9-5 routine, but it also allowed her to pursue her other hobbies which includes gardening, reading, meeting new people and traveling. She is currently working on an Amsterdam project and has found some very good cheap hotels in Amsterdam.