Carnaval de Nice
The 'Carnaval de Nice' almost rivals Rio with its extravagant and colourful parades down the Promenade des Anglais.

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler

© Alison Shayler
Visit an olive mill, discover ancient ruins and go canyoning
A lovely old town with a river running through it, overlooked by vast mountains and surrounded by terraced olive groves.
The streets are so narrow that it can be difficult to step back and take a good look at the buildings; to gain a little perspective, scramble up to the ruins of the old castle behind the town. You'll find a little path called Montée du Caste leading up from the town, and then it's a short scramble through an overgrown path to a tatty excuse for a flag at the top. All that remains of the castle is a few stones and half-buried walls but the views are excellent and it's a nice place to take a picnic.
If you have a couple of hours to spare and a decent pair of shoes you can hike up to the Tour Cruella, a 13th century fortified tower that looks over the town. It's named after a bird of prey and has nothing to do with Dalmatian puppies.
Rue Pasteur is the main street that runs through the centre of the village; a narrow pedestrian passageway lined with small shops where you can buy fresh bread, meat, cheeses and other local goods. Small alleyways link it to parallel streets where tall narrow houses almost seem to lean in over your head.
The river that runs through Breil-sur-Roya widens out when it passes the town and a hydro-electric dam at one end forms a lovely little lake where you'll often see locals fishing for trout.
The 'Carnaval de Nice' almost rivals Rio with its extravagant and colourful parades down the Promenade des Anglais.
The start of spring is celebrated every Sunday in May with a grand celebration in the Jardins de Cimiez.
The Fête de la Musique is a celebration that takes place every summer solstice on 21 June in cities, towns and villages across France.
Bastille Day is celebrated across the whole of France with a bang...well, several in fact, fireworks always feature heavily.
Exceptional locations around France, including Nice, will be open to visit on the Journées du Patrimoine - a European wide event inspired by by France’s Journées Portes Ouvertes which started in 1984.
Wandering the backstreets will reveal all sorts of relics from the past; old bread ovens, stone water troughs, ancient passages. Ask at the tourist office for a town map and you'll find all the main points of interest listed so that you can embark on a self-guided walking tour.
The building that looks like a castle beside the river is, in fact, a church. Sancta Maria des Albis was built in the 17th century and looks completely different on one side than on the other. While the back looks like a fortified castle, the front dominates a tiny little square and has a warm red façade, with a smaller Chapelle de la Miséricorde beside it. Look up to see the brightly coloured tiles on the bells towers, they're so high that you can't really get a good perspective on them from the front so walk around a bit and view them from different angles.
Officially named the Annonciation church, it is popularly known as the Saint Rita church, the patron saint of impossible causes. It is one of the oldest churches in Nice, originally built in the 10th century.
This priory owned by Father Lemerre was converted into a museum at the end of the Second World War and houses his collection of objets d'art from the late Middle Ages and early modern period including French furniture, glass, sculptures and religious paintings.
Come and see bison, deer, horses, boars and hawks roaming on 700 hectares of land, just one hour from the French Riviera
Grasse is the world capital of perfumes. At this museum you can discover the ancient tradition of parfumerie and learn how to create your own, unique scent.
Founded as a photographic studio in 1958, and opened as a gallery in 1972, Jean Ferrero exhibited works from the School of Nice and the New Realism genre.
Chateau Grimaldi may take you somewhat by surprise if you are expecting the usual historical museum experience - it also holds regular exhibitions of contemporary art and isn’t afraid of displaying bizarre and sometimes challenging installations. The artworks are incongruous in such a traditional context and the collection changes regularly, so you never know quite what you’re going to get when you visit!
Plage Buse is a pretty and undulating stretch of pebbly coastline tucked away to the west of the Roquebrune Cap Martin peninsula.
This family-friendly beach is easy to get to but not so easy to find, which is perhaps why it always stays fairly quiet even in peak season.
Plage Marquet is the most easterly of the Cap d’Ail beaches and is right on the border with Monaco.
This is a small and secluded beach with two excellent restaurants and safe swimming. Plage Mala is a little haven.
Located just beneath Restaurant La Pinede along the Sentier Littoral, Plage Gramaglia is more a series of rocky coves than a traditional beach.
