Nice: the Promenade des Anglais, flower markets and the gateway to the Côte d'Azur

The Promenade des Anglais follows the Bay of Angels for about seven kilometres, with palm trees, the famous blue chairs and Belle Époque hotels such as the Negresco with its pink dome. The name comes from the English aristocrats who wintered here in the nineteenth century.

Walking, running, cycling or simply sitting in a blue chair looking at the sea are the Promenade's official activities. In the late afternoon, the light on the water is among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.

Nice's beaches are pebbles, which surprises those expecting sand. There are free public beaches and private beaches with sunbeds and restaurants. The water is an intense blue and, in summer, very inviting.

The old town, Vieux-Nice, is a maze of narrow streets with ochre, yellow and pink façades, laundry drying at windows, baroque churches and little squares. It feels very Italian, and not by chance: Nice only became French in 1860.

The Cours Saleya is the long market square. In the morning there are stalls of flowers, fruit, vegetables, spices and Provençal produce; on Mondays, antiques. In the evening the square fills with terraces and restaurants.

Try socca, a thin chickpea pancake baked in a wood oven, pissaladière with onions and anchovies, and pan bagnat, the salade niçoise sandwich. Simple, cheap and addictive street food.

Between Vieux-Nice and the port rises the Colline du Château, a hill once home to a castle destroyed in the eighteenth century. Today it's a park with paths, shade, an artificial waterfall and the city's best viewpoints.

You climb on foot by stairs, or by a free lift from near the Promenade. From the top you see the whole Bay of Angels on one side and the Lympia port with its colourful boats on the other.

In the late afternoon it's a perfect place to rest, and the photos of the bay from here are Nice's most famous.

Henri Matisse lived in Nice for decades, and the Matisse Museum, in an Italian villa in the Cimiez district, shows works from every period of his life. Next to it are Roman ruins and a monastery with gardens overlooking the city.

The Marc Chagall National Museum holds his series of large paintings inspired by the Bible, in a building designed for them, with stained glass and a Mediterranean garden. It's one of the most moving museums in the region.

There's also the modern and contemporary art museum and the Promenade du Paillon, a linear park with gardens and fountains in the city centre. Since 2021 Nice has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the winter resort town of the Riviera.

East of Nice, the coast road passes Villefranche-sur-Mer, a deep bay with colourful houses, and reaches Monaco in under half an hour, with the Monte-Carlo Casino, the Prince's Palace and a harbour full of yachts.

Èze is a medieval village perched on a rock above the sea, with stone streets, artists' shops and an exotic garden at the top with one of the most impressive views on the Côte d'Azur. Saint-Paul-de-Vence, inland, is another fortified village that drew artists.

To the west are Antibes and Cannes, with its film festival and the Croisette. A private tour lets you combine Èze, Monaco and Villefranche in a single day, with stops at the Corniche viewpoints.