NICE FRANCE
by Jakob Jelling
Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, and one of the
most sophisticated. It hugs the coastline, and its
elegant hotels along the Promenade des Anglais have
a perfect view of the ocean just across the street.
From the coast, Nice stretches upward to Le Chateau,
once topped by a beautiful castle but now crowned
only in picturesque ruins.
HISTORY OF NICE FRANCE
Nice was founded by the Phocaeans of Marseille,
Greek mariners, in around 350 BC, and was probably
named for the Greek goddess Nike in honor of a
victory over a neighboring colony. This history still
lingers in Vieux Nice, the oldest quarter, in the maze
of narrow flagstone streets still used today. It was
conquered by the Romans in the first century AD and
became a busy trading port, and later fell to the
Saracens. During the Middle Ages, it was held by the
counts of Provence and later the counts of Savoy,
and regained its might as a trading port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, composed of Vieux Nice, the harbor,
and the business district, is separated from the new
town by the Paillon River. Le Chateau is on the old
town side, along with the Musee Terre Amata and,
above an ancient cemetery, Colline de Chateau, a
medieval castle ruin. To the west of this castle, and
sandwiched between it and Paillon River, are a variety
of different attractions: the Chapelle de la Misericorde,
Chapelle de l'Annonciation, Chapelle de St. Jacques-
Jesu, and Cathedral Ste-Reparate, all picturesque
and primarily baroque churches; the Palais Lascari,
home of a marshal of the duke of Savoy and today
open to the public for a fee; and the Place Garibaldi,
where you can walk around the fountain while
choosing which picturesque café you're going to eat
at today.
Promenade des Anglais
After you've exhausted walking around Vieux Nice
during the day, you're probably ready for some
excitement during the evening. Nice is the leading
resort city of the Cote d'Azur, and there are plenty of
things to do at any time of the day. Plan the time of
year you come carefully, and you can enjoy some of
their regular festivals, including the Carnival of Nice,
their premier celebration. Or you can try the Casino
Ruhl, a neon-lit modern counterpoint to the ancient
streets of Vieux Nice, and later lounge in the Bar
Anglais at the nearby Hotel Negresco. In July, the
Nice Jazz Festival draws international performers.
WALKING IN NICE
In the new part of town during the day, you'll want to
take at least one walk down the Promenade des
Anglais, two wide carriageways separated by
flowerbeds and palm trees, and stretching two and a
half miles down the waterfront. On one side of the
promenade, you'll find grand hotels both modern and
quaint, and along most of the other side stretches the
beaches of the Baie des Anges. The beaches
alternate between public and private, and you can find
waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing, jet-skiing rentals
in many places.
For less athletic pursuits, you'll find two fine art
museums, Musee des Beaux-Arts Jules-Cheret and
the Museum of Art and History in the Palais Massena.
The Jardin Albert I rises over the River Paillon,
beautiful both during the day and in the evening.
Cimiez
In Cimiez, further away from shore, there are a
bouquet of museums: the Musee Matisse, Musee du
Message Biblique Marc-Chagall, and the Musee
Archaeologique. Matisse and Chagall are among the
French impressionists who lived here for some time,
and they left their marks on the culture of the area.
You'll also find the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre
here.
Transportation in Nice
The airport at Nice is one of the most important in
France, and as a hub of transportation on the Cote
d'Azur, Nice is a great place to start from for driving
tours. There is also a regular passenger service to
Corsica.
Nice Shopping
Though Nice is primarily a resort city, you'll also find a
wide variety of luxury goods for sale here. Gallons of
fresh virgin olive oil can be purchased at tiny market
stalls for a bargain price, and some of the best French
perfumes are manufactured here and north, and can
be found here. Crystallized fruit, a Nice specialty, is
sold at Henri Auer, and there are a fresh flower
market and lots of antiques as well.
Nice Cuisine
Nice, like most of the Cote d'Azure, uses lots of garlic
and olive oil; in fact, their version of mayonnaise is
made of olive oil and seasoned with garlic. Ratatouia,
or ratatouille, was first cooked in Nice before being
exported to New Orleans as a staple. For a true taste
of Nice, try pissaladiera, an onion flan with anchovies
and black olives.
Other attractions in Nice
Nice is a growing cultural center. The Centre
Universitaire Mediterraneen holds conferences on
language studies and contemporary problems, a
university for law, science and letters has been
established there, and an international art school –
appropriately – was established in 1970.
