Nice – The Queen of the Blue Coast

Nice is considered the queen of the Blue Coast, the pearl of the Côte d’Azur: joie de vivre, culture and pleasure are very important here. Provence’s second largest city casts a spell over visitors with its elegance, baroque atmosphere of the Old Town and a fascinating light that once inspired famous painters’ masterpieces, such as those of Matisse and Chagall. There is a high density of museums and art galleries. You can stroll for hours along the chic Promenade des Anglais, enjoy the marvellous view over the azure sea from the Colline du Château and buy the most beautiful flowers at the Cours Saleya Market.

As the heart of the Côte d’Azur, Nice is an ideal starting point for excursions along the French Riviera to places such as Menton, Monaco and Cannes. This is the perfect place if you want to combine a city trip with a beach holiday. The sea is ever-present, there are more than 300 days of sunshine a year and fantastic beaches, such as those in Villefranche-sur-Mer and Juan-les-Pins, are just around the corner. 

The Côte d’Azur is a place of longing: the mild climate, deep blue water, Mediterranean atmosphere and spellbinding sunlight have always attracted artists, travellers and France fans to the southern French coastline between Cassis and the Italian border. Nice works wonderfully as a base from which you can visit places such as glamorous Cannes, the wealthy city-state of Monaco, the medieval perfume capital of Grasse or the colourful, somewhat quieter Menton. In addition to the more popular coastal towns, the pretty mountain villages and the hinterland of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region are particularly worth visiting. There are great horse riding, hiking and mountain biking options here for active tourists.

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