Things to Do in Nice

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Musée National Marc Chagall houses the largest public collection of of the Russian-born artist's seminal paintings of Old Testament scenes. Be sure to peek through a plate-glass window across a reflecting pond to view a mosaic of the rose window at Metz Cathedral. Chagall (1887 – 1985) is buried in St-Paul de Vence, a town not far from Nice.

The main hall contains 12 huge interpretations (1954 - 67) of stories from Genesis and Exodus. In an antechamber, an unusual mosaic of Elijah in his fiery chariot, surrounded by signs of the zodiac, is viewed through a plate-glass window and reflected in a small pond. Five paintings based on the Song of Songs (1960s) form the most startling series, an explosion of passionate red (in contrast to the sea greens, deep purples and blues of the main room) dedicated to his wife Vava.

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.