The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful...
The natural environment of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais ("Walkway of the English") owes its name to visitors to the resort.
The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to notable painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts.
Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest airport in France, after the two main Parisian ones.
Nice consists of two large bays. Villefranche-sur-Mer sits on an enclosed bay, while the main expanse of the city lies between the old port city and the Aeroport de Côte d'Azur, across a gently curving bay. The city rises from the flat beach into gentle rising hills, then is bounded by surrounding mountains that represent the Southern and nearly the Western extent of the Ligurian Alps range.
NICE VideoS
Walking Nice, France at Sunset/Night
A first-person perspective Nice (France) walk tour along the beach promenade at sunset, as well as busy restaurant-lined streets after dark, to the Place Massena historic square.
36 Hours in Nice, France
On the southeast coast of France, Nice welcomes travelers with alluring restaurants, a broad beach, sherbet-hued buildings and gay-friendly night life.
