Getaways around Nice

Enjoy the coastline, with the sea as a backdrop! Unless you love sports and nature or prefer the authenticity of the villages? From unspoilt coves… to colourful markets… to charming hilltop villages… to majestic mountains, Nice Côte d’Azur is a paradise for all pleasures.

The Coastal Area

The natural splendour of the coastline is combined with the richness of its heritage. The preserved shoreline is turned towards the Mediterranean and its pleasures: creeks, beaches and seabeds rhyme with sailing, water-skiing or scuba diving.
The towns along this coastline are bustling with activity both day and night: gastronomy, shopping, culture, events, it’s all there!

What to see

• Beaulieu, the Villa Kérylos, a unique replica of an ancient Greek villa, designed and built by the archaeologist Théodore Reinach, water sports activities, the Port, the Casino and luxury shops.
• Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a surprising villa with exceptional collections (18th century furniture, paintings, sculptures…) with its incredible themed gardens, the Santo Sospir villa decorated by Jean Cocteau, the bronze Virgin and the Ste-Hospice chapel, the Port.
• Cap d’Ail, its seaside paths for a pleasant walk, the superb villas of the Belle Epoque.
• Villefranche-sur-Mer, the old town, the citadel, the many free museums, the chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau, the ports and the splendid harbour.
• Eze village, a medieval town perched like an eagle’s nest on the Mediterranean, the exotic garden offering a unique panorama of the Mediterranean, the perfume shops and the craft shops.
• Cagnes-sur-Mer and its medieval village with the Grimaldi castle-museum dominating the town, its open-air shopping centre (Polygone Riviera) and the Côte d’Azur racecourse with its rich programme of events throughout the year.
• Saint-Laurent-du-Var and its Promenade des Flots Bleus, its marina and its seafront with its restaurants, pubs and clubs, day and night, its old town.

The Mid-Country

Not far from the shores of the Mediterranean, the middle country of Nice offers a haven of calm, freshness and serenity. The villages, nestled in green settings or clinging to the cliffs, invite visitors to stroll through their charming alleys and discover a preserved heritage: old oil mills, facades, fountains, wash houses and… at the turn of a chapel… a panoramic view of the valleys, the sea or the mountains. The surrounding countryside is also a real paradise for sportsmen and women, who can go hiking or cycling and cool off in the deep gorges for a canyoning or rafting trip.

What to see

• Carros, a village listed in the inventory of picturesque sites in the department, organised around its 12th century castle.
• Falicon, its fortified gates and narrow streets, its colourful houses, its cobbled squares and its beautiful viewpoints.
• Gilette, a village perched at an altitude of 400 metres, dominated by the ruins of a castle from which you can enjoy breathtaking views of the village, the mountains, the surrounding rivers and the Mediterranean
• Vence, a historic town with authentic charm. Its old town centre with its shops and galleries, its museums. The Rosary Chapel decorated by Henri Matisse.
• Saint-Jeannet, nestled at the foot of an immense Baou (cliff), a village of medieval origin with its houses forming a rampart around the church. Starting point for many hikes.
• Tourrette-Levens, a medieval village offering an exceptional panorama on the sea and mountain sides. Its tower of the old castle, its free museums and its church.
• Châteauneuf-Villevielle, the ruins of the old medieval village on the heights of the current village.

The High Land

The citadel of the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area, with its mountainous massif culminating at 3,143 metres, nature has sculpted grandiose landscapes here over the centuries. Villages built on the rock or harmoniously spread out in the valleys, offer the authenticity of a jealously guarded heritage. In the summer, it is a privileged site for active holidays in the open air, renowned for the beauty of its lakes, forests, peaks, clues… In the winter, it is a paradise for snow sports with its ski areas where snow and sunshine rhyme… It is quite simply a haven of calm and freshness, for a stay in the open air in a setting of magnificent mountains!

What to see

• La Tour-sur-Tinée, with its chapels, old mills, panoramic view and medieval streets.
• La Bollène-Vésubie, situated on the Route des Grandes Alpes, a very old village built on the side of the mountain. There are barns and cowherds, valleys and gorges.
• Clans, a small village with many treasures: beautiful stone houses, old washhouses and watering places, a flour mill, decorated chapels, its Collegiate Church in the centre of the village.
• Isola, at an altitude of 870 metres, a picturesque medieval village at the confluence of the river, trompe-l’oeil paintings, chapels, its Aquavallée fitness centre and its Lac des Neiges.
• Roquebillière, at an altitude of 600 metres, at the gateway to the Mercantour National Park. A very lively village all year round. Its spa (the only one on the Côte d’Azur – Valvital Berthemont-Les-Bains). Its leisure centre with park, fishing area and ecological swimming.
• Roubion, a high altitude medieval village spread over 5 hamlets between 1,335 and 1920 metres. Ramparts, dovecotes, sundials and old barns, numerous painted doors.
• Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, in the heart of the Mercantour National Park, surrounded by mountains that rise to 1,300 metres. Amazing heritage with pastel facades, fountains, sundials, chapels, frescos and museums.
• Saint-Martin-Vésubie, nicknamed “La Suisse Niçoise”, medieval mountain village. Various chalets line the paths leading to the pine and larch forests. “Parc Alpha, le Temps du Loup” and “Vésubia Mountain Park.”

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