Eze-Sur-Mer has only one beach but it’s a lovely one; great for swimming as the water comes very high up the beach and it's in a calm bay.
Place Biancheri is the main square, with the Office de Tourisme and a couple of little restaurants to choose from. It doesn't have a huge amount going on but it's in a nice spot and is a good place to sit with a coffee and watch daily life unfold.
Laurent Paccini is the chef at this Relais & Châteaux hotel and brings the food of different cultures to his excellent Mediterranean restaurant in Saint-Paul de Vence.
Toile Blanche Le Restaurant offers fresh, seasonal dishes inspired by the Mediterranean, where simplicity meets creative flair.
In a Regency-style dining room decorated with magnificent 18th century woodwork, Jean-Denis Rieubland proposes two menus, "Découverte" and "Chantecler".
The Cap Estel gourmet restaurant or "La Table de Patrick Raingeard" as it is known has one Michelin star.
Gourmet restaurant of the Saint-Martin Spa & Chateau hotel to the north of Vence.
Michelin-starred La Bastide Saint-Antoine offers a refined retreat near Cannes, where chef Jacques Chibois creates inspired Provençal cuisine. Set in a stunning country house with lush gardens and panoramic sea views, it’s the perfect blend of gastronomy, elegance, and tranquillity.
It is this eclectic and cosmopolitan atmosphere which makes it a place very "French Riviera".
Located behind the Acropolis, the AMF centre is one of the largest bowling alleys in France.
Ma Nolan’s, Nice Port is designed to be a warm, welcoming and atmospheric venue, the perfect place to eat, drink and party.
This night club is one of the highest rated discos in Nice. Some of the most reputed DJs are constantly invited here to perform to the satisfaction of the public thrown in a raving dancing trance.
With a Gothic interior mixed with wall frescoes and a friendly atmosphere, this is one of Nice's nicest drinking spots.
This local and friendly wine bar is the perfect place to stop for a midday snack or to try some of the local wines from the region.
There are a number of activity companies in Breil-sur-Roya where you can book yourself in for some river rafting, canyoning, via ferrata, mountain biking and many other outdoor adventures.
There are plenty of good hiking routes leading out of Breil and into the wilderness of the Vallée de la Roya. You can walk to Sospel in about five hours, from where you can pick up the Train des Merveilles to take you back to Nice, or Saorge and Tende are also wonderful places to trek to.
The GR52 trail that goes from Geneva in the Haute-Savoie to Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes passes through Breil, look out for the red and white markers painted on rocks, walls and trees. You can find all routes on map IGN #3841 OT Vallée de la Roya.
Other activities in the village include a tour of the olive mill where you can find out how olive oil is pressed and taste some tapenade, or a visit to the Ecomusée, a museum of rare and vintage vehicles ranging from locomotives to old tramcars.
A trip for intermediate riders, where you can enjoy some of the most scenic roads in Provence.
Enjoy a wonderful, peaceful and fume-free journey along the French Riviera on a solar powered motor boat with a professional skipper.
Based in Nice, motorbike and scooter rental so you can explore the South of France.
Take a trip onboard this luxury yacht along the Riviera to any destination of your choosing.
This company is based in Nice and offers a wide range of road bikes.
Enjoy a wonderful, peaceful and fume-free journey along the French Riviera on a solar powered motor boat with a professional skipper.
Paddleboarding along the coast is a fun for the whole family!
Fly at 50 metres above the sea by yourself or with friends security attached, enjoy a spectacular view of the gorgeous Baie des Anges, mountains and surroundings.
This company are based in Breil sur Roya and offer a huge range of outdoor sports and activities for groups and individuals.
Jet-ski, waterskiing, wakeboard, wakesurf, parachute, canoe and paddleboard, Glisse Paradise have it all!
Located in the town of Vence, in a quiet residential area, charming villa set in grounds of 3600 m². Private salt water swimming pool (10m x 5m – Depth 110/170 cm – Alarm), outdoor shower (hot water), pool house (barbecue, oven, gas hob), terrace with garden furniture, deckchairs and dining table. Parking for 4 cars. 2 km shops. Beach 12km.
In the commune of Colomars, 10 km from the sea, in a residential area, beautiful villa on a plot of 1500m².
