Things to see and do Nice

Built between the 20s and 30s, this church has an amazing architecture. Its reinforced concrete structure, new building material at the time, permitted architects to imagine a futuristic framework, influenced by Art Nouveau in vogue at the time. This Catholic Church, classified as a historic monument since 1992 has three large ovoid and eight smaller domes, based on four pillars and a slender tower of 64 meters high. The interior painting of Eugene Klementtief was inspired by Cubism but also Russian icons while the windows give the structure an oriental touch.

Located on the seaside, the place was built on the Paillon bed in 1863, making it the oldest park in the city. In the heart of the garden, between palm trees, winding alleys and lawns, the music booth dating back to 1868 is another time. Formerly known as Jardin Paradis, Jardin des Plantes, Jardin Masséna and Jardin des Palmiers, the park takes the definitive name of Jardin Albert Ier in 1914. In the past few years, the site has been hosting numerous events such as the Festival of Books or the Festival du Jazz and many artists are taking place at the stage of the Greenery Theater. In the center of the garden, a monumental sculpture of the artist Niçois Bernard Venet invites the walkway to contemplation while the youngest enjoy the old carousel and its wooden horses.

Guaranteed childish and family atmosphere! This amusement park of 34,000 m² is dedicated to the pleasures of children with many activities: mini-golf, large pond, small train, deer park, ponds, wooden huts and giant chess. Botany lovers will appreciate the very diverse flora present on the site with particular attention to the palm trees. A very pleasant place for families, providing a good escape in the shade when the sun of the beach is too hot.

Until the th century, Nice had no port: it was dug at the initiative of King Charles-Emmanuel III in Lympia Cove, to the east of the hill hill, where there is so far an important marsh zone. The work began in 1749 thanks to the military engineer Antonio-Felice Devincenti (from Turin, 1690-1778) who expands and deepens the marshy lake. Opened for navigation in November 1751, it will be a small shelter for almost a hundred years to reach its final dimensions around 1880, when it tînt an important role in the export of local products. At this same time, many painters of passage to Nice, croquèrent, designed and peignirent in all the seams: Ernest Louis Carelli (1848-1925), Gabriel Carelli (1821-1900) and Charles Martin-Sauvaigo (1881-1970), with their fishing scenes and their accents represented in vibrating tones. Between the 1940 s and 1970 s, several improvements allowed it to host larger vessels, improving also links with Corsica. In the vicinity you will notice the Place de l'Île-de-Beauté, bordered by buildings with porticos red facades fortified with bas-reliefs and balconies, and the church Notre-Dame du Port completed in 1853 and built by the architect Jules Febvre, which is itself framed by the houses Pius-Astraudo and Honoré Malbequi, respectively from 1844-50 and 1885-90. Cassini Street in the north-west offers a very valuable concentration of antique dealers for those interested in paintings, trinkets or beautiful antique furniture. Today, the port of Nice is France's first cement port, in conjunction with the galets treatment plants of the Paillon valley. As a second cruise port in France, more than 500 000 passengers per year embark on a journey to Corsica. It has a fishing-related economic activity and hosts a significant number of boaters. From 1 June to 30 September, it is possible to take walks at sea from the port Lympia and discover the promenade of the English and the Baie des Anges as a whole.

The naive art museum settled in the Château Sainte-Hélène de Fabron in 1982, ancient house of the perfumer François Coty. This site owes its existence to the donation of arts critics Anatole and Renée Jakovsky who gave him their name. It shows works unique in the world tracing the history of from the 17th century to nowadays: South America, Haiti, Croatia, Central Europe, Europe… Three themes feature the permanent collections: the city in the countryside; fables and popular tales and the history of naive art. You will find the works, sculptures, posters and drawings of more or less famous artists such as Rabuzin, Bauchant, Party, Ivan and Josip Généralic, Grandma Moses, O'Brady, Haddelsey, Rimbert, Vivin, Séraphine, Lefranc, Vivancos….

This hotel is the most luxurious and best preserved witness of the baroque residences of the nobility and bourgeoisie. Property of the Comtes Lascaris-Vintimille, it was built at the end of the sixteenth century by Jean-Paul Lascaris de Castellar, great master of the order of the Knights of Malta with the help of his nephew Jean-Baptiste. In Genois style, this building is built around two inner courtyards. A very beautiful staircase, real well of light, gives access to the first floor where the weapons of the Lascaris are proudly trashed: a bicephal eagle adorned with a cross of Malta. Original paintings date from the seventeenth century while baroque elements were added in the eighteenth century. The apartments are decorated with vaulted vaults and the ceilings are decorated with frescoes with mythological subjects, including a magnificent Phaéton Fall. During your visit, do not miss the furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Flemish tapestries, the apothicecerie founded in 1738 of roquaille style, the complete collection of vases, violes and chevettes as well as the regional collections of art and popular traditions. In 1942, the City of Nice bought the building: fully restored and classified as Historic Monument in 1946, the Lascaris Palace became the Musée de la Musique de Nice and the second of France by the importance of its collection, which gathered around 500 old European pieces from the saqueboute of Schnitzer (1581) to Grafton saxophone (1960). This collection also features many instruments manufactured before 1800: Baroque guitars, luths, violes and Denner's scarcity flute.

Located on Cimiez hill, these arenas are classified Historical Monument. Real open-air archaeological museum, they form an enclosure of 67 by 56 meters and is one of the smallest known Roman amphitheaters in France. Built by the Romans in the first century BC the "Cemelenum arenas" were the scene of many events: gladiator fights, games and other great shows held there regularly in the pure traditions of the Roman Empire. Today, with a capacity that is estimated around 5,000 spectators, they have a beautiful setting to host some Nice cultural and folkloric events. Just next door, the park with the same name is an ideal place for a picnic in the middle of olive trees, close to the Matisse Museum and the Archaeological Museum.

Place Saint-François is named after the Franciscan monastery (13th century), abandoned and demolished during the Revolution. Only a small part of the cloister is left from the Minor Saint-François convent. The clock tower, recently restored, dominates the lively square that host the famous fish market around a small fountain with dolphins from Tuesday to Sunday. The Municipal Palace (former Town Hall), still present and in Turin baroque style, dates from the 16th century: restored several times and classified as a Historical Monument since 1949, it is one of the few public buildings of the old town in baroque style and has housed the Labour Exchange since 1893.

On the front, on the lower cornice of the triangular pediment mounted by the architect Antoine Spinelli, is inscribed Societas sanctissimi Sepulcri, which can be translated as Société du Très-Saint-Sépulcre, the official name of the Blue Penitents. It is to this brotherhood founded in 1431 that this building dedicated today to the Italian Catholic Mission belongs. Its construction has continued through the centuries: the nave in the 15th century, the choir with its beautiful baroque decoration in the 18th century and the last finishing touches in the 19th century. Inside, the decoration comes from various origins. The paintings are dated from different periods while the ceilings are from the 19th century. Legend has it that a young monk named Martin Luther, who was in Nice, celebrated a mass there.

Sort of Nissarde Joan of Arc, Catherine Segurane is a real hero in the city. This monuments build in her honour in 1923 symbolizes the strength of Nice. According to legend, this Madone du Secours, having just washerwoman's simple battledore, repelled the assault of the Turks of August 15th, 1543: as they climbed on their ladders to attack the high walls of the castle, she hurled a blow to the first aggressors and seized his banner thereby precipitating him to the foot of the wall.