I love France. After years of traveling, Paris is still my favorite city. I’ll get to that another day; today my blog is going to focus on Nice. Why? Well because Nice is really nice. OK, I know, too cheesy. But it is, it’s beautiful, it’s charming, it’s sunny and warm most of the year, what’s not to love?

A number of years ago I had the chance to visit Nice with a friend as part of an aforementioned European backpacking trip we took after university (see my post on London for another stop on this trip). We spent three days in the city, following some time in Barcelona and on our way to Italy. While three days hardly seems like enough time to see this city, we made the most of our days and took time to take in the sights.

Nice is a quieter city, especially when you are comparing it to Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon or Madrid, where we had already spent some time. It feels like a vacation town to some extent, and given that we were visiting in mid-October, the city was certainly much quieter than it would have been during peak holiday season. We were thankful for this as we sat on the beach for a morning with only a handful of other people hanging about.

Here are some highlights and recommendations.

Check out the beach. This might seem like a given, but just in case I’ll put it first. The beaches in nice are quite unique in that they are not sandy, but stone beaches. The beaches are covered in smooth, flat stones or pebbles (“gallets”). It was a bit too cold to swim when we were there, but still worth it to spend a morning sitting in the sun with some baguette, cheese and fruit.

Walk around the city. If you have read my other posts, you know by now that this is my favorite activity, and in my view, the best way to get to know a city. Spend your time in old town and the central shopping areas. You’ll likely stumble across some lovely markets with flowers, produce and homemade goods. The Cours Saleya is perhaps the largest of the markets and on Monday’s features a wide selection of antiques as well. You’ll also see some lovely monuments and historic buildings scattered throughout old town and along the waterfront.

Visit the Cemetery Colline du Château. This is something else I always find interesting about visiting a historic city; walking around a cemetery. OK, so this might sound morbid, but if you have ever seen a cemetery in France (the most famous is perhaps the Père-Lachaise in Paris), or in other parts of Europe, or Central/South America, you’ll know what I mean. This cemetery was full of stunning sculpture, raised tombstones and elaborate engravings. On top of that, the view of the city from this sight is breathtaking. Be sure to check out the nearby Roman ruins as well.

Visit one (or both) of these museums: Musee Chagall and Musee Matisse. I must admit, we missed these, as on our planned day to visit we found both the museums were closed. As an admirer of both of these artists I was very disappointed. Sometimes timing doesn’t always work out, but hey, the way I see it – I’ll just have to go back.

Take a day and head over to Monaco. You can catch a public transit bus from Nice to Monaco; it’ll cost a couple of Euros and take you about 45 minutes. You won’t even notice the time as you’ll be too busy taking in the view of the coastline along the way. You can spend your time in Monaco wandering around, perhaps visiting the casino, and if you have the funds, doing some high end shopping. Not worth more than a day’s visit in my opinion, but still interesting to this tiny principality and the high end lifestyle of it’s wealthy residents.

All in all, Nice is a great place to spend a few days. This city offers a different view or France than what you will get in Paris. A little laid back? Perhaps. Catering to the wealthy tourist? In many ways yes. But with all the charm (not to mention the food and the wine!) that the French are famous for.

What to read?

For Context.

The Rise and Rise of the Cotes d’Azur by Jim Ring

More than just Nice, this book offers a glimpse into the history of this popular region of France. Highlighting the creative minds that flocked to the region in the past, and the celebrities that still do to this day, Ring offers a detailed account of how Nice and neighboring cities (such as Cannes) have developed over time from the introduction of rail, to the influx of English tourism.

For Fun.

Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway

Ah, Hemingway. In my mind he’s one of the most prolific writers and most engaging storytellers of all time. This is a lesser-known novel, one that he worked on for more than 15 years, but was not published until long after his death. It tells a story of young love, newlyweds who set off on a trip to Spain and wind up spending weeks in the south of France. Their daily activities include swimming naked in the ocean, drinking cocktails, writing, shopping, drinking wine, eating French food, and then repeating. For weeks. Pretty idealistic, right? While Hemingway’s writing may make you want to quit your job, hop on a plane and do the same, rest assured, the story gets complicated when the introduction of a new young women brings trouble in Paradise. Passionate and at times strange, if you are lover of Hemingway, you’ll want to check this one out.