Things to Do in French Riviera

The Casino de Monte-Carlo is a legendary gambling facility, known for the sublime location and Beaux Arts style architecture; it also contains an opera and ballet house, and was built in1893 by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera House. The paved marble 'atrium' is flanked by 28 onyx columns in the Ionic style, opening into the red and gold Opera Hall, in use for over 100 years for opera, concerts and ballets.

The series of "Gaming Rooms" each have their own unique atmosphere and decorations, while the casino itself is known for the exceptional diversity of its table games. Citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms, which are a model for the setting of the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale,

Salon Renaissance is one of the Casino's oldest rooms, a large vestibule at the entrance to the Salon de l'Europe, the first gaming room opened in 1865 with Moorish style decorations produced in Paris. Designed and built in 1903, the Salon Rose was intended for male and female gamblers who couldn’t refrain from smoking.

The Salle Blanche is designed as a conversation parlour, with chandeliers atop huge caryatids and "Belle Epoque" paintings. The Salons Prives are lined with natural leather and mahogany paneling; the Cabaret was built in 1910 as a chamber music room; and finally the Opera Hall, Salle Garnier designed and built by Charles Garnier in 1878, was hung with five paintings, including "L'Allegorie de la Danse."

The Massena Art & History Museum (or Musée Massena) reopened in 2008 after an extensive renovation taking 8 years! In an impressive Italianate neoclassical mansion fronting onto the Promenade des Anglais, it has 23 exhibition rooms and lush gardens. The focus of exhibits is the history of Nice which, considering the artists, writers and musicians who have lived in the area, is not nearly as dull as it sounds. 

The gardens are English-style and provide a welcome place of greenery to relax out of the glamorous bustle and sunshine of Nice. The villa was built between 1898 and 1901 by Andre Masséna who gave it to the people of Nice in 1917 when it became a museum of regional history.

A monumental square made up of Baroque architecture, the late 18th century Place Garibaldi lies at the eastern end of the Old Town of Nice. Recent renovation has revitalized the beauty of the buildings.

Place Garibaldi has shops, bars and cafes including Grand Café de Turin, famous for its seafood and a great place to dine al fresco and people watch. On the weekends the square fills with stall holders selling antiques and bric-a-bracs.

Many of the main streets of Nice cross the square: Avenue de la République, Boulevard Jean Jaurès, Rue Catherine Ségurane and the rue Cassini which leads to the old port. Tram No. 1 runs through Place Garibaldi and around the edge of the Old Town (Vieux Nice) and most of the square has now been pedestrianized.

The square has a majestic fountain in its center with a statue of Italian hero Giuseppe Garibaldi who was responsible for unifying Italy in the late 19th century. He had hoped that Nice would become part of Italy.

Le Suquet is the old quarter of Cannes perched on a hill overlooking the radiant French Riviera. The hill became the property of the Iles de Lerins monks in the 11th century, and a castle constructed by them in 1088 still exists today. It is a popular area for people to climb the winding cobbled roads and enjoy the local cafes, restaurants, and shops, located mostly on Rue St Antoine. The atmosphere is more casual and medieval than the glamorous heart of Cannes.

A clock tower and church are situated in Le Suquet, overlooking the peninsula and Cannes itself. At the base of Le Suquet on Rue Dr. P. Gayagnaire is the charming Marche Forville, where a market takes place in the mornings and early afternoon.

The Oceanographic Museum (Musee Oceanographique), directed for many years by legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, rises from the cliffs in a magnificent location above the Mediterranean.

Dedicated to marine science and oceanography, the museum boasts unique collections of marine fauna collected by Monaco's pioneering "Navigator Prince," Prince Albert I, along with a world famous aquarium and shark lagoon. Four thousand species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates can be seen swimming in the aquarium. Marine life in magnificent shapes and colors give a unique perspective of oceanic life, displaying the living beauty of the Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystems with an extraordinarily diverse coral reef.

Exhibitions and collections feature rare species of fish and sea fauna (starfish, jellyfish, seahorses, crabs, lobsters, turtles, eels, sea urchins and sea cucumbers,) and a great variety of oceanographic objects, including model ships, sea animal skeletons and sailing tools.

The Museum celebrated its 100th birthday in March 2010, and is open daily except for the day of the Formula One Grand Prix.

Nestled east of the hill park, Colline du Chateau, is Quai Lunel in Nice’s Old Port, a great place to wander and find a restaurant for lunch or dinner with a view.

The Old Port fills with yachts at any time of the year and is a great place to soak up the maritime atmosphere and Nice, both past and present. To head out from Nice port and out onto the water you may hop on one of the ferries which can transfer you to ports on Corsica: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Ile Rousse.

The area just west of the Quai Lunel, Quartier Segurane, is known for its antique shops and flea market, where you’re much more likely to find an authentic antique bargain than in the center of Nice Old Town.

To reach the Port of Nice from central Nice, walk around the waterfront on the balcony-style walkway or head through the Old Town to Place Garibaldi and along rue Cassini.

Rising above the port in Nice is Mont Boron, a green wilderness with great views over Nice and beyond.

From Mont Boron you can see over the port of Nice, Nice town and to Villefranche and Cap Ferrat. From this height you it’s easy to understand why this coastline is called the Cote d’Azur - the blue of the sea is simply amazing.

Since 1860, Mont Boron has been preserved as a nature retreat with trees native to the Mediterranean, including Holm Oak and Aleppo Pine. With 6 miles (11 km) of sign-posted trails, this has become a popular place for both locals and visitors to escape the narrow streets of the city and take in the fresh air. It's also good for mountain biking.  You can catch the bus (number 14) to the top of Mont Boron and then walk back down.

Nearby Mont Albon has a 16th century military fort perched 720 feet (220m) above the sea. From here you get 360-degree views of the surrounding coastline and the Alpes-Maritimes.