Nice: Old Town, French Riviera, France
The old town of Nice consists not only of narrow streets and interesting buildings, but there are also other attractions. At least two of them are very important: Colline du Chateau (the Castle Hill) and the traditional flower market: Marche aux Fleurs at Cours Saleya. You should go there while visiting the Old Town of Nice.
Parking in Nice
We can park the car near the Old Town, in the parking lot at Casino Du Palais at the street Rue du Congrès (1; GPS: 43.695448, 7.263412) or in the parking lot Palais Massena at the Rue de France (2; GPS: 43.695754, 7.259430).
However, we also recommend an alternate route by bus or train - Nice is a big agglomeration and the car traffic can be really tiring, especially if you happen to be lost and you have to move around the crowded local streets. If you for example live in Cannes or Antibes, you can use the bus line to get to the center. The main bus station in Nice (Gare Routiere) is currently located at Avenue des Diables Bleus (A; GPS: 43.708756, 7.285817), about 1 km northeast of the old town, but of course you can get off earlier on the Promenade des Anglais. The train main station (Gare de Nice Ville) is located in a similar distance north-west of the old town (B; GPS: 43.704314, 7.262132); however, the walk is not onerous - just go to Avenue Jean Médecin and walk towards the Masséna Square.
Colline du Chateau
The Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau) is located by the sea and is available within only a few minutes walk from the center of the Old Town. You can use the stairs, but there is also a free elevator located on the left side of the hotel Suisse (C; GPS: 43.694397, 7.279158). The best solution is to use the elevator to get to the summit, and walk down the stairs. At the top you can find a park, several monuments and buildings, and above all the opportunity to have beautiful views of the marina and the Old Town.
Cours Saleya - Marche aux Fleurs
Cours Saleya (D; GPS: 43.695542, 7.274927) is the main pedestrian street in Old Nice. It's also famous for different types of markets according to the week days. You can find there for example the flower market (marché aux fleurs), antiques market, fruits & vegetables market and - first of all - feel the unique atmosphere of this place. There are many restaurants around the market - we took advantage of it when we became hungry :).
The streets of Old Town
We go to the very Old Town to stroll its narrow streets, because you can not imagine visiting Nice without visiting this area. Lots of streets and old buildings with terracotta roofs make this place full of history which has its own great atmosphere. Those who wish to experience the true Mediterranean and French cuisine, should also feel here like at home - the old town is a great collection of cool restaurants, shops and galleries. We visited the Place Rossetti with its beautiful cathedral (E; GPS: 43.6971731, 7.2762042), the Place du Palais de Justice (F; GPS: 43.6966067, 7.2738492), then we walked down the street Rue du Marché and Rue Mascoïnat towards the Place Centrale (G; GPS: 43.6981619, 7.2768639).
Finally, we came back along the tram line through the famous Place Massena (H; GPS: 43.696496, 7.270640) with beautiful Fountain du Soleil and the Promenade des Anglais to the parking lot where we parked the car.
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