Nice

Main sights

• Promenade des Anglais

  The seafront walk, wide, flat and busy from dawn to late evening; the blue chairs facing the sea are a local emblem.

• Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya

  The old town's main square hosts a flower and produce market most mornings and an antiques market on Mondays.

• Castle Hill (Colline du Château)

  Reached by stairs from the old town or the seafront, or by a free lift near the eastern end of the promenade. Views over the bay, the port and the rooftops.

• Place Masséna

  The city's main square, with red-ochre arcades, black-and-white paving and a tram line running across it.

• Cimiez

  A hillside district with Roman ruins, a monastery garden and the Matisse and Chagall museums.

• Port Lympia

  The old harbour east of Castle Hill, ringed by pastel buildings and quayside restaurants.

Neighbourhoods worth wandering

• Vieux Nice

  The old town: markets, baroque churches, socca stalls and the liveliest streets after dark.

• Carré d'Or and the Promenade

  The grand hotels and belle-époque apartment blocks of the seafront and the streets immediately behind it.

• Le Port

  Fishing harbour turned dining district; quieter than the old town and a good evening walk.

• Libération

  Everyday Nice around the large daily food market north of the station, reached in a few tram stops.

Best areas to explore on foot

1. The bay from end to end

   The full promenade from the airport end to the port is about seven kilometres of flat, traffic-free walking with the sea beside you.

2. Old town to Castle Hill to the port

   The classic half-day loop: market, lanes, the climb, the view, then down the far side to the harbour.

3. Coastal path to Villefranche

   From the port, a mostly paved path rounds the headland past Coco Beach towards Villefranche-sur-Mer; return by train or bus.

4. Cimiez

   A gentle uphill walk or short bus ride to Roman ruins, olive groves and two of the city's best museums.

Practical walking notes

• Terrain

  The seafront and the old town are flat. Castle Hill is about 90 metres high; the stairways are steep but short, and a free public lift avoids most of the climb. The districts north of the centre rise steadily towards the hills.

• Surfaces

  Smooth on the promenade, worn flagstones and some cobbles in the old town. The beach itself is pebble, not sand; walking on it is hard work.

• Sun and heat

  Nice is bright even in winter and hot from June to September. The promenade has little shade; carry water and walk the seafront early or in the evening in summer.

• Distances

  The centre is compact: the station to the old town is about 1.5 km, and the old town to the port about 1 km around or over the hill.

• Accessibility

  The promenade, Place Masséna and the main shopping streets are level. The old town's lanes are narrow and stepped in places, and Castle Hill without the lift is stairs only. The tram is fully accessible.

When to visit

• Spring (April–June)

  Warm, dry and not yet crowded; the best all-round season for walking.

• Summer (July–August)

  Hot and very busy, with beach crowds and peak prices. Early mornings on the promenade are still lovely.

• Autumn (September–October)

  Sea still warm, streets calmer, and the risk of heavy autumn rainstorms increases towards the end of October.

• Winter

  Mild by northern standards, with daytime temperatures often around 13°C. The Carnival in February is the main event.

Getting there and getting around

Arriving

• By air

  Nice Côte d'Azur airport sits at the western end of the bay and is France's third busiest. Tram line 2 runs from both terminals into the city centre in about 25 minutes.

• By rail

  Nice-Ville station is about 1.5 km from the seafront. TGVs from Paris take a little under six hours; regional trains connect Marseille, Cannes, Monaco and the Italian border.

Local transport

• Tram

  Three lines. Line 1 crosses the centre through Place Masséna; line 2 links the airport, the centre and the port. Tickets cover trams and buses.

• Buses

  Useful for Cimiez and for the coast road towards Villefranche and Monaco.

• On foot

  Most visitors never need transport within the centre; the tram is chiefly useful for the airport and for returning from the port on a hot afternoon.