The Cours Saleya
The bustling Cours Saleya (flower market) used to be the elegant promenade of Old Nice and is now lined with shops and restaurants of which many serve traditional Nicoise fayre.
It is situated parallel to the Quai des Etats Unis and so is just steps from the beach.
The flower and local produce market is held daily, with antiques on a Monday, and it is one of the main visitor attractions of Old Nice.
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Beaches
The beach is just the other side of the flower market and comprises both the public beach and several private beach clubs for which you can pay a daily entrance fee (see Useful Contact Information link on the homepage).
The Baie des Anges covers a 5km stretch of coastline with many public beaches benefiting from close surveillance. There are an additional 15 private beaches, providing all manner of watersports.
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Promenade des Anglais
This famous seaside road is just a few minutes' walk away. It is always elegantly decorated with flowers and follows the harmonious curve of the Baie des Anges.
Originally a footpath no more than 6 feet wide, it was widened by an Englishman, Reverend Lewis Way, at his own expense in 1820 and the local population soon dubbed it 'Chemin des Anglais'. In 1931, when it was given its final form with two roadways separated by a central reservation planted with palm trees, the 'Prom' was inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught, one of Queen Victoria's sons.
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The Port
The Port is a five to ten-minute stroll from the Old Town and is a beautiful place to
visit. The houses and buildings that surround it are embellished with porticoes and colourful facades and the port itself is host to fishing boats, yachts and luxury cruise liners amongst others.
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Fish Market - Place St-Francois
The daily fish market is held in the mornings around the fountain in Place St-Francois. On the right-hand side of the Square is the classical facade of the former town hall.
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Flea Market - Place Robilante
The flea market is held between Tuesdays and Saturdays in Place Robilante and is well worth
a visit.
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Vintimiglia Market - Italy (just across the border)
This huge, colourful market is open every Friday, year-round. Besides fashion, you will also find food, plants, flowers and many unusual items.
Vintimiglia is an easy train journey from Nice, at around 26 miles/42 kilometres.
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Chapelle de l'Annonciation - Rue de la Poissonnerie
The chapel is situated just behind the flower market and is known locally as the Chapelle Ste-Rita, for the patron saint of desperate causes canonized in 1900. The interior is a lavish and sumptuous illustration of local Baroque decoration.
The view of the chapel to the left is taken from the balcony of property ID#1.
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Adam & Eve House - Rue de la Poissonnerie
One of the few remaining examples of the decorated facades of Old Nice, this bas-relief, dated 1584, shows Adam and Eve naked in the Garden of Eden, threatening each other with clubs. Perpendicular to the Cours Saleya, the facade of this house is famous for this mural.
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Chateau Hill - Quai des Etats-Unis
The site of the first town founded by the ancient Greeks, then the first mediaeval town, today's Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau) has preserved only a few foundations and fragments of walls. However, this park and botanical garden offers unique vistas over Nice and it's surroundings with a magnificent waterfall, remains of the former 11th-century Cathedral and walkways paved with colourful 20th-century mosaics. Access is by lift at the Cours Saleya or on foot along Rue Rosetti.
The view of the chapel to the left is taken from the balcony of property ID#1.
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Opera - 4 /6 Rue Saint-Francois-de-Paule
Nice Opera House is located in the Old Town, a few minute's walk from the apartment and is a stunning building. The Opera de Nice puts on no less than 7 operas and 15 concerts per year!
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Le Palais de la Mediterranee - 11 Promenade des Anglais
A temple to gambling and the arts in the Interwar years, in 1927, the year of its construction, it became the world's most grandiose casino. Closed in 1978, it was not until 2004, after three years of works, that life was re-instilled in the legend with its Art Deco architecture, thanks to a private developer who refurbished the interior of the building while preserving the sumptuous facade, a listed historic building. Today, it is recognised as one of the world's finest hotels and has obtained a 5th Michelin star.
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Casinos
Casino Ruhl - 1 Promenade des Anglais
The largest selection of slot machines on the French Riviera, a sumptuous gaming room as well as two restaurants, two bars and an auditorium with concerts, one man shows, theme soirees and fashion shows.
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Casino du Palais de la Mediterranee - 15 Promenade des Anglais
200 slot machines, four poker, two English Roulette and two Black Jack tables, two restaurants, a concert hall with a capacity of 1,000 people.
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Museums
Nice, and particularly Old Nice, is home to several museums including the Matisse Museum (below), Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Natural History Museum, Archaeological Museum, Museum of Asiatic Art and the Franciscan Museum to name but a few.
See the Useful Contact Information link on the homepage for further information.
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Palaces
Palais Lascaris - Rue Droite
Hidden in the heart of the Old Town, in Rue Droite, Palais Lascaris is a Genoese-style palace filled with fine antiques, Baroque art and 12th and 13th Century furniture. Palais Lascaris also operates tours of the Old Town, lasting approximately an hour and a half and costing just 3 Euros. Tours take place on Thursdays and Sundays at 3pm.
Prefecture Palace - 1 Place du Palais de Justice
The palace of the Dukes of Savoy in the 17th Century, a hospital during the French Revolution and the Prefecture when Nice became French in 1860, this building has been renovated several times. Today, after having had different functions, the Palais de la Prefecture is the home of the Prefet of the Alpes-Maritimes department and remains an essential landmark in Old Nice.
The apartment building itself is a former palace and the communal interior hallways and sweeping staircases are stunning with intricate detailing on the high ceiling of the main hallway.
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Gardens
There are many beautiful gardens and parks to visit in and around Nice, displaying a varied and vibrant mix of flora and fauna. In particular, the Jardin Albert 1er (1 Promenade des Anglais) is Nice's oldest garden and is an oasis of greenery spanning over 2km from the seafront to the hills.
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Nice Centre
A five to ten-minute walk will take you to the main shopping district (and Nice Etoile shopping centre) in Nice with both high-street style department stores and high-end boutiques such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton etc..
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Skiing
There are many ski resorts within an easy distance of Nice. Valberg and
Isola 2000 resorts are only an hour and a half's drive away.
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The Nice Carnival is famous and includes processions, fireworks, masked balls, floral processions and battles involving showers of confetti and flowers! The carnival tradition dates back as far as 1294 when the Count of Provence, Charles II visited Nice. The festivities commence around Shrove Tuesday and last for a fortnight. It takes place in February.
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The Jazz Festival and Festival of Folk Traditions are held in July. The Jazz Festival is held in the former Roman amphitheatre and is patronised by leading performers from around the world. There are also many other festivals throughout the summer, celebrating a wealth of different types of music.
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The Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival are both held in May
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