Museum / Gallery Sights in Nice

In 1617, the Duke of Guise gave Jean de Bellon the task of building a fort intended to block sea access to Cannes. Constructed between 1624 and 1627 on the site of remains that dated back to Roman antiquity, at the time it was nothing more than a simple fortified house.

A few months before his death in 1955, artist Fernand Léger acquired a farmhouse at the foot of the village of Biot. It was here that his widow Nadia Leger, decided to create a museum to honour him and showcase his life's work.

This historic perfume factory is in the heart of the Old Town and is one of the oldest in Grasse, constructed in 1782.

The world-famous painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived at La Ferme des Collettes with his family from 1907 until his death in 1919. Renoir moved to Cagnes-Sur-Mer in the hopes that the warm climate would improve his arthritis, which eventually confined him to a wheelchair. The house in which he spent the last 12 years of his life is set in a beautiful estate full of citrus and olive trees, looking out along the coastline all the way to way to the Cap d’Antibes.

This museum moved to its current location in 1989 though it has been open since 1960. It houses a variety of objects, from ancient times to the Middle Ages, including the Roman town of Cemenelum.

This grand noble residence dates to the early 17th century and was the property of the Lascaris-Vintimille family. It has an interesting collection of Baroque art and furniture.

The museum of palaeontology is located on the excavation site of the Terra Amata where there is evidence of human inhabitation going back 400,000 years.

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.

Founded by Jean Baptiste Barla in 1850 (locals know it as Museum Barla), this museum showcases a rich collection of zoological, botanical and geological specimens.

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.

The Asian Arts Museum was created by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange who created a wonderful white marble and glass construction that stands in the middle of a lake in Park Phoenix.

The museum of modern and contemporary art was opened in 1990 and features artworks from the 1960s to the present day.

The area around the Cote d'Azur is rich in prehistoric artefacts, many of which can be found in this fascinating museum.

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!

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.

Housing the largest collection of the Russian painter, Marc Chagall, the Chagall museum is one of Nice's top attractions.

The sculptor, Antoniucci Volti, was born in Italy in 1915 but his family lived in Villefranche-sur-Mer. His collection is housed in the town's 16th-century citadel.

The museum is located in the Chateau Sainte Hélène, the former private residence of perfume master François Coty, surrounded by a garden with rare aromatic plants. It showcases a collection of 'Naïve Art' paintings.