About the city
In fact, everything is accentuated in Nice, the light is so bright that the colours are flashing.
The pines are green and are happily rubbing shoulders with the blue shades of the Mediterranean Sea and the sky, the
sun is highlighting the yellow tones of the flowers, the ochre sides of the houses, in a natural setting of rocks and
hills : it is indeed easy to understand the fascination exerted by the Côte d'Azur on the artists, painters, writers, sculptors,
musicians, who contributed to her fame and to whom the museums of Nice are paying a deserved tribute.
The tourist trade was born in Nice in the eighteenth century with the winter stays of famous aristocrats,
first English, than Russian and American who gave to the region a bright and fashionable way of life. Slowly, the popular
touring has been developing and after the second world war, the summer season is definitely taking over the winter one.
Today, the tourist industry is the first economical activity of Nice. All kind of leisure and touring are offered : green
touring, sea, sportive, luxury, alpine, congress and trade tourism. The Acropolis, the Arts, Tourism and Congress Exhibition
Centre is ranking among the first congress centres of the world.
Although Nice may be considered as a modern town, it has not forgotten its traditions.
They are celebrated through the May, the Cougourdons, the Vineyards feasts, where the
gastronomy of Nice is honoured and the "niçois", the local dialect coming from the langue d'oc, the southern French is king of the day.
The heritage of Nice is constantly under care, by protecting the frescos and the trompe l'oeil which are ornamenting the façades of the houses of the Old-Nice,
by maintaining the activity of the Cours Saleya, where is held every day the flower, fruit and vegetable market, and the Saint-François Square with its fish market.
The continuous improvements of the infrastructures - rail, road, airport and port -
allow an easy access and a direct link to most of the biggest cities in the world.
The total amount of tourist accommodation is placing Nice, second town in terms of hotel, just before Paris.
Events in Nice
If the Carnival of Nice has been for a long time the major tourist event of Nice, now, there are numerous international events which are giving a rhythm to the life of the town,
such as the Nice Jazz Festival, without mentioning the sportive meetings - Nikaïa, Triathlon, Semi-Marathon. In the same time, the cultural aspects are generating an intense artistic life.
The beauty of Nice is also due to its green spaces, 300 hectares of garden, its trees, plane trees, linden trees, bay-trees, pine and palm trees, which are lining the avenues, the fountains of the forum Masséna or the Acropolis esplanade. Nice has been classified, for over ten years, as the first town of France for its flowering and for the
beauty of its gardens. Today, Nice is shown outside the competition, for outstanding merits.
The pedestrian roads which are surrounding Nice allow the discovery, from various points of view of the Baie des Anges, the Angels' Bay.
