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Nice History

The city of Nice has been a popular tourist destination for centuries, for royalty and commoners alike. As a transportation center, with the Paris-Nice train and the international airport, it's probable that your entry into Beyond will be Nice.

Nice is ancient. Inhabited for 400,000 years, the "modern" city of Nikaia was established by the Greeks. The Romans may have started the tourism with their extensive baths on Cimiez. In spite of modernization, the city retains its medieval heritage in the vieille ville (old town), with its narrow winding streets and closely-packed red-tiled roofs.

Other than a base for your trips into Beyond, Nice is a center of activities. Lodging, dining, shopping, sunbathing and swimming, movies, theaters, opera, museums -- or just strolling along the Promenade des Anglais and enjoying the good life.

The Chateau

"Le Chateau" isn't a chateau -- the castle on top of this high rock hill overlooking Nice old town and the port has been gone since 1706, but it's a great place to visit. There are cool walks in the shade of the trees, great views out over Nice and the Mediterranean, a large grassy park, playground, Roman ruins and a waterfall.

Access. You can walk up the stairs at the front, from the Quai des Etats Unis, and have a great view as you climb; there are 213 steps from the bottom to the observation platform on top of the Naval Museum, and then more steps and various walkways on to the top. An elevator is available from the same starting point if your legs aren't up to it.
In the old town, go up the Rue Rossetti from the Cathedral Ste. Réparate to find steps and walkways that go up past the cemeteries to the top. There's also roads that you can drive, or walk, up: the Montée; Montfort goes up from the "point" between the Baie des Anges and the port, and from near the Place Garibaldi.