Reasons to Visit Nice and the South of France This Summer
The fashionable city of Nice on the Côte d'Azur boasts the longest city seafront in France, bathed in sunshine and filled with hordes of happy holidaymakers for much of the year.
Amongst tourists, in fact, Nice is the second most popular French city after Paris.
It has been a favourite spot amongst artists for centuries, many claiming the city basks in a special light - but it is also a magnet for the rich and glamorous alongside chic neighbours such as Monaco and Cannes.
Yet despite this, Nice doesn't have an exclusive-only air about it, and actually attracts a fairly diverse crowd alongside its glamorous core - ranging from young couples and families to older tourists and even the odd hen party.
Get beyond the less appealing suburbs to Vieux Nice, the old quarter of France's fifth largest city, and you find a tangle of historic streets where couples stroll hand in hand from boutique to souvenir shop, and diners eat alfresco in the balmy evening air enjoying live music and a spot of people-watching.
This is Nice's most charming quarter, and the best place to spend summer evenings, with a lively café culture, great restaurants and plenty of pleasant bars.
If you're exploring during the day, make sure you seek out some of the incredibly ornate Baroque churches such as Eglise de Gésu on Rue Droite, where the interior's vivid art and sculpture are dizzying in their detail.
At the heart of the old town, the enclosed and pedestrianised Place Rossetti is an atmospheric spot by day and by night, lined with buildings in red and yellow ochres, famed for its ice cream shops, and beautifully lit in the evenings.
The stony beach doesn't seem to put off the many sun-seekers who flock for a dip in the turquoise sea before drying out on a sun bed - despite risking a rather ungainly entry and exit over the slippery and uncomfortable pebbles.
Running alongside the seafront is the elegant, palm tree-lined Promenade des Anglais, backed by grand, pre-War villas and hotels, the most impressive of which is the pink-domed Hôtel Negresco.
The prom is a favourite place for a stroll and for roller skating, cycling and skateboarding.
Parallel to one stretch of this is the compact pedestrian "Zone Pietonne", another pleasant area filled with cafés, restaurants and tourist souvenir shops near Place Masséna, the city's main square.
Nice's colourful flower market is held in the Cours Saleya every morning, and this traditional square is also a good place for a bite to eat at one of the traditional Nicois restaurants.
If you'd like to capture one of the best views over the city, head to Colline du Chateau and climb the stairs (or take the lift three quarters of the way) to get views of the Baie des Anges and harbour.
Although there's little left of the ruined castle itself, the spectacular views alone make it well worth the effort.
And if you can drag yourself indoors out of the sunshine, Nice also boasts more than 20 museums, many holding wonderful collections of art and some offering free entry.
Amongst the best are Musee Matisse, Musee Chagall, Musee et Site Archeologiques de Cimiez, and Parc Phoenix (a botanical garden and glasshouse).
Amongst tourists, in fact, Nice is the second most popular French city after Paris.
It has been a favourite spot amongst artists for centuries, many claiming the city basks in a special light - but it is also a magnet for the rich and glamorous alongside chic neighbours such as Monaco and Cannes.
Yet despite this, Nice doesn't have an exclusive-only air about it, and actually attracts a fairly diverse crowd alongside its glamorous core - ranging from young couples and families to older tourists and even the odd hen party.
Get beyond the less appealing suburbs to Vieux Nice, the old quarter of France's fifth largest city, and you find a tangle of historic streets where couples stroll hand in hand from boutique to souvenir shop, and diners eat alfresco in the balmy evening air enjoying live music and a spot of people-watching.
This is Nice's most charming quarter, and the best place to spend summer evenings, with a lively café culture, great restaurants and plenty of pleasant bars.
If you're exploring during the day, make sure you seek out some of the incredibly ornate Baroque churches such as Eglise de Gésu on Rue Droite, where the interior's vivid art and sculpture are dizzying in their detail.
At the heart of the old town, the enclosed and pedestrianised Place Rossetti is an atmospheric spot by day and by night, lined with buildings in red and yellow ochres, famed for its ice cream shops, and beautifully lit in the evenings.
The stony beach doesn't seem to put off the many sun-seekers who flock for a dip in the turquoise sea before drying out on a sun bed - despite risking a rather ungainly entry and exit over the slippery and uncomfortable pebbles.
Running alongside the seafront is the elegant, palm tree-lined Promenade des Anglais, backed by grand, pre-War villas and hotels, the most impressive of which is the pink-domed Hôtel Negresco.
The prom is a favourite place for a stroll and for roller skating, cycling and skateboarding.
Parallel to one stretch of this is the compact pedestrian "Zone Pietonne", another pleasant area filled with cafés, restaurants and tourist souvenir shops near Place Masséna, the city's main square.
Nice's colourful flower market is held in the Cours Saleya every morning, and this traditional square is also a good place for a bite to eat at one of the traditional Nicois restaurants.
If you'd like to capture one of the best views over the city, head to Colline du Chateau and climb the stairs (or take the lift three quarters of the way) to get views of the Baie des Anges and harbour.
Although there's little left of the ruined castle itself, the spectacular views alone make it well worth the effort.
And if you can drag yourself indoors out of the sunshine, Nice also boasts more than 20 museums, many holding wonderful collections of art and some offering free entry.
Amongst the best are Musee Matisse, Musee Chagall, Musee et Site Archeologiques de Cimiez, and Parc Phoenix (a botanical garden and glasshouse).