In Vence, 5 km from Saint-Paul,, in a residential area, beautiful contemporary villa located on a plot of 1000m2.
In Nice, in the residential area of Saint Pancrace, beautiful villa situated on a plot of 1Ha in edge of forest of which 2000m ² done up.
Just outside historic Vence and a short distance from magnificent Saint Paul de Vence, this beautiful and contemporary house on a generous private plot is very quietly located for exploring all the delights of this beautiful corner of the French Riviera. The villa is located in a beautiful natural setting with views of the mountains.
The villa in La Roquette-sur-Var has 4 bedrooms and has capacity for 8 people.
Located in the town of Vence, in a quiet residential area, charming villa set in grounds of 3600 m². Private salt water swimming pool (10m x 5m – Depth 110/170 cm – Alarm), outdoor shower (hot water), pool house (barbecue, oven, gas hob), terrace with garden furniture, deckchairs and dining table. Parking for 4 cars. 2 km shops. Beach 12km.
In the commune of Colomars, 10 km from the sea, in a residential area, beautiful villa on a plot of 1500m².
In Vence, 5 km from Saint-Paul,, in a residential area, beautiful contemporary villa located on a plot of 1000m2.
In Nice, in the residential area of Saint Pancrace, beautiful villa situated on a plot of 1Ha in edge of forest of which 2000m ² done up.
In the heart of the French Riviera, 10 km from the beach and 13 km from the airport, this villa is set in lush greenery and nature.
The villa in La Roquette-sur-Var has 4 bedrooms and has capacity for 8 people.
Charming hotel with a secluded tropical garden set in the heart of Nice within a walking distance to the city's main attractions.
Château Saint-Martin & Spa is a former 12th century Knights Templar Commandery with superb views over the sweep of the Côte d’Azur. A place of consummate natural beauty set in a 32 acre park, a high point on the French Riviera where sea and the mountains unite.
Exquisite and intimate, the rooms and suites of Château Eze cling to the side of the ancient rock walls of Eze, a thousand-year-old Medieval village more than 400 metres above the Mediterranean Sea.
The Hotel Suisse is ideally situated between right on the beach front and offers fantastic, uninterrupted sea views right in the heart of Nice.
Famous hotel and site named after Henri Negresco with an equally famous restaurant Le Chantecler, located on the Promenade des Anglais.
Tucked inside the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence, Hotel Le Saint Paul offers timeless charm, artistic flair, and refined hospitality in a Relais & Châteaux setting.
Breil-sur-Roya is easy to get to on the Train des Merveilles, which runs directly from Nice. If you want to drive you can take the N2204 via Sospel, the D2566 from Menton or the E74 from Vintimiglia in Italy.
From the airport to the city centre, they handle the rest. The Côte d’Azur's most trusted private transfers.
Created in 1976 this company has grown and has now transported well over 100,000 passengers. They have a fleet of 12 craft to meet client demands.
Heli Securite offer transfers on a helicopter from the airport to your yacht or various destinations in and around the Cannes area, St Tropez and Monaco. In addition to this they also service all of the main French ski resorts from their base in Courchevel.
With an International fleet of jets and helicopters based across Europe it is quick and easy to get a private charter flight for business, pleasure or an airport transfer.
Chabe Transfers are a renowned luxury transfer and taxi service operating in the French Riviera.
With a long history and experience in the VIP transport industry this company is proud of its personal and high-quality services.
Le Chauvain, 16 renovated apartments in the centre of Nice.
Located in the heart of Mont Boron, one of Nice’s most prestigious and sought-after neighborhoods, this 138 sq m corner apartment embodies the elegance and serenity of the French Riviera.
Lovely provencal style villa located on the heights of Villefranche sur Mer in a gated domain.
Find out all about what is happening in Nice and how to make the most of your time here. The latest news, reviews of fun activities, fabulous beaches, current events and the trendiest restaurants, as well as interviews with leading locals, insider's guides and our top choices for things to do, see and experience in this cosmopolitan city.
See allLatest News & ReviewsYou will not be short of entertainment in this beautiful French Riviera town throughout the year. The most popular public events take place along the Promenade des Anglais, including the Carnival in February, the Bastille celebrations in July and the Nice marathon in November. There are also plenty of live music and cultural festivals.
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