Public toilets in Nice

It’s not the most exciting topic to read about, but you’ll be happy to know where the public toilets in Nice are if you’re walking around all day. Unlike most places in the United States and a lot of other countries, public toilets are usually not free in France. Some department stores and electronic stores […]

Trompe-l'oeil (optical illusion) art works in Nice, France

Located in the heart of the French Riviera, Nice has a lot going for it. Warm, sunny summers; short, mild winters; two world-class art galleries; great food; and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Tens of thousands of tourists come each year, but most don’t even notice that some of the most impressive works of art are […]

Nice links

The following information about Nice should prove useful as you explore France’s fifth largest city. If there is any additional information you think we should add, please let us know via the COMMENT form at the bottom of the page. Weather Click for weather forecast Emergency Services Dial 112 if you are in urgent need […]

Best places to sunbathe and swim in Nice

With summer upon us, it seemed like a good time to put together this insider’s guide to the 4 best places to sunbathe and swim in Nice. It contains current and detailed information about my favorite places to cool off and mellow out during the warmer months. As a city spread out along the Mediterranean, […]

best food in Nice

If you’re looking for the best food in Nice France, you have an abundance of great places to choose from. On both sides of Castle Hill, you’ll find a wide variety of excellent restaurants, cafes, boulangeries, and patisseries providing delicious meals and drinks at all price points. The following list aims to narrow down the […]

Nice airport airlines

If you need to find out which airlines fly into and out of Nice Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, do so before heading to the airport. That’s because the names of the airlines are not displayed anywhere on the approach roads to each terminal. As a result, if you don’t know which terminal you […]

Skiing near Nice at Isola 2000

Despite it’s location on the French Riviera, it’s possible to go snow skiing near Nice during the winter. One of the most accessible ski fields is Isola 2000, 60 miles north of the city. Set in a high valley inside Mercantour National Park, the ski field gets its name from its altitude (2000 meters/6560 feet) […]

Statue called Femme voilée – Le Silence (Veiled woman – Silence), by Luigi Gugliemi in the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nice.

My favorite piece in the entire Musee des Beaux-Arts museum in Nice is on the ground floor in the sculpture gallery. Near the window, you’ll find the statue Femme voilée – Le Silence (Veiled woman – Silence) by Luigi Gugliemi. What makes this work so strikingly beautiful is the seemingly wispy, gossamer veil covering the woman’s […]

Musee des Beaux-Arts

The Musee des Beaux-Arts is one of the smaller art museums in Nice, but it’s one of my favorites. Because it’s somewhat isolated and competes with the world-famous Chagall and Matisse museums, it’s never crowded. That’s everyone else’s loss as far as I’m concerned. What they’re missing is a number of truly beautiful works of art, some […]

Nice Airport Information

As someone who lived in Nice and frequently traveled into and out of the airport, I thought it would be helpful to provide Nice airport information that is current, accurate, and useful for arriving visitors. The details that appear below are correct as of June 30, 2019. Overview This blog post covers the following: Bureaucratic […]

wifi cafes in nice

If you’re looking for wifi cafes in Nice, you’ll have a lot of options to choose from. This is a technologically advanced country with reliable, fast internet available almost everywhere. It’s also a country where the act of grabbing a cup of coffee is practically an art form. So it’s not just a matter of […]

L'homme de Pierre statue

L’homme de Pierre (Stone Man) statue in the courtyard of the Chapelle-Saint-Elme in Villefranche-sur-mer. Created by artist Max Cartier, it is one of a number of stone men statues created in the late 1980s. Visitors who fly into Nice will have seen a similar statue, Le Voyageur (The Traveler), in the roundabout between Terminal 1 […]

