The beaches on Nice are postcard perfect with tall palm trees swaying gently in the cool sea breeze and bejeweled waters. Although, tourists visit Nice throughout the year, it’s a good idea to avoid Nice during July through August. May, June, and September to November are the best months to visit this city.
Perhaps the most known fact about Nice is its pebbly beach (it doesn’t have any sandy beach). Though part of the Cote d’Azur coastal strip, Nice is not overbearingly glitzy like other destination along the strip such as St. Tropez. Bustling with tourists, the clam of the sparkling green-blue waters is easily drowned by the cacophony of loud dance and club music blaring from the numerous Nice nightclubs and diners. Thankfully, Nice is nice because it hasn’t become the domain of the rich and famous.
Besides the Nice beaches, and modern Nice promenades, Nice also has some beautiful examples of ancient architecture in its many palaces, cathedrals, and houses. As in most popular tourists’ destinations, finding your way around the city can be difficult, but the bus system is excellent and well connected to various important parts of the city. Though Nice is the 5th largest city in France, it is easy to explore and offers many alternatives for travel such as rail, road, waterways etc.
While there are countless things to see and do in Nice, at the center of Nice lies Promenade des Anglais, a historical waterfront boulevard and one of the most well-known streets in the country. Other favorites include:
• The Nice Cours Selaya Flower Market: A must –see attraction, the market is interesting as it is located in one of the main neighborhoods with excellent options for food, especially seafood, and coffee. You can also pick souvenirs, clothes etc.
• Vieux Nice (Old Nice): located next to the flower market is a great place to walk, and discover the olden days Nice with its narrow streets. Always travel in groups as Old Nice is a network of dark alleys.
• Nice Cimiez: is located on the hills and has many museums as well as attractions including the Musée Matisse that contains a delightful collection of the artist's work.
• The Nice Pedestrian Zone: a network of roads, this place is a vehicle free zone expect in the early morning hours. Most shops sell cheap clothes, but there are good clothing chain stores and gourmet boutiques such as Ducs de Gascony. Stop at any café and sip a Café au lait as the world goes by.
As Somerset Maugham once famously commented on the French Riviera being a ‘sunny place for shady people,’ it won’t be too far fetched to say that Nice reflects this thought clearly and unabashedly. A collage of seedy and chic, Nice is a city that’s going to capture your imagination, like it or not.