Nice, French Riviera 3-screens

The south coast of France along the sunny Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's most beautiful destinations, dotted with colorful seaside towns and inland villages perfect for discovering on foot. Artists, movie stars, jet-setters, backpackers, billionaires and millions of ordinary tourists are drawn here by the sweet appeal of this paradise-by-the-sea. Nestled in southeastern Provence, this 50-mile stretch of Mediterranean coast is called the Cote d'Azur by Europeans, or the French Riviera by Americans. It can be easily visited without the hassles of driving a rented car, thanks to the excellent network of trains and public buses that connect all the main places. This largest city along the Cote d'Azur makes an ideal home-base for seeing all the sights: it is one of the most beautiful places; offers a large number of hotels and restaurants in all ranges; and is centrally located with excellent rail and bus services. Easy to reach from Paris, you can take either the direct, high-speed TGV train in 5 1/2 hours or fly for as little as $70 and arrive from one of the 90 other locations offering direct air service to France’s second-busiest airport. Nice is divided into numerous neighborhoods, but the visitor can focus on four main areas on this first day: the beachfront, Old Town, modern shopping district and main hotel section. The most famous image of Nice is the broad, ocean-front boulevard, Promenade des Anglais, framed with the blue Mediterranean along one side and a long row of elegant hotels on the other. The Old Town of Nice has a special charm you do not find in the rest of the city, so focus some time in this fascinating pedestrian zone on the east end of the waterfront between Quai des Etats-Unis and Boulevard Jean Jaures. Called the "Vieux Nice," the Old Town is home to art galleries, little shops, small restaurants, bars and cafes, making it the perfect spot for strolling. In the off-season the character of Vieux Nice is quite peaceful with not many people and no cars, but in the summer it gets very crowded. A morning street market in the wide Cours Saleya plaza features fresh produce and flowers daily, except Monday when you’ll see antiques and other used goods peddled by colorful vendors. In this plaza surrounded by inviting cafes, chocolate-lovers should look for Maison Auer in its landmark Belle Époque building at the west end. This chocolatier has thrived since 1820, offering excellent selection and quality with prices up to $250 for a large box. (Also on-line at http://www.maison-auer.com.) Just inland, the Old Town maze of narrow lanes occupies a triangular slice about 300 yards long on each side. Walk in from Cours Saleya along one of the main lanes, Rue Droite, lined with cute shops and galleries. Look for the lovely little intersection where the main lanes of Rue Centrale and Rue de la Boucherie come together, and sit at the café sipping an espresso while the town passes through this heart of the Old Town. Each city has certain focal points where the action happens, and this corner, fittingly called Place Centrale, is a good example. Walk along Rue de la Boucherie to find the other great focal point, Place de Palais, which retains an Italian feeling that once permeated the town. Nice, part of Italy until it was joined to France in 1860, still displays a strong cultural blend in features such as its unique language, le Niçois or Nissart, a hybrid of French and Italian which cannot be understood by anyone outside of Provence.

Blip | August 12, 2008

Tags:. .framed. .district. .cafes. .lanes. .galleries