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Nice, &

Includes  Why Go? ...... 45 There may only be 30km between Nice and Menton, but this Arrière-Pays short stretch of coastline packs a powerful punch. Nice, with Niçois...... 58 its atmospheric old town, rich architectural heritage (ba- ...... 58 roque, belle époque, contemporary), raging nightlife, alfresco Corniche Inférieure. . 58 cafe life and culinary excellence is a natural queen of the Rivi- era. Road-tripping east, the Grande and Moyenne Corniches Moyenne Corniche. . .61 (coastal roads) mesmerise with panoramic views of the Medi- Grande Corniche . . . 61 terranean, while the Corniche Inférieure laces the shore with Monaco ...... 62 its sandy beaches, pretty fishing villages and fabulous belle Roquebrune-Cap-­ époque follies. Monaco elicits mixed reactions: the world’s Martin...... 73 second-smallest country is a concrete jungle with a glitzy Menton...... 74 port, its own monarchy, throngs of VIPs and high-octane Ste-Agnès & . . 77 casino glamour. Yet it’s this very razzmatazz that enthralls, fascinates and entertains. And when you want to make a run for the hills, what better place than the Arrière-Pays Niçois, an unspoilt and tranquil hinterland of stark beauty. Best Places to Eat ¨¨Olive et Artichaut (p54) Driving Distances (km) ¨¨Café de la Fontaine (p62) ¨¨Le Mirazur (p77) 5

¨¨Marché de la Condamine 12 7 (p69) Menton 19 19 15 ¨¨Le Beauséjour (p78) Monaco 11 10 8 10

Nice 10 15 20 30 21

Best Places Roquebrune-Cap-Martin 18 16 11 4 925 to Stay ¨¨Nice Garden Hôtel (p52) ¨¨Hôtel Lemon (p76) ¨¨Hôtel Victoria (p74)

¨¨Hôtel Welcome (p59) Beaulieu- sur-Me r Èze La Turbie Menton Monaco Nice ¨¨L’Hostellerie Jérôme (p62) 45 Nice, Monaco & Menton Nice ­

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with a 9am-8pm Cascade E MUS ART lift h 49 quai des49

. In 2015 the 2015 . In ) 10am-6pm Wed- 10am-6pm 13-15 promenade promenade 13-15 h

9am-11pm Jul Aug,& 9am-11pm 04 92 14 77 30; 14 92 04 h

% Roller Station Roller (

Baie des Anges aiWsc www.musee-matisse-nice.org;

park, on a rocky out This park, on a rocky rue des Ponchettes; rue des building at 71 building at bd de Cimiez.

www.roller-station.fr;

d €345; d skates, boards & scooters per hour/ & scooters boards skates, This museum, 2km north in the

Monastère de Cimiez cemetery beneath Tour Bellanda. Tour beneath remains of the 12th-century castle,

Régina , an 18th-century artificial waterfall F F

du Château Parc 04 93 81 08 08; 04 93 9am-8pm Jun-Aug, 9am-7pm Apr, May & Sep, & Sep, May Apr, 9am-7pm Jun-Aug, 9am-8pm In the 1940s in the monu lived In Matisse Thecomplete follows the promenade % h des Anglais; des Bellanda razed by Louis XIV in 1706. The by Louis razed XIV in 1706. across the park from the museum. de la Méditerranée la de 10am-6pm Oct-Mar) 10am-6pm with viewing platform, and children’s play with viewing and children’s platform, leafy Cimiez quarter, houses a fascinating Cimiez quarter, leafy including assortment by Matisse, of works sculptures, tapes oil paintings, drawings, Originally Queen Victoria’s wintering pal Originally Queen Victoria’s Mon) seur du Château; seur Matisse Musée ( the old town, rewardscrop above with a cin of Nice, the Baie des Anges panorama ematic and the port. Only the 16th-century up it popular for picnics. Hike ground, make from the seafront or ride the free mental into apartmentsace, it had been converted he used as studio that had two and Matisse he died in 1954). and home (where ( de Cimiez; Arènes des av 164 paper cut-outs. famous tries and Matisse’s The in a permanent collection is displayed red-ochre 17th-century Genoese villa in an exhibitions are in the Temporary grove. olive is bur futuristic basement building. Matisse ied in the o ily outing,skateboards, rent inline skates, at bikes scooters and États-Unis; whizz along the silky-smooth Prom; allow Prom; silky-smooth the along whizz for protective for an extra €1/2 per hour/day some need (helmetgear and pads). You’ll along effortlesslyID as a deposit. Or cruise wheels with an electric from Segway on two Nice (p48). Mobilboard city of Nice submitted the Promenade des the Promenade submitted of Nice city World for Unesco as a candidate Anglais status. Heritage the of 4km sweep day €5/8, bicycles €5/10; bicycles €5/8, day 10am-8pm Apr-Jun & Sep, 10am-6pm Oct-Mar) 10am-6pm & Sep, Apr-Jun 10am-8pm Jun-Aug, 9am-7pm Apr, May & Sep, 10am-6pm Oct- 10am-6pm & Sep, May Apr, 9am-7pm Jun-Aug, Mar) lepalaisdelamediterranee.com; 93 62 99 05; 62 93 Donjon cycle and skating lane. For a fantastic fam lane. For cycle skating and

