The French city of Nice makes a heavenly holiday destination, as Angela Finlayson discovers . . .
THE coastal city of Nice on France’s Cote d’Azur has been a favourite with British tourists since the days of the Grand Tour.
Their lasting legacy is the Promenade des Anglais, constructed in 1822.
The seven-kilometre-long seaside boulevard invites visitors to stroll, cycle, roller-skate and people-watch along the length of the beautiful Bay of Angels.
These days, visitors from all over the world flock to this sun-soaked part of the south of France, making Nice a glorious melting pot of cultures and influences.
From the prehistoric humans who lived in the Grotte du Lazaret at the foot of Mont Boron to the ex-pats who built the magnificent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the early 20th century, people have been making their mark on the city for thousands of years.
And it’s no wonder it’s long been so popular!
There are many excellent reasons to visit Nice.
It’s easily accessible by direct flights from a number of UK airports.
Once you touch down, you’ll find that the airport is so close to the city that you can be at your hotel in just 20 to 30 minutes.
It’s also a fabulous base from which to take day trips to explore the coast, with regular trains and buses running between Menton on the French/Italian border and Cannes to the west.
Popular stops include glamorous Monaco and laid-back, picturesque Antibes.
Villefranche-sur-Mer, just a 10-minute train journey from central Nice, is worth a visit and has one of the few sandy beaches on the coast.
Most, including the beach at Nice, are mainly pebble.
The glittering jewel in the crown of the Cote d’Azur, though, is Nice itself.
You could easily spend your whole holiday in the city without getting bored.
Vieux Nice, the old town, dates from the 1700s.
It is a colourful rabbit-warren of narrow alleyways, overhanging balconies and peeling shutters, packed with tiny bars, pavement cafés and restaurants.
Shops sell everything from artisan chocolates and fine wines to lavender sachets, soaps and vintage clothing.
You can spend hours here just wandering the streets and absorbing the sights, sounds and smells.
In the evenings, swifts wheel and screech above the rooftops.
The whole area comes alive, redolent with the scents of moules frites and socca from the bistros, and the sounds of street musician
