Having been to many beaches, the beauty of Nice is unique. In the warm Mediterranean sun, everyone has the word "happiness" written on their faces. As the fifth largest city in France, Nice is one of the most charming seaside resorts in Europe and the world, and the azure Mediterranean Sea and the majestic Alps are the city's eternal landmarks. Since the 19th century, Nice, with its mild climate and beautiful scenery of the sea and sky, has become a popular resort for the royal nobles of various European dynasties at that time. The sacred history and culture of ancient Rome, the romantic fragrance of the lavender fields of Provence, the exotic Mediterranean cuisine... Make this place worthy of the place name "Nice". In the now fashionable words, the prize she deserves is "late but late": at the World Heritage Congress in Fuzhou, China, last month, "Nice, the winter resort city of the Riviera", became a World Heritage Site.
Nice will not feel tired for many days of play, you can lie on the cobblestones to fully enjoy the sun, you can also sit in the café to see tourists coming and going, you can also radiate from here to the surrounding towns, such as Cannes, Eze, Antibes, Monaco... Admire the charm of the Côte d'Azur.
The Promenade des Englais is the heart and symbol of Nice, a place where every visitor to Nice on holiday will stroll. Here you can see the leisurely nature of Nice locals and holidaymakers, running, cycling, walking the dog, chatting, listening to the street performers playing the violin... Or just like this big brother, sitting on the beach with a laptop, facing the sea in spring. Yes, it's a bit of a panic, because the beach in Nice is a rock beach, and it is not impossible to enjoy a free foot massage.
I've always felt that the beauty of the Mediterranean is that you feel relaxed and comfortable coming here at any time of the day. Looking at the sea in Nice, you will find that the sea can be so beautiful. The name of the Côte d'Azur is not a vain name, the sea here is the most beautiful and blue in the Mediterranean region.
Whether on the beach or on the walking trails, you can see that the coastline of Nice extends from west to east, which is the most distinctive place in Nice - Baie des Anges. The romantic French imagined the coastline as the wings of an angel, thus giving her this nice name. The special shape of the bay is pieced together with the blue of the Mediterranean Sea to form the most beautiful scenery of Nice and even the Côte d'Azur.
Walking east along the Brit is the Colline du Château, which overlooks the Bay of Angels, the Old Town, the best place to enjoy the charm of Nice, and even the sunset, most of the common Nice landscape photos on postcards are taken here.
Nice seaside facing south, if you take a picture at noon it is completely backlit, if you want to see the Bay of Angels from the castle hills, the morning sun is just smooth, and the afternoon is also completely backlit.
The castle hills have two observation decks, the high-rise Tour Bellanda is less visited, offering sweeping views of the Bay of Angels and the Old Town, but is less suitable for photography because of the branches; the lower panorama is more suitable for photography, as well as maps and descriptions of the landmark buildings of the Old Town, and the painter's drawing of the same angle of nice scenery.
Looking towards the city of Nice, the red-roofed area is the old town of Nice, full of well-preserved old buildings of various styles since the 18th century, including the Nice Opera House. Because of its proximity to Italy, Nice has a strong Italian flair, both in architecture, food, and even lifestyle. Step into the labyrinth of old town, wander through the winding and winding alleys, admire the brightly colored and different styles of buildings, and hunt for treasures in the small shops with different characteristics. Stop and go, half a day's time is gone.
Avenue Jean Medecin, the main thoroughfare of Nice, connects the old town with the Mediterranean Sea. At the southern end of the street is the spacious Place Massena, named after André Masséna (1758-1817), a native of Nice.
The square is surrounded by Italian-style red ochre buildings, paired with white striped floor tiles, which is very different from the old town. As we have said before, Nice was developed little by little because of the visit of the princes and nobles in the early 18th century, and this square was initially only a small part of the other side of the Palon River, built in 1840-1852, and then the "Plaza de Carlo Alberto", which was built on the edge of the old city in the semi-circular neoclassical style between 1820 and 1830, was merged together; in 1979, the original Massena bocai site was demolished to form what it is seen today.
The square is marked by the "Fontaine du Soleil", built in 1956, with the 7-meter-high statue of Apollo in the center and the five bronze statues around it representing the five planets of Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Saturn.
There are 7 conspicuous sculptures in the square – people sitting on their knees in mid-air. When I first saw "them", the first reaction in my mind was the Gaotai Doufa in the episode of "Journey to the West" Che Chiguo's "Fighting Law Descending Three Monsters"... Later, I checked the information and learned that these were sculptures called "Conversation à Nice" designed and created by the Spanish Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, 7 statues representing 7 continents, and their original intention was to call for peaceful communication and cooperation among human beings around the world.
These sculptures illuminate different colors of lights at night to light up Nice at night.
La Basilique Notre-Dame on the main street is the largest basilica of modern religious architecture in Nice. It is heavily influenced by the Italian Baroque style, and its lines are again Gothic. The white twin towers give a sense of religious sanctity, and the stained glass windows inside the church originate from the 19th century, and under the sunlight, the bright and jumping colors add a touch of flexibility to the solemn church.
For an insight into the life of the Nice people, take a walk to the local market. It is not just an ordinary market, but also one of the nerve centers of the city.
Cours Saleya, located in nice's old town, has been the commercial center of nice for hundreds of years and is now famous. Except Sundays, every day from 7 am to 1 pm, there are different themed markets in the square, such as antique markets, flower markets, fruit and vegetable markets, seafood markets, etc. Not only do locals come here to buy food and daily necessities, but they also attract many tourists like me.
Looking down from the hills of nice castle, on the red roof next to the promenade, is the old town of Nice. After coming down from the castle hill, I saw that the time was just right, so I went to The Place de Sareja to investigate the "vegetable basket project" of the people of Nice. In the bazaars here, most of the produce sold by hawkers is produced in or around Nice, or even grown or processed by themselves, rather than resold through middlemen. This not only avoids the price increase when reselling, but more importantly, you can buy real green food that is cheap and natural.
This magical land of Provence is full of sunshine all year round and rich in products. Entering the market, you can see a variety of goods arranged in an orderly manner, and the air is filled with the mouth-watering aroma of spices, olives, vegetables, sausages and so on.
Spices are the first specialty of Provence, and there are dozens of varieties in the market, which can be used for salads, meats, desserts and so on.
In the evening, Saraya Square turns into a seafood food stall with a variety of open-air restaurants.
Like the bazaars of many small southern French towns, the bazaars of Nice are not ordinary markets, they have become one of the nerve centers of the city, showing a unique art of living. The bustling bazaar is filled with the hospitable soul of this seaside town, and its existence is not limited to the meaning of commodity trading, people come here even to meet old friends and pass the time.
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【Author:Desert Rose】
Global travel expert, travel experience engineer, freelance writer, guest host. He has traveled to nearly 50 countries and more than 200 cities on five continents.