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.

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

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.

A small collection of some of Matisse's works and items from his own personal collection and that of his descendants are housed in an impressive 17th century Genoese mansion.

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

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.

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

Located in the Baumettes neighbourhood, this Fine Arts museum is housed in an impressive 19th-century villa and contains an important collection of paintings and sculptures.

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

This museum was set up by outstanding chef Auguste Escoffier who worked as head chef at the Savoy in London. He founded this museum which is dedicated to culinary art.

Just outside Saint-Paul de Vence lies one of France's most famous modern and contemporary art museums. Surrounded by pleasant gardens, this is a nice place to spend your afternoon.

With items from prehistoric times, and fine arts and decorative arts from as early as the 17th century, all the way up to the first half of the 20th century.

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.

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!

Situated within the Royal Fort on Ile Sainte-Marguerite in the Bay of Cannes, this museum is a place not only of learning but also of rich history.