| The whole
area becomes an exotic, stylish kasbah, the illuminated shops spilling
into the alleyways, the air filled with the aroma of herbs, coffee, chocolate,
truffles, soaps, olives, oils and the dozens of other specialities on sale.
I continue my amble along Rue Droite, packed end-to-end with avant-garde
art galleries, to linger over a beer at Les Distilleries Ideales, a youthful
corner pub with chairs outside. The décor within is a quirky cocktail
of Art Nouveau, Wacky Races and madcap gizmos. Restaurants and bars are
so numerous and varied that anyone can dine well here, be they a student
or a celebrity.
A beach
almost five miles long marks the southern limit of the city, fringed
by the long sweep of the Promenade des Anglais. A broad boulevard shaded
by palms and romantically lamp lit at night, it takes its name from the
Englishman who financed its creation in the 19th century – the Reverend
Lewis Way. A pendant suspended between the city and the sea, the Promenade
des Anglais is still the classic stroll, and the Hotel Negresco remains
the jewel in the chain. Stuffed with fine art and serviced by staff in
Louis XIV livery, the regal whiff of aristocracy still lingers here. Outside
on the seafront though, where royals and writers, artists and statesmen
once jostled for space on the broad promenade, a more inclusive population
now prevails, with roller-bladers and joggers, chic or casual, weaving
or plodding among the population of promenaders.
A good way
to get a snapshot of what Nice has to offer is to take the open-top tour
bus that leaves the Quai des Etats Unis where the Opera House backs on
to the seafront boulevard. The casinos and the grand hotels of the
seafront can be viewed from the top deck, clear of the traffic. The tour
skirts the Old Port, filled with yachts and cruisers, a safe haven since
the time of the Ancient Greeks. From here it’s a winding climb up through
the wooded slopes and exclusive villas of Mont Boron. Nice may no longer
be a home to royalty but the king of this particular hill is Elton John,
who owns a big place up here. The bus swoops back to the port, with fabulous
coastal views along the way, before the steady climb to Cimiez, a hill
crowned with fantastic glass palaces, a park with Roman remains and the
Matisse Museum. Then it’s back down to the Louis Nacera Library, a showpiece
building attracting 3,000 readers each day.
Is it a
building or is it a statue? The new library in Nice is a giant bust,
surmounted by a metallic cube the size of an apartment block. Tete Carré
is neither and both, according to its creator Sacha Sozno, a leading figure
of the Nice School of artists. It is all about obliterating boundaries,
and the integration of art into the urban landscape. Nice is a city of
independent spirit. It manages the fusion between old and new, art and
architecture, commonplace and extraordinary with particular ease. A few
blocks back from Hotel Negresco is Hi, a new concept hotel and a popular
place for coffee, among locals as well as style-conscious visitors. A confection
of space, colour and light, le Hi is the very boule of cool. The New has
made big inroads into the traditional and conservative cityscapes of Nice
with new-look hotels, confident architecture and jazzy street sculpture.
The shiny metal blocks rising above the traffic is the stunning Museum
of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC), a particular eye-opener.
There is
a lot to see here. Nice has 19 museums and galleries, more than any
city in France after Paris. There are 32 listed historic sights and another
33 on the supplementary heritage inventory. Every type of architecture
is represented, from Baroque through Classical, Belle Époque, Art
Deco and contemporary. Furthermore, Nice is the capital city of the Cote
d’Azure and the French Riviera, with the countless possibilities that this
offers, right on its doorstep.
Meanwhile,
Nice does not stand still. Just down from MAMAC in the Avenue Félix
Faure and in the Italianate Place Masséna they are digging up the
roads in two long branches, each stretching five miles, to the northeast
and the northwest suburbs. Once again the past makes way for the future
as a sleek, shiny new generation urban tramway becomes the next item on
the agenda of major change, a bold move towards a better future
Nice Selection
Here is a small
selection of some of the most interesting places to visit in Nice: Palais
Lascaris, an Old Town mansion, now a museum of folk art and Nice tradition,
at 15 Rue Droite. Archaeology Museum of Nice-Cimiez, including Roman amphitheatre
and public baths, at 160 Avenue des Arenes. Fine Arts Museum, in a sumptuous
19th-century villa, at 33 Avenue des Baumettes. The Opera House,
rebuilt in 1885 in sumptuous gilt Belle Epoque style, at Rue Sainte-Francois-de-Paule.
Le Palais de la Prefecture, the former palace of the Dukes of Savoy, at
Rue de la Prefecture. The 17th-century Cathedral of Sainte-Reparate, Place
Rossetti. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Promenade des Arts. Matisse
Museum, in a 17th-century Genoan-style villa at 164 Avenue des Arenes de
Cimiez.
The biggest
event in the Nice calendar is carnival, a two-week festival of processions,
parades of light, and the renowned Flower Parades. 1,500 participants and
hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoy carnival around Mardi Gras (February
28 in 2006; February 20 in 2007)
Information
Information:
Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, 5 Promenade des Anglais. Tel +33 492144646.
info@nicetourisme.comwww.nicetourisme.com
Further information outlets can be found at the train station, airport
and port.
Transport:
Bus from airport Terminal 1, Route 98 to centre every 20 minutes, 6am to
8.30pm, $1.60. One day bus pass $5
Hotel Villa
la Tour, 4 Rue de La Tour. Tel +33 493800815, direction@villa-la-tour.com
www.villa-la-tour.com
From $64 double (Highly Recommended)
Hotel HI,
3 Avenue les Fleurs. Tel +33 497072626, hi@hi-hotel.net
www.hi-hotel.net
From $228 double
Hotel Negresco,
37 Promenade des Anglais. Tel +33 493883568, direction@hotel-negresco.comwww.hotel-negresco-nice.com
From $318 double
Cave de
la Tour, 3 Rue de la Tour. Tel +33 493800331
Les Distilleries
Ideales, 24 Rue de la Prefecture. Tel +33 493621066
Terres de
Truffes, (speciality truffle shop & restaurant), 11 Rue St Francois
de Paule. Tel +33 493620768
MAMAC (Museum
of Modern and Contemporary Art), Promenade des Arts. Tel +33 493626162.
Admission $5
The following
articles are Richard's previous articles for the magazine:
Richard Robinson
is a UK-based travel writer, specialising in Andalucía in southern
Spain. For information, walks, accommodation etc. in Priego de Córdoba
and the Sierra Subbetica, visit his website: www.rural-andalucia.co.uk/ |
