Best Must-See Attractions in Nice

Top 10 things to do in Nice

10. Attend a performance at Nice's opera house

Nice's opera house brings the city's performing arts into focus. Its programme encompasses opera, concerts by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, chamber music and ballet. An evening here adds a live cultural dimension to a visit otherwise centred on waterfront walks and museums, with several musical forms represented on the same stage.

9. Explore the Musée des Beaux-Arts

The Musée des Beaux-Arts broadens a tour of Nice's art collections beyond the city's best-known artist museums. Works by Jules Chéret, including pastels, are a particular reason to visit. Give the collection time for close looking: its appeal lies in individual works and the chance to discover another strand of Nice's artistic heritage.

8. Discover the ancient remains of Cimiez

The Gallo-Roman ruins at Cimiez reveal an ancient settlement in the hills above central Nice. Explore the remains alongside the archaeological museum, whose displays explain aspects of Gallo-Roman life. The surrounding district also contains a monastery and museums, making Cimiez a substantial cultural stop with several layers of the city's past close together.

7. Step inside Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate

In the heart of Vieux Nice, Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate gives the Old Town a distinctive Baroque landmark. Its interior and paintings reward a pause during a walk through the surrounding streets. Approach it as part of the neighbourhood: the cathedral's setting among closely packed buildings helps connect its religious architecture with the everyday scale of old Nice.

6. Visit the Musée Marc Chagall

The Musée Marc Chagall is one of Nice's principal art museums, celebrating an artist drawn to the area's clear air and light. Stained-glass windows by Chagall are among its distinctive features. A visit brings another medium into view alongside painting and makes this a key stop for understanding the city's connections with major modern artists.

5. Spend time at the Musée Matisse

Henri Matisse spent many years in Nice, and the Musée Matisse anchors that connection in the city's cultural landscape. In Cimiez, the museum brings the artist's work into a visit to the upper part of town. Pair it with time looking at Nice itself, whose coastal views also appeared in his paintings.

4. Browse the market at Cours Saleya

Cours Saleya brings the Old Town's market life into the foreground, with flowers and fruit providing a colourful focus within its network of streets. Browse the stalls and take in the surrounding buildings before continuing through Vieux Nice. The market gives this part of the city a different rhythm from the open seafront and museum galleries.

3. Take in the views from Colline du Château

Castle Hill rises above the Baie des Anges and the harbour, giving a broad view of Nice's coastal setting. Little survives of the castle beyond ruined walls; the principal attraction is the panorama from the elevated platforms. From here, the relationship between the sea, the waterfront and the city becomes especially clear.

2. Wander through Vieux Nice

Vieux Nice rewards an unhurried walk through its maze of streets and alleys, lined with picturesque houses and boutiques. Beneath Castle Hill, this is the place to appreciate the city's closely woven historic fabric. Follow the turns between buildings and allow time for its squares, where the Old Town's architecture can be seen at a more generous scale.

1. Walk the Promenade des Anglais

The Promenade des Anglais is Nice's emblematic walk, following the Mediterranean shore for more than five kilometres. Wide views across the water and the sweep of the pebbled coast explain its enduring place in images of the city. Its name recalls the English visitors who helped establish Nice as a winter resort; walking a stretch brings that heritage into its defining seaside setting.