Ahhhh, Nice… land of luxury cars, a beautiful coastline, a historic old quarter, and all the crepes, cheese, and wine you could dream of. Located along the Mediterranean coast, the capital of the French Riviera is the perfect weekend getaway if you’re seeking some fun in the sun.
I started my visit to Nice with a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, the main, wide-open boardwalk with the gorgeous beach of Nice on one side and hip restaurants and bars on the other side. There’s plenty of activities here like bike rentals, segway rentals, and bike-taxis to enjoy the atmosphere – or you could just as well enjoy a beach day and go for a swim! All along the promenade, there are brilliant viewpoints of the crystal clear water below.
Other places of interest in Nice include a visit to the Old Quarter. There’s always several local markets setup along the old streets, century-old churches, and plenty of small shops, boutiques and cafes to blissfully waste time at. All the streets are pastel-colored, and I was absolutely smitten.
One of my favorite things to do in any new city I visit is find a rooftop or hill where I can get a complete view from above. There’s something sentimental about staring out at a city from up high – a sort of calm detachment from jumble of civilization below. The best place to do this in Nice is called Castle Hill, or Colline du Chateau in French. To get there, walk along the Promenade des Anglais, where you’ll see a small mountain/hill that has a staircase going up its side. Follow the staircase for a mini hike to amazing views of Nice!
Finally, Place Messena is the colorful, grand central square of Nice. Jutting out from the square are several shopping streets where you can find anything from luxury designers to small French boutiques.
The whole city of Nice is easily accessible on foot; all the main sights are located within walking distance from one another. I spent 48 hours here and felt that I got a solid feel of what the city has to offer without running out of things to do. If you’re looking to make day trips from here, Cannes, Antibes, and Monaco are all conveniently reachable with train connections from Nice-Ville central station!
