Nice Walking Tour: From the Promenade to the Old Town & Castle Hill

Mighty mountains, sparkling sea, elegant promenade, fabulous beaches, delicious food, stunning architecture, history and art. If you search for such a gem, look no further – Nice has it all! Starting from baroque chapels, elegant Belle Époque palaces and Mediterranean-blue chairs lining the promenade, the queen of the French Riviera emanates glamour and style. Come and visit this legendary seaside town with us!

Nice’s history is as captivating as its dramatic scenery, with sea on one side and mighty mountains on the other. Established around 350 BC by the Greek settlers, originally named Nikaia in honour of the goddess of victory, Nike, attracted various powers, including the Romans, who left behind remnants of their civilization. French and Italians fought to control it over and over again, but despite the turbulence, Nice flourished, capitalising on its prime location. Its true transformation however took place in the 19th century. As the upper class of Europe discovered the therapeutic benefits of the Riviera’s climate, it became a winter haven for royalty and aristocracy. Soon the iconic Promenade des Anglais was built, and magnificent Belle Époque buildings sprung up, catering to the elite tourists and Nice started to emerge as a centre of art and culture, attracting artists like Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall, whose works were inspired by the beautiful landscape and unique soft light of the Côte d’Azur. It also became the favourite place of the artists and writers of the Lost Generation, including F.S. Fitzgerald, known for organising their wild parties here. That is when jazz arrived in Nice. You can still hear it today oozing from many bars when you stroll the streets of the city on warm summer evenings.

Our Welcome to Nice tour will start on Place Massena, the heart of the city, at the somewhat controversial Fontaine du Soleil depicting the Greek god Apollo. Walking through Esplanade Georges Pompidou towards the most iconic part of Nice, the famous Promenade des Anglais, we will pass the hyperrealistic facade paintings – Trompe L’Oeils (meaning “deceiving the eye”) as well as the “Neuf Lignes Obliques” (“Nine Diagonal Lines”) an artwork celebrating 150 years of Nice rejoining France. Reaching the promenade, we will be able to see what truly makes Nice. The palm trees, les galettes de la plage (flat stones on the beach), and of course, the famous “Azur Blue” chairs. Along the way, we will see the two architectural masterpieces: the legendary Negresco hotel as well as the Opera House. We will step into Vieux Nice, the old town, to discover among others the lively Cours Saleya, food and flower market, and learn about Nicoise cuisine and food culture, with a short break to discover some of the temptations it offers. At the majestic Palace of the Prefecture we will learn how this stunning edifice was first built in the 16th century as the winter palace for the ruling House of Savoy, a trend still strong among the rich, powerful and famous 5 centuries later. Making our way through Old Nice, we shall see the equally impressive Palace of Justice and hear about the infamous and fascinating “bank heist of the century” perpetrated by the criminally clever Albert Spaggiare and immortalised through the film “The Easy Way”. We will visit the historic centre of old Nice – place Rossetti and its nearly 1000-year-old Cathedral of Sainte Reparate. Making our way to Rue Droite, once the high street of mediaeval Nice, we will delve into the fascinating history of Nicois culture and local dialect as well as its transformation from slum to tourist icon. Passing the former apartment of the renowned painter Henri Matisse, we will reach Castle Hill to see one of the most breathtaking views on earth: a stunning combination of blue water beaches, luxurious yachts, palm trees, colourful Italian facades and snow covered Alps… and learn why there is no longer a castle on castle hill.

Book our tour and let yourself be enchanted by the beauty of Nice. Discover why this French town has a Greek name and feels very Italian and why people ranging from Queen Victoria, Fredrich Nietzsche, Henri Matisse, Sean Connery and even Elton John have decided to call it their home. After all, Nizza La Bella (Nice the Beautiful) is more than just the city’s motto. Come and experience it first-hand!