Naughty Nice is one of the highlights of the French Riviera. Sun seekers sip cocktails on parasoled lounges lining its pebbled shores, kids splash in the azure seas and rollerbladers cruise the promenade des Anglais, but Nice is more than just a place for fun in the sun. There are some major art museums, a ruined Roman city and a glorious old town to discover, as well as some of the best restaurants, bars and markets in the Mediterranean. The city is a great base from which to explore the rest of the Côte d’Azur.
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Orientation
Av Jean Médecin runs south from near the train station to place Masséna. The modern city centre, ie the area north and west of place Masséna, includes the up-market pedestrianised streets of rue de France and rue Masséna. The famous promenade des Anglais follows the gently curved beachfront from the city centre to the airport, 6km west.
Sights
The most atmospheric area of Nice is the beautiful old town (Vieux Nice), with its tangle of 18th-century pedestrian passages and alleyways lined with cafés, shops and restaurants.
At the eastern end of quai des États-Unis, steep steps and a cliffside lift (€0.70; 10am-5.30pm Oct-Mar, 9am-7pm Apr, May & Sep, 9am-8pm Jun-Aug) climb to the Parc du Château, a beautiful hilltop park with great views over the old city and the beachfront.
The Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (04 93 62 61 62; av St-Jean Baptiste; adult/student €4/2.50; 10am-6pm Wed-Mon) has a fantastic collection of avant-garde art from the 1960s to the present, including iconic pop art from Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol’s 1965 Campbell’s Soup Can.
The largest public collection of works by the Russian-born artist Marc Chagall is housed at the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall Biblical Message Museum; 04 93 53 87 20; permanent collection adult/student €5.50/4, temporary exhibitions additional €1.20; 10am-6pm Wed-Mon Jul-Sep, 10am-5pm Oct-Jun). The museum contains the largest collection of works by Chagall anywhere in the world –look out for the mosaic above the pond and the stunning stained glass in the concert room.
About 2.5km north of the city centre is the Musée Matisse (Matisse Museum; 04 93 81 08 08; www.musee-matisse-nice.org; 164 av des Arènes de Cimiez; adult/student €4/2.50; 10am-6pm Wed-Mon), which contains a fantastic collection of exhibits and paintings spanning Matisse’s entire career.
Free sections of beach alternate with 15 sun lounge–lined plages concédées (private beaches; late Apr/early May-15 Sep), for which you have to pay by renting a chair (around €11 a day) or mattress (around €9). There are outdoor showers on every beach, and indoor showers and toilets opposite 50 promenade des Anglais.
Getting around
Local buses cost €1.30/4/20 for a single fare/day pass/17 rides. All tickets can be purchased on the bus. After you time-stamp your ticket, it’s valid for one hour.
Information
Internet Access
Nemeos (2 rue Halvéy; per 15/60min €3/6; 10am-midnight Apr-Oct, noon-10pm Nov-Mar)
Laundry
Taxi Lav (22 rue Pertinax; 7am-9pm) Vieux Nice (13 rue du Pont Vieux; 7am-9pm)
Money
Barclays Bank (2 rue Alphonse Karr) There’s a change counter here.
Le Change (04 93 88 56 80; 17 av Thiers; 7.30am-8pm) Opposite the Gare Nice Ville.
Post
Branch post office (2 rue Louis Gassin) In Vieux Nice.
Main post office (23 av Thiers)
Tourist Information
Main tourist office (0892 70 74 07; 5 promenade des Anglais; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun Jun-Sep; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Oct-May) Right by the beach.
Train station tourist office (0 892 353 535; av Thiers; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun Jun-Sep; 8am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun Oct-May)
Eating
Niçois nibbles include socca (a thin layer of chickpea flour and olive oil batter fried on a large griddle), salade niçoise, ratatouille and farcis (stuffed vegetables, each with a unique filling). Generally, you’ll find the most authentic restaurants in Vieux Nice.
La Table Alziari (04 93 80 34 03; 4 rue François Zanin; mains €8-14; noon-2pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sat) In the heart of old Nice, this tiny, trad¬itional Provençal place has no carte, just a blackboard with a daily selection of seasonal dishes.
Nissa Socca (04 93 80 18 35; 5 rue Ste-Réparate; dishes from €6, menu €13; closed Sun & lunch Mon) Locals love this inexpensive socca joint in Nice’s ambient old town, and it’s great for taste-testing authentic Niçoise cuisine.
Lou Pilha Leva (place Centrale; dishes from €3; 11am-10pm) Seated at outdoor wooden tables under an awning, this down-to-earth place is a good bet for vegetarians. Try the soupe au pistou (soup of vegetables, noodles, beans, basil and garlic).
Pasta Basta (04 93 80 03 57; 18 rue de la Préfecture; mains €6.80-9.50; noon-2pm & 7-11pm) This inexpensive old place dishes up authentic pasta and primo pizzas, best savoured on the canopied front terrace.
Pack the ultimate picnic hamper from cours Saleya’s fruit & vegetable market.
Entertainment
Jonathan’s ((04 93 62 57 62; 1 rue de la Loge) This is a live music hot spot every night in summer.
Drinking
Vieux Nice’s little streets are jammed with bars and cafés in which to sip a pastis.
Cave de la Tour (04 93 80 03 31; 3 rue de la Tour; mains around €7.50; 7am-7pm Tue-Sat, 7am-noon Sun) An utterly untouristy old-town treasure that combines a wonderful wine shop and a café.
Chez Wayne’s (04 93 13 46 99; 15 rue de la Préfecture) A magnet for carousing locals and visitors alike, this raucous watering hole has live bands every night.
Les Trois Diables (04 93 92 93 37; 2 cours Saleya; 5pm-2.15am) The ‘three devils’ tempts a mainly local crowd with trip-hop, house and electro.
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