House / Gardens Sights in Nice — 15 of Our Favourites

Nice's botanical gardens were created in 1983. It has an extensive herbarium as well as grasses, flowers and trees from Mediterranean climates all over the world. It is divided into areas that represent zones of Mediterranean climate around the world, including South Africa, South Australia, Mexico, Greece, Spain, the Near East, the Canary Islands, China or Japan.

The garden's position means it has great views inland towards the Alps and the Var valley, as well as the Baie des Anges.

Béatrice was the daughter of baron Alphonse de Rothschild, a banker and renowned art collector. At the age of 19, she married Maurice Ephrussi, a Parisian banker of Russian origin, 15 years her senior, and a friend of her parents. The marriage quickly turned sour for Béatrice. She contracted a serious illness from Maurice, which prevented her from having children. Maurice was a gambler and in 1904, his debts totalled over 12 million gold francs, the equivalent of 30 million euros today.

She divorced Maurice in 1904, and dedicated herself to her passion, art collection. When she inherited her father's fortune, she decided to build her dream home in Cap Ferrat. Works started in the garden, which took 7 years to complete, while the villa was began in 1907. Jacques-Marcel Auburtin was the architect who satisfied the demanding Béatrice and built it with an Italiante northern façade with Renaissance influences and a Venetian-influenced southern façade.

She moved into the villa in 1912, which was turned into her winter residence. Inside it is filled with clever trompe-l’œil paintings which disguise the metal columns and retains much of its opulent and rich furnishings.

You can now visit the villa's stunning landscaped gardens, which include spaces in traditional French style, as well as Spanish, Florentine and Japanese gardens. Inside, witness the villa's luxury in its reception areas, as well as in Béatrice's private apartments, sumptuously decorated and full of works of art. Absolutely worth a visit.

Situated within a large park at 370m of altitude, this observatory was conceived by the banker Raphael-Louis Bischoffsheim. The building was designed by Garnier, while Eiffel tackled the huge 24m rotating dome, which opens to see the stars, manually at first until the installation of a motor in 1888. The movement was possible thanks to an ingenious system based on water with magnesium chloride on which the dome floated.

At the time, it had the world's largest telescope, 18m long with a lens 76cm wide, operational in 1888. With it, 2000 new stars have been discovered in Nice.

All the buildings in the observatory, as well as the telescope, have been declared a historic monument. It is set in a 40 hectare park with stunning views, and is a centre of international research.

The ruins of the castle, destroyed during the Spanish Succession War in 1706, can still be seen. They were very popular during the Belle Epoque, where visitors would wander around the garden and enjoy the panoramic views

This sheltered spot is home to species of plants normally only found in more arid lands, it is well-known for its collection of succulents, including cactus, aloes and agaves. There are also Mediterranean species and works of art, which you can discover following one of their discovery paths.

The park is neither one of the largest nor one of the oldest parks in Nice as it was only recently built in 1971 on the property of a former local viscount, Achille Georges Vigier.

The greenery consists mainly of Mediterranean species, palm trees and sundry exotic specimens. Most importantly, the first Phoenix Canariensis was planted on this site.

Opens at 08:00. Closing time depends on the time of year (19:00 in April, May and September; 20:00 from June to August; 18:00 from October to March)

Théodore Reinach, an archaeologist and French statesman fascinated with Greek civilisation recreated a Greek villa on the rocky tip of the Baie des Fourmis. It was designed and built between 1902 and 1908 based on the model of noble houses on the Island of Delos from the 2nd century BC

Designed by architect Emmanuel Pontremoli, the villa is entirely furnished and decorated. A reinvention of ancient Greece, the house combines ancient luxury with the modern comfort of Belle Epoque villas using luxury materials such as stucco, Carrara marble and exotic wood, together with a sumptuous decoration incorporating mosaics and frescoes illustrating the stories of ancient gods and classic heroes. The villa is organised around a central courtyard surrounded by marble columns.

Reinach spent his holidays here with his family and, on his death in 1928, he bequeathed it to the Institut de France. In 1967 it became a national monument.

One scene is said to depict Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in a bas-relief - though other suggestions are that it shows the fiery couple who lived there at the time. Whichever is true, it is still one of the best remaining examples of this type of architecture.

The facade was decorated using the technique of "sgraffito", popular in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries. It is done by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colours to a moistened surface.

It's a veritable playground of nature! With 20 themed gardens - each area is set to its own soundtrack of piped music - it covers exotic gardens from throughout the world.

The greenhouse is one of the largest in Europe, at 25 metres high and with a floor space of 7,000 square metres. The lake features pelicans, black swans and turtles. With benches situated around its perimeter, it's an ideal spot for relaxation.

The park stretches over seven hectares and is located next to Nice Airport. There is a snack bar open all year.

Built at the turn of the 20th century by Danish architect Hans-George Tersling, it has a Neoclassical style with Italianate influences. Prince Victor of Essling, grandson of the local marshal André Masséna, lived here during winter.

It was gifted to the city in 1921 and has recently been renovated. It now displays interiors faithful to a reinterpretation of the Belle Epoque era and has beautifully landscaped gardens which have also been restored.

Great for picnics and Sunday walks, it is also the site of a number of Roman arenas and amphitheatres as well as an archaeological museum. These Roman ruins can be visited for free.

In May, it is the location for the annual Nice Jazz Festival.

Originally there was a river of the same name that ran through this area; the more serpentine of the paved paths apparently follows where it used to flow. The river separated Old Nice from the more modern part of town but after a series of serious floods it was gradually filled in and built over, being used for markets and trade fairs until the bus station was built in the 1970’s.

The Promenade begins in Place Massena with the Miroir d’Eau (mirror of water), a 3000m² paved section dotted with water jets; sometimes they puff out a gentle cooling mist that is pure relief on a hot day, sometimes they shoot fountains of water high into the air - they can switch at a moment’s notice, so walk amongst them at your own risk! They are a huge hit with children who love running in and out of the jets and shrieking with laughter every time they change.

Further down the Promenade is a children’s play area with fantastical weird wooden creatures that they can climb and swing on. The ground is cushioned and covered with fake grass, while a gated fence prevents them from straying into the road.

The last section of the Promenade is a long stretch of lawn lined with olive trees; this section is the most peaceful and where you’re most likely to find office workers enjoying a packed lunch or elderly locals reading the newspaper.

The Promenade has paved walkways weaving through it and plenty of benches along both sides. With over 1000 trees and 50,000 plants, it has been planned so that there are always some botanical varieties in bloom all year round. There are also a few shaded areas with wooden armchairs near to the public toilets and tourist information desk.

Entry to the Promenade du Paillon is completely free and opening hours are from 07:00-23:00 in summer and 07:00-21:00 in winter.

Cycling is not permitted in the park but a cycle path runs along the outside of it on Avenue Felix Faure and there are Véloblue stations at either end if you want to ride there and park up nearby.

The footpaths that weave in and out of the forested areas loop round, sometimes doubling back on themselves, so it can be quite confusing trying to find your way around. Just enjoy the wander and see what you stumble across!

The park is built on a steep rock that towers over the bay of Nice on one side and the port on the other; there are various vantage points where you can take stunning photographs