­ , ------E CTUR food Palais 04 93 16 04 93 (cours Sa (cours 37 prome 37

% guided visit

E ARCHIT ( 6am-5.30pm 6am-5.30pm

ER QUART HISTORIC h : this joyous,

(place St-François; (place

Chapelle de la la de Chapelle ; and 17th-century La Chaise de SAB 6am-1.30pm Tue-Sun) 6am-1.30pm flea market flea h and a thriving

takes over on Monday, Monday, on over takes (15 rue Droite; (15 fills place St-François. fills

(cours Saleya; (cours (tin-glazed earthenware), Cathédrale Ste-Réparate cours Saleya cours

and art deco (1929) Hôtel Negresco Hôtel fish market fish , honouring the city’s patron , honouring the city’s (cours Saleya) (cours

ence , paid forPromenade ï , a frescoed orgy of Flemish tap (cours Saleya; (cours fa

www.hotel-negresco-nice.com; 10am-6pm Wed-Mon, guided tour 3pm guided tour Wed-Mon, 10am-6pm old town, an atmospheric mellow- atmospheric an town, old 8am-5pm Mon)

Sights h h F

Promenade Anglais des Promenade Nice Vieux

North of cours Saleya spills the rest of aficionados will adore archi adore will aficionados Baroque 6am-1pm Tue-Sun) 6am-1pm POP 343,000 and the overflow from bars and restaurants seems to be a permanent fixture. Vieux Nice, its dark narrow lanes crammed with delis, small food shops, boutiques and bars. A packed (2014). Historic highlights include the mag Historic (2014). a staple of local life. A nificent (1912) nificent ic sea-blue chairs, immortalisedchairs, sea-blue ic Niçoiseby sculptor with her strikingly Sabine Géraudie giant seafront sculpture o Palm-lined estries, religious paintings and 18th-centurygloomy pharmacy. a finein 1822, is colony English Nice’s by for a stroll stage and a flop on one of its icon tectural gems tectural gems Rossetti) (place LascarisPalais h leya; nade Anglais) des hued rabbit warren, has scarcely changedhued rabbit since the 1700s, lost in it is a and getting highlight. Cue flower market flower 1 o Nice’s With its unusual mix of real-city grit, old- grit, mix of real-city its unusual With sunshine year-round opulence, world is appeal Nice’s and exceptional location, to from backpackers Everyone universal. love couples and families romance-seeking on cours Saleya a cafe at in Vieux Nice,sitting legendarythe on bench a on des Promenade for an a smooth pebble beach Anglais or on epic sunset. options are stupendous, Eating the local artsthe nightlife buzzes and scene a week could happily spend is thriving. You here and still be hungry for more. NICE Miséricorde 64 00; saint; exuberant (1740) saint; exuberant (1740) €5; Tue-Sat, to 1.30pm Sun) to Tue-Sat, market Fri) thriving marketthriving hostssquare well-known a