Villefranche-sur-mer Naval Flower Battle

The Villefranche-sur-mer Naval Flower Battle is one of those quirky small-town festivals that most tourists hope to run across. Usually held the first Monday after the start of the three-week Nice Carnival celebration, the action is centered on the seafront of the tiny town of Villefranche-sur-mer (population 5,500) a couple of miles east of Nice. […]

walking tour of public art

The purpose of this walking tour of public art in Nice is to introduce you to some of the more interesting artworks on display in town. With the exception of the stairs at the beginning and end, the tour takes place on level ground. The entire tour can be completed in about an hour, but […]

Nice Carnival - Parade Float

The Nice Carnival celebration is one of the largest carnival events in the world, attracting over a million visitors during it’s 15-day run. The theme of Carnival changes each year. In 2017, it was Energy. This year, it was Space. In 2019, it will be Cinema. Despite the different themes, the overall style of the […]

Godzilla, Nice Carnival

Godzilla “walking” through Place Massena during Carnival in Nice (2018). The celebration is one of the largest carnival events in the world. Each year, over a million visitors come to cheer on the bands, gape at the floats, and marvel at the giant balloons during the festival’s 15-day run. The theme of Carnival changes each […]

Skiers at Isola 2000, Nice, France

Young skiers at Isola 2000 ski field, 60 miles (96 km) north of Nice, France. Set in a high valley inside Mercantour National Park on the dividing line between France and Italy, the ski field gets its name from its altitude (2000 meters/6560 feet) rather than from any association with the year 2000. For full […]

Chagall Museum, Nice, France

The Chagall Museum (Musée Chagall) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, along with the Musée Matisse, which is located just up the hill. Although the collection is relatively small, it provides a satisfying and intimate glimpse into the magical and mystical world that Chagall envisioned. Chagall was closely involved in the design and arrangement […]

Chagall's Le prophète Elie (The Prophet Elijah) mosaic

Marc Chagall’s mosaic Le prophète Elie (The Prophet Elijah) on the wall of the Musée Marc Chagall in Nice, France. Created in 1970 specifically for the outer wall of the museum, the mosaic depicts religious scenes relating to the many miracles God performed through Elijah. The beauty and simplicity of the work is enhanced when […]

Self portrait

The Matisse Museum (Musée Matisse) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, the other being the Musée Chagall, which is located nearby. Originally housed in a 17th century villa on the outskirts of Nice, the museum was expanded in the early 1990s and now includes a large modern wing where some of Matisse’s larger […]

Carnival float

The Nice Carnival celebration is one of the largest carnival events in the world. Each year, over a million visitors descend on Nice during the festival’s 15-day run. The theme of Carnival changes each year. In 2017 it was Energy, in 2018 it was Space, and in 2019 it will be Cinema. Despite the different […]

The Villefranche-sur-mer Naval Flower Battle features up to 20 local fishing boats decked out in elaborate flower arrangements

The Villefranche-sur-mer Naval Flower Battle features up to 20 local fishing boats decked out in elaborate flower arrangements. The day begins with a short parade on land. And by short, we mean about 250 yards from start to finish. It’s so short, in fact, that by the time the last group begins walking, the first […]

Plage du Ricanto, Corsica

Plage du Ricanto on the southwestern side of the Isle of Corsica. Tourists flock to this narrow sandy beach not far from downtown Ajaccio during the summer season. And yet when I visited the first week of September, I had the warm sand and calm, shallow waters almost all to myself. The only minor downside […]

Memorial to French WWI flying ace Georges Guynemer in Nice France

Memorial to Georges Guynemer, French top flying ace in World War I.  Although his flying career spanned only two years, he managed to shoot down 54 enemy aircraft in that time. By the time of his death in 1917 at the age of 22, he had become a national hero. In addition to his remarkable […]

Winter sunset and giant ferris wheel, Place Massena

Ferris wheel and winter sunset in Place Massena, Nice, France. Tickets cost about US $8 and you sit in enclosed cars rather than in swinging seats. The result is an enjoyable ride, even if you aren’t a fan of heights. In all, it’s a great way to spend a leisurely half-hour or so. Nice erects […]