Nice was the last stop on my press tour of the French Riviera on behalf of its tourist office . While in the other places I traveled I had no autonomy in choosing the places I would visit, in Nice each of the journalists and influencers was given a few free hours.
I decided to “invest” my hours in the old town of Nice, and it’s no surprise, as anyone who knows me knows that I’m drawn to historical places. Luxury stores or “just” a beach don’t make much of an impression on me, but just give me cathedrals, palaces, and ancient alleys, and I start to blossom.
The itinerary shown here is the result of that visit, where I was able to travel wherever my feet took me. Since I had limited time, I may not have had time to see and experience everything, but I believe that this itinerary can, at the very least, be a good starting point for getting to know Nice.
The tour through the alleys, markets, boutiques, and churches definitely left me wanting more, and I hope I can return to Nice in the coming years (and this time in winter), to discover other important areas like the Promenade des Anglais.
The history of Nice
Before you start walking through the alleys of Old Nice, let me recommend that you read the article The History of Nice , which will give you quite a bit of insight into what you will see and what you will eat (hint: if you feel like you are somewhere in Italy, it is no coincidence).
After you've finished reading this article, we can get started!
Tour of the Old Town of Nice
The old town of Nice began to be built in the 13th century at the bottom of the hill where a castle once stood, protecting the city. Almost nothing remains of the medieval buildings, and what you will see during the tour is mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries.
To start the trip, you need to get to Place Masséna. You can do this by taking buses 11,37, 57, and 1 or by taking the LXNUMX light rail line.
Massena Square
This square is named after André Masséna (1758-1817), one of Napoleon's famous generals, who was born in Nice. It was built during the 40s. The square forms a sort of border between the Promenade des Anglais and the old town, and if you look around at its red buildings, you will feel for a moment as if you have landed in an Italian city.
In this square you will find two important monuments. The first is the seven statues by Jaume Plensa, a very famous Spanish sculptor, whose statue of the Wanderer I wrote about in my Antibes itinerary . These statues are illuminated at night, so it is definitely worth coming to the square even after sunset, and they symbolize the different continents.
On the other side of the square you will find the Fountain of the Sun (La fontaine du soleil). It is the work of the sculptor Alfred Janniot, whose works can be found, among others, in the Luxembourg Palace in the Luxembourg Gardens and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Although the fountain looks ancient, you will be surprised to know that it was built in 1956.
In the center of the fountain is a marble statue of Apollo, about 7 meters high, and around it are bronze statues representing the earth, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn. After you have finished admiring the fountain and the square, you are welcome to continue on Rue Jacques Médecin, to enter the old town of Nice.
Nice Opera
At the end of the street, turn right onto Rue Saint-François de Paule and continue straight ahead. At number 24 you will find the Hôtel Nice Beau Rivage , once home to Chekhov, Nietzsche and Matisse. Today it is a 4-star hotel, whose main strength is its great location.
Retrace your steps and go to number 5, where you will find the Nice City Hall building, which used to house the hospital named after Saint Roch, who is both the patron saint of bachelors and the saint to whom people pray during a pandemic (I wonder if there is a connection between the two). Right across the street, at number 14, you will find Alziari, one of Nice's famous olive oil shops (in case you wanted to bring some fine olive oil back to your country).
At number 9 you will find the Dominican Monastery of Nice, with its Baroque church, which is definitely worth a look. Continue on to buildings number 4-6. There you will find the Nice Opera, built in 1884. Right opposite you will find the Auer shop, which has been selling chocolates and candied fruits since 1820.
Nice's market street (Cours Saleya)
At the end of Rue Saint-François de Paule you will find Cours Saleya, home to Nice's famous food market, frequented by many of the region's most famous chefs. I was very impressed with the market's culinary offerings, both in terms of quality and selection.
Here you will find fruits, vegetables, olives, tapenade, anchovies, socca, which is a type of pastry made from chickpea flour, and pan bagnat, which is essentially a sandwich containing the ingredients of a Niçoise salad.
At the end of the market you will find a yellow building. It is where Matisse lived in 1917 and some say that it is where his love story with Nice began, while he looked out over the sea and enjoyed the beautiful colors of Nice during the winter.
If you would like to read more about Matisse's visit to Nice, you are invited to read Dr. Orna Lieberman's article Henri Matisse: Algeria, Spain, Morocco, Nice.
Opening hours of the food market at Cours Saleya
Wednesday-Saturday 06:30-18:30
Sunday: 06: 30-13: 30
Monday: Closed
Place Pierre Gautier
After visiting the market, you are invited to go to Place Pierre Gautier, where you will find a kind of continuation of the market on Cours Saleya. Here you will find the Palais préfectoral de Nice, built between the 16th and 19th centuries, first for the Dukes of Savoy and later for the Kings of Sardinia (all from the same family).
The current façade was built by King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia (Victor-Emmanuel 1759-1824), who expanded the relatively modest palace and turned it into a royal residence. Here, in this palace, in 1860, the agreement was signed that transferred Nice from the kings of Sardinia (future kings of Italy) to the French Empire. The offices of the administration of the Alpes Maritimes region are located here.
