Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The path to the
west
stops just before the airport at perhaps the most scenic
boules
courts in France. Pause here to watch the old-timers while away the afternoon tossing
shiny metal balls (for more on this game, see
here
). If you take the path heading
east,
you'll round the hill—passing a scenic cape and the town's memorial to both world
wars—to the harbor of Nice, with a chance to survey some fancy yachts. Walk or pedal
aroundtheharborandfollowthecoastpasttheCorsicaferryterminal(you'llneedtocarry
your bike up a flight of steps). From there the path leads to an appealing tree-lined resid-
ential district.
To bring culture to the masses, the city of Nice has nixed entry fees to all municipal mu-
seums—so it's free to enter all the following sights except the Chagall Museum and the
Russian Cathedral. Cool.
Thefirsttwomuseums(ChagallandMatisse)arealongwalknortheastofNice'scity
center. Because they're in the same direction and served by the same bus line (buses #15
and #22 stop at both museums), it makes sense to visit them on the same trip. From Place
Masséna, the Chagall Museum is a 10-minute bus ride or a 30-minute walk, and the Ma-
tisse Museum is a 20-minute bus ride or a one-hour walk.
Even if you're suspicious of modern art, this museum—with the world's largest collection
of Marc Chagall's work in captivity—is a delight. After World War II, Chagall returned
from the United States to settle in Vence, not far from Nice. Between 1954 and 1967 he
painted a cycle of 17 large murals designed for, and donated to, this museum. These paint-
ings, inspired by the biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, and the Song of Songs, make up
the “nave,” or core, of what Chagall called the “House of Brotherhood.”
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