You need to be a poet to describe the main thing in Nice, namely its romance and charm. Not the sights of Nice, which are not lacking, but the poetry contained in this place, where there are rarely gloomy days and the sun almost always shines, evokes the love of life in the heart.
A Brief History of the City
The Hellenes literally "searched" the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea and were the first to establish a colony on these shores, which they named Nicaea in honor of the goddess of victory, Nike. This was almost five hundred years before the birth of Christ. Then the Romans ruled here, as the place was a convenient port. Later, these lands were annexed to their possessions by the Counts of Provence in the 10th century. The kings of France always remembered Nice. She was in their area of interest. This city became French only in 1860. Nice gained fame as a world resort about a hundred years ago.
Russia and Nice
The Russians discovered the Cote d'Azur for themselves around 1770, when under the command of Admiral F. Ushakov and the Orlov brothers, the Russian squadron settled here for the first time, and then left to defeat the Turks in the Battle of Chesme. Much later, in 1856, the widow of Emperor Nicholas I Alexandra Feodorovna spent the winter here in the town of Villefranche. Russian aristocrats, poets, artists followed her to this small town. Nice became their winter resort. The majestic St. Nicholas Parish Cathedral was built in the city.
This monument of Russian architecture is a landmark of Nice and Europe. It is visited by more than 200 thousand people during the year. In Nice at the Villa St. Anna was lived for 41 years by the morganatic widow of Alexander II. But the city attracted not only aristocrats of famous families: Vyazemsky, Golitsyn, Baryatinsky, Gagarin, but also the artistic intelligentsia. V. Kuchelbecker, N. Gogol, A. Herzen, F. Tyutchev, I. Aivazovsky, I. Levitan, K. Korovin. What names! You can't list everyone. After the revolution, I. Bunin and B. Zaitsev, I. Odoevskaya and V. Ivanov, Yu. Annenkov and M. Aldanov, as well as many other prominent figures of Russian culture came here. So for a Russian tourist, the sights of Nice – are not an empty phrase!
Overview of the most interesting places
Nice is a big city located along the Bay of Angels. The Alps protect it from the northern and western winds. Therefore, winters are mild, and summers are dry and hot. Its population is more than three hundred and a half thousand inhabitants and annually receives more than 4 million tourists. Nice has a university, several business centers, many museums, the National Theatre, an opera, concert halls, a conservatory, and a regional library. Arriving here, you have to walk along the endlessAlong the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, admire the palaces, hotels and turquoise sea, and then turn into a lively, cheerful old town that retains the features of Italian architecture. Its streets are narrow and winding. The walls of the houses are painted in warm reddish-orange colors. There are many baroque churches here.
What aromas exude open flower shops and cafes! And how many fruits are there! Further down the street, shrimp, oysters, and lobsters are picturesquely displayed for tasting! If you stop and sit down, you won’t tear yourself away, but you will drink Remarque’s favorite drink - golden Calvados! Wandering through the old town, the tourist will meet the ancient and more modern sights of Nice: the Palace of Justice, the City Hall, the Cathedral, as well as the main square Marché aux Fleurs - an amazing colorful market where peasants sell vegetables and fruits, olives, homemade cheeses, sausages and pates, fish.
Castle Hill
Actually, these are just the remains of an old bombed-out fortress on a 100 m high mountain, which offers a stunning panoramic view of the entire city. No one will refuse to take pictures for memory. In addition, this is a beautiful park with cacti, which have an incredible length of thorns, sprawling palm trees and a wonderful waterfall. Here you can find the Shipping Museum with ship models and navigation tools.
Museums
First, you can see the Negresco Hotel. Because it is not only very famous for its carpet, woven in the middle of the 17th century, but also for its guests. M. Dietrich and E. Hemingway, Coco Chanel and F. Sagan, S. Dali and the Beatles. In addition to it, in Nice there is the Massena Museum, which presents the history of the city and the work of local painters, the Museum of Modern Art, which presents works by avant-garde artists, the M. Chagall Museum and the Matisse Museum.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
The Church of Notre Dame du Port has stood in the port of Nice since 1853. Its neoclassical style is successfully complemented by Corinthian columns. As in any Catholic church, there are benches for parishioners, and the walls are painted by the artist E. Costa.
Even this splendor was once just a port parish surrounded by poor shacks and fishermen's houses. There is no doubt that before each exit to the sea they came here with a prayer, and upon their return - with modest gifts. Now this is a respectable area in which a respectable public lives.
Museum of an artist from Vitebsk
The Marc Chagall Museum in Nice was opened in 1973 while the painter was still alive.
The beginning of his exposition were 17 paintings on biblical themes. Sketches, drawings, engravings, lithographs, stained-glass windows, mosaics, five sculptures and other works of the artist are also placed in three halls. Chagall's work is not easy to understand, but fans of the avant-garde will find many interesting topics for themselves, in addition to general aesthetic pleasure. The museum is located in the center of Nice next to the Paradisio park. After visiting the exposition, you can take a walk in this luxurious park.
Opera and Ballet Theatre
OperaThe theater of Nice was opened in 1885. The premiere was "Aida" by D. Verdi. The theater enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the best opera houses in France.
This beautiful building is located on St. Francois-de-Paule, 4–6. Magnificent acoustics, gilded boxes, red velvet trim, a luxurious chandelier and a painted ceiling - everything here sets you up for a solemn and festive perception of musical performances. There are about a hundred of them in the repertoire. Since 1947, not only operas, but also ballets have been staged here.
Building on the hill
The Nice Observatory is located on the hill of Mont Gros. It was built by the architects G. Eiffel (dome) and C. Garnier (building), it belonged to the Sorbonne University.
At one time, the observatory was in disrepair, but after it was put in order in 1988, it became one of the world's centers for the study of space. It hosts interesting excursions.
And we will finish the description of the city on the Cote d'Azur with a festive carnival, which is held annually in February-March, when Nice is decorated with bright colors and flowers. This big carnival is one of the oldest in the world.
