Nice
Nice is the fifth-largest city in France, and one of the most
sophisticated. It hugs the coastline, and its elegant hotels
along the Promenade des Anglais have a perfect view of the ocean
just across the street. From the coast, Nice stretches upward to
Le Chateau, once topped by a beautiful castle but now crowned
only in picturesque ruins.
The city was founded by the Phocaeans of Marseille, Greek
mariners, in around 350 BC, and was probably named for the Greek
goddess Nike in honor of a victory over a neighboring colony.
This history still lingers in Vieux Nice, the oldest quarter, in
the maze of narrow flagstone streets still used today. It was
conquered by the Romans in the first century AD and became a
busy trading port, and later fell to the Saracens. During the
Middle Ages, it was held by the counts of Provence and later the
counts of Savoy, and regained its might as a trading port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, composed of Vieux Nice, the harbor, and the
business district, is separated from the new town by the Paillon
River. Le Chateau is on the old town side, along with the Musee
Terre Amata and, above an ancient cemetery, Colline de Chateau,
a medieval castle ruin. To the west of this castle, and
sandwiched between it and Paillon River, are a variety of
different attractions: the Chapelle de la Misericorde, Chapelle
de l'Annonciation, Chapelle de St. Jacques-Jesu, and Cathedral
Ste-Reparate, all picturesque and primarily baroque churches;
the Palais Lascari, home of a marshal of the duke of Savoy and
today open to the public for a fee; and the Place Garibaldi,
where you can walk around the fountain while choosing which
picturesque caf