Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Riviera is also a center for modern art. The works of many 20th-century
artists can be found in its numerous museums and exhibition halls. Picasso spent
the last years of his life in a villa overlooking the Mediterranean.
In selecting Nice as the base city for the day excursions in the Riviera area, we
considered the variety of features and attractions that the city has to offer, and they
are many.
In the maze of Old Nice's narrow streets, you will discover, in variations of light,
shade, and fragrances, the fish market, the Palais Lascaris, the public squares
of the city—each one different in function but all with an air of grace—and, in a
sudden burst of sunlight, the beaches.
To the east, the old town and port offer many attractions to those who have a
feeling for the past. At 300 feet above the Old Town, in a public park where once
a fortress stood, the views are unforgettable. Streets and houses in the Old Town
date from the 16th century.
The Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market), one of the most beautiful and truly
native sights in the Old Town of Nice, is held daily except Monday in the Cours
Saleya, a block south of the Prefecture Palace near the opera. At Cours Saleya,
you'll discover what makes Nice so fragrant and colorful. You will also discover
what makes the cuisine of the area so appetizing: A fruit-and-vegetable market
flourishes right in the midst of the floral beauty. Mondays are a bit different in the
Cours Saleya, since that's when the market is reserved for antiques dealers. But
here again is another opportunity to delve into the priceless things that make Nice
so nice.
There are 10 casinos within 40 miles of Nice and three international ski resorts
only two hours away. The world-famous NiceCarnival takes place every February.
Other festive events, however, are to be found in Nice throughout the year. The
King Carnival takes place just before Lent and rivals New Orleans's Mardi Gras.
Turn from the sea in Nice, and your eyes confront Mont Alban and its fortress
overhanging the harbor. If you choose to go to the alpine area behind the city,
there's a charming private narrow-gauge railroad, Chemin de Fer de Provence
(Railroad of Provence), that will transport you through rocky gorges and sheer cliffs
and Lingostiere, on the invasion route used by Napoleon, to an exceptional panor-
ama of the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. Visit www.trainprovence.com .
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