Not far from there you can find the Chapel of Mercy (Chapelle de la Miséricorde), and some say it is the most beautiful chapel in Nice. Unfortunately, it was closed when I was there (it is only open on Tuesdays between 14:30 PM and 17:00 PM), so I don't have the opportunity to bring photos from there. Hopefully I will be able to go there on my next visit to Nice. In the meantime, you are welcome to listen to the chapel's organ.
Saint's Palace
Return to Cours Saleya and walk to its eastern end (where the house where Matisse lived, which I wrote about earlier, is located). Go left and there you will find the old Senate building (Sénat de Nice). This is a Baroque building built in 1614 by the Duke of Savoy Charles-Emmanuel I (1-1562) and where the affairs of the Countship of Nice were discussed until its conquest by the French in 1630. The Senate resumed its function as a court after the end of Napoleon's reign and continued to function until 1798.
Not far away I saw a toy store that sells Vespas for two-year-olds. I know a kid who would really enjoy riding one of these and I would be very happy to buy one for him, but how the hell do you fit one in a suitcase?!
Saint Rita Church (Église Sainte Rita)
From the Sainte-Marie Palace, continue walking along Rue Jules Gilly, turn left onto Rue Barillerie and then right onto Rue de la Poissonnerie. There you will find the Church of Sainte-Rita, one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Nice. Don't let the relatively dull facade fool you. Step inside and you will discover a church with 6 chapels and a wealth of statues, paintings, carved columns and more.
From what I was told at the Nice Tourist Office, this is a less touristy church (unlike the cathedral, which we'll get to later) and is very popular with the city's residents who come to light candles there in honor of Saint Rita, the patron saint of lost causes (maybe someone there will light a candle there in honor of my failed diet attempts?).
Saint-Réparate Cathedral
After visiting the Church of Sainte Rita, it’s time for the “main course,” when it comes to churches. Head to Place du Rossetti, the main square of Old Nice, where you’ll find the Cathedral of Sainte-Rapparté.
Raprata was a martyred saint who lived during the third century AD in Caesarea, and later became the patron saint of Nice. Legend has it that her body came here directly from the Land of Israel in a ship piloted by a pair of angels, which is why the Bay of Nice is still called the “Baie des Anges” (Bay of Angels).
The cathedral you see today was built, for the most part, during the second half of the 17th century, but it also has elements from the 19th and even 20th centuries. Inside you will discover a great artistic richness, as you would expect from an Italian church (anyone who has read the article on the history of Nice knows that for most of its time it belonged to the House of Savoy). I recommend taking the time to go from chapel to chapel to enjoy the abundance of works of art there (and don't forget to look up at the ceiling, of course).
When you leave the cathedral, two culinary attractions await you. The first attraction is Lu Fran Calin, an excellent restaurant that serves completely authentic Nice cuisine. I ate there in July 2023 and enjoyed not only the dishes that are all handmade (including the gnocchi), but also excellent and friendly service. You can read about this restaurant and other recommended restaurants in an article about recommended restaurants in Nice.
If you want dessert, don't miss Fenochio Ice Cream Parlor, which can be found not far away. The fame of the ice cream came not only due to its quality, but also due to the crazy selection of flavors you'll find there (no less than 90 flavors). Will you settle for chocolate ice cream with vanilla or will you be more adventurous and go for an avocado ice cream scoop and a lavender ice cream scoop? Write to me in the comments, I'm curious to hear.
Link to the ice cream parlor website
Palais Lascaris
The last place in Old Nice that I would like to take you to on this trip is the Palace of Lascaris. I came across it almost by accident while wandering the alleys of the old town of Nice. What caught my attention was the name “Lascaris”, where does it sound familiar to me?
Then I remembered, Giovanni Paolo Lascaris (1560-1657) was the head of the Order of the Knights of Malta, who, during his long life, managed to build a series of towers along the coast of Malta , named after him, and their purpose was to ensure that no Turkish fleet would arrive on the island by surprise.
Since the name intrigued me enough, I entered the building and discovered, by chance, one of the most impressive Baroque buildings in Nice, open to the public. If you take my advice and visit there, you will discover not only artistic treasures but also the portraits of the Lascaris-Ventimille family, of which Giovanni Paolo was just one of the magnificent sons. Along with all this, you will also discover a collection of musical instruments from the 18th and 19th centuries, which certainly impressed me.
This is a “bite museum,” meaning a museum that will take you less than an hour to explore, and I highly recommend setting aside that hour to visit it.
And here, in this museum, I leave you to start walking on your own, because with all due respect to the churches and museums, there is nothing more fun than walking alone at leisure through the streets of Nice's old town, entering the various boutiques there, and feeling the charm of the city.
More on the subject
Hey deer
As always, it's a pleasure to read you, just a small correction, the Kor Seliya food market closes at noon, by two there are almost no stalls, after that only the restaurants are open.