Nice Information

The capital of the Riviera and the fifth largest city in France, the city is brash and bold and enormously popular. Nice was once the haunt of wealthy aristocrats, but these days the population is wildly varied. Nice is in the south-east of France, perched on the Mediterranean coast, halfway between Monaco and Cannes. Paris is 931km (581miles) away, while the Italian border is just 30km (18miles) away.

The port and the old town (perched on a hill known as Le Château) are in the city's southeast - a great quarter for sightseeing, restaurants and nightlife. In the northeast is the wealthy residential neighbourhood of Cimiez, which is home to some outstanding museums. The modern city stretches north and west of the central square, Place Masséna, behind the famous Promenade des Anglais. The promenade follows the crescent-shaped shoreline westwards from the port.

The medieval rabbit warren of the old town, the Italianate facades of modern Nice and the rich, exuberant, fin-de-siècle residences that made the city one of Europe's most fashionable winter retreats have all survived intact. It has also retained mementos from its ancient past, when the Romans ruled the region from here, and earlier still, when the Greeks founded the city. In addition, its bus and train connections make Nice by far the best base for visiting the rest of the Riviera.