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Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera

Nice · France

Background

World Heritage since
2021
Type of site
Cultural
Winter resort era
1760s–1930s

Nice reflects the development of a city devoted to winter tourism, making the most of its mild climate and its setting between sea and mountains. From the mid-18th century, UNESCO says, growing numbers of aristocratic and upper-class families, mainly British, spent their winters here; in 1832 the city set up the Consiglio d'Ornato to plan a city attractive to foreigners, and the modest coastal path of 1824 became the Promenade des Anglais.

After Nice was ceded to France in 1860 and joined to the rail network, winter visitors from every country flocked in and new districts grew beyond the medieval old town. Queen Victoria and Edward VII were among them, and Matisse spent many years painting here.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. c. 350 BCGreeks from Marseille found Nikaia
  2. 1824British winter visitors lay out a coastal path
  3. 1832The Consiglio d'Ornato draws up the city plan
  4. 1860Nice is ceded to France
  5. 1931The refurbished Promenade des Anglais is inaugurated
  6. 2021Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Promenade des Anglais
    The 5-km seafront walk; Wikivoyage calls its views the greatest thing to see in Nice.
  2. 2
    Vieux Nice
    The maze of the old town and the Cours Saleya flower market.
  3. 3
    Castle Hill
    The park 90 m above the Baie des Anges, with a lift most of the way up.
  4. 4
    Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate
    The Baroque cathedral in the heart of the old town.
  5. 5
    Cimiez
    The hill of Roman ruins and the Matisse and Chagall museums.
  6. 6
    Port Lympia
    The painted harbour and the coast path to Coco Beach.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Tram from the Airport
The tram connects both terminals to the city.
Stony Beaches
Wikivoyage: the public beaches are large flat stones; bring sandals and a cushion.
Castle Hill Closes at Sunset
Expect to be escorted out of the park after dark.
Basic Precautions
Crime is comparable to other western cities; military patrols are common on the promenade.

Old Town, Hill and Promenade

From the GoGo Nice guide · Open the Nice Guide ›

  1. 09:00
    Cours Saleya Market and Socca1 hr
    The flower market.
  2. 10:15
    Old Nice Lanes75 min
    The Baroque old town.
  3. 11:45
    Colline du Château View1 hr
    The waterfall and the bay.
  4. 15:00
    Promenade des Anglais90 min
    The blue chairs along the bay.
  5. 19:00
    Rosé on the Beach1 hr
    Sunset on the bay.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: May–Oct.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Nov (123 mm), driest Jul (17 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Monaco and Èze are a short train ride east; Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Antibes and Cannes lie to the west.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1635 · Wikipedia: Nice · Wikivoyage: Nice (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Nice guide · UNESCO listing