About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit http://www.
eurotomic.com/france.php if you're planning a trip to France.
by Jakob Jelling
Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, and one of the
most sophisticated. It hugs the coastline, and its
elegant hotels along the Promenade des Anglais have
a perfect view of the ocean just across the street.
From the coast, Nice stretches upward to Le Chateau,
once topped by a beautiful castle but now crowned
only in picturesque ruins.
HISTORY OF NICE FRANCE
Nice was founded by the Phocaeans of Marseille,
Greek mariners, in around 350 BC, and was probably
named for the Greek goddess Nike in honor of a
victory over a neighboring colony. This history still
lingers in Vieux Nice, the oldest quarter, in the maze
of narrow flagstone streets still used today. It was
conquered by the Romans in the first century AD and
became a busy trading port, and later fell to the
Saracens. During the Middle Ages, it was held by the
counts of Provence and later the counts of Savoy,
and regained its might as a trading port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, composed of Vieux Nice, the harbor,
and the business district, is separated from the new
town by the Paillon River. Le Chateau is on the old
town side, along with the Musee Terre Amata and,
above an ancient cemetery, Colline de Chateau, a
medieval castle ruin. To the west of this castle, and
sandwiched between it and Paillon River, are a variety
of different attractions: the Chapelle de la Misericorde,
Chapelle de l'Annonciation, Chapelle de St. Jacques-
Jesu, and Cathedral Ste-Reparate, all picturesque
and primarily baroque churches; the Palais Lascari,
home of a marshal of the duke of Savoy and today
open to the public for a fee; and the Place Garibaldi,
where you can walk around the fountain while
choosing which picturesque café you're going to eat
at today.
Promenade des Anglais
After you've exhausted walking around Vieux Nice
during the day, you're probably ready for some
excitement during the evening. Nice is the leading
resort city of the Cote d'Azur, and there are plenty of
things to do at any time of the day. Plan the time of
year you come carefully, and you can enjoy some of
their regular festivals, including the Carnival of Nice,
their premier celebration. Or you can try the Casino
Ruhl, a neon-lit modern counterpoint to the ancient
streets of Vieux Nice, and later lounge in the Bar
Anglais at the nearby Hotel Negresco. In July, the
Nice Jazz Festival draws international performers.
WALKING IN NICE
In the new part of town during the day, you'll want to
take at least one walk down the Promenade des
Anglais, two wide carriageways separated by
flowerbeds and palm trees, and stretching two and a
half miles down the waterfront. On one side of the
promenade, you'll find grand hotels both modern and
quaint, and along most of the other side stretches the
beaches of the Baie des Anges. The beaches
alternate between public and private, and you can find
waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing, jet-skiing rentals
in many places.
For less athletic pursuits, you'll find two fine art
museums, Musee des Beaux-Arts Jules-Cheret and
the Museum of Art and History in the Palais Massena.
The Jardin Albert I rises over the River Paillon,
beautiful both during the day and in the evening.
Cimiez
In Cimiez, further away from shore, there are a
bouquet of museums: the Musee Matisse, Musee du
Message Biblique Marc-Chagall, and the Musee
Archaeologique. Matisse and Chagall are among the
French impressionists who lived here for some time,
and they left their marks on the culture of the area.
You'll also find the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre
here.
Transportation in Nice
The airport at Nice is one of the most important in
France, and as a hub of transportation on the Cote
d'Azur, Nice is a great place to start from for driving
tours. There is also a regular passenger service to
Corsica.
Nice Shopping
Though Nice is primarily a resort city, you'll also find a
wide variety of luxury goods for sale here. Gallons of
fresh virgin olive oil can be purchased at tiny market
stalls for a bargain price, and some of the best French
perfumes are manufactured here and north, and can
be found here. Crystallized fruit, a Nice specialty, is
sold at Henri Auer, and there are a fresh flower
market and lots of antiques as well.
Nice Cuisine
Nice, like most of the Cote d'Azure, uses lots of garlic
and olive oil; in fact, their version of mayonnaise is
made of olive oil and seasoned with garlic. Ratatouia,
or ratatouille, was first cooked in Nice before being
exported to New Orleans as a staple. For a true taste
of Nice, try pissaladiera, an onion flan with anchovies
and black olives.
Other attractions in Nice
Nice is a growing cultural center. The Centre
Universitaire Mediterraneen holds conferences on
language studies and contemporary problems, a
university for law, science and letters has been
established there, and an international art school –
appropriately – was established in 1970.
About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit http://www.
eurotomic.com/france.php if you're planning a trip to France.
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