FRANCE

Nice is a city in southern France located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, with 347 060 inhabitants in the 2006 estimate. It is well known for the beautiful view on the Promenade des Anglais, its famous waterfront, and is an ethnically diverse port city. The city is a major tourist centre and a leading resort on the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur). Among tourists, Nice is the second most popular French city after Paris, a fact which, combined with the difficulties of terrestrial communications at long distance (partly because of the Alps), allows it to have the second busiest airport in France in terms of passenger numbers (close to 10,000,000 passengers in 2005).

Nice is also known for several museums, entry to most of which (as of July 2008) is free. Some of the most famous are in Cimiez, the older, upper part of the city which in a previous century was a favourite of Queen Victoria including: Musee Chagall — Includes stain glass windows by the artist. Fee is €8.50. Musee Matisse. Musee et Site Archeologiques de Cimiez — The ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez, plus a museum with nice documentation on Gallo-Roman life (but mostly not in English).

Near the central bus terminal, there is also the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) with four connected towers featuring modern and contemporary artists and their sculptures, paintings, and conceptual installations. Its open-air roof terraces offer one of the best panoramas of the city. To the west, there is the Musee des Beaux-Arts housing an excellent collection of pastels and other works by Jules Cheret, among other artists.

The Promenade des Anglais ("Promenade of the English")

The Promenade des Anglais is a celebrated promenade along the Baie des Anges, a bay of the Mediterranean, in Nice. On Sundays, bicyclists, babystrollers, and whole families can be seen out for a stroll along the Promenade. Aside from numerous events such as the annual Carnival, the Battle of Flowers, etc. that take place along the Promenade, the Promenade has its blue chairs (chaises bleues) and cabanas perfect for a lazy time along the Mediterranean and for contemplation of the azure blue water of the Bay of Angels (la Baie des Anges). The long sandy beach is perfect for romantic walks.

Place Masséna

The Place Masséna is the main square of the city. Before the Paillon River was covered over, the Pont-Neuf was the only practicable way between the old town and the modern one. The square was thus divided into two parts (North and South) in 1824. Since then Place Masséna has become more spacious and less dense and is now bordered by red ochre buildings of Italian architecture. The recent rebuilding of the tramline gave the square back to the pedestrians, restoring its status as a real Mediterranean square. It is lined with palm trees and stone pines. The Place Masséna has always been the spot for great public events. It is used for concerts, and particularly during the summer festivals, the Corso carnavalesque (carnival parade) in February, the military procession of July 14 (Bastille Day) or other traditional celebrations and banquets. The Place Masséna is a two-minute walk from the Promenade des Anglais.

Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice

The Jardin botanique de la Ville de Nice also known as the Jardin botanique de Nice, is a municipal botanical garden located at 78 avenue de la Corniche Fleurie, Nice. It is open daily without charge. The garden was begun in 1983 with an initial planting of 100 species from the city's Musée d'Histoire Naturelle (Museum of Natural History). Today the garden contains more than 3500 plant species, mainly Mediterranean, including collections of trees (300 taxa), herbaceous plants (800 taxa), medicinal plants (150 spp.), Cistaceae, Rhamnaceae, Lamiaceae, Genista, Acacia, Salvia, Phlomis, Rosa, Dianthus, Yucca, Iris, Pelargonium, Opuntia, Stipa, Teucrium, Astragalus, and Cistus. It is organized into areas representing zones of Mediterranean climate from around the world, including South Africa, South Australia, Mexico, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, the Near East, and the Canary Islands, as well as Central Asia, China, and Japan. The garden also contains a herbarium of some 6,000 species.

St. Nicholas' Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Nice

The Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in the city of Nice. Opened in 1912, thanks to the generosity of Tsar Nicholas II, it is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral outside Russia. It has 6 onion domes and is built in the form of a Greek cross. The exterior is richly decorated in mosaic. The Cathedral contains superb treasures of icons, woodwork, and frescos. There is an entrance fee of 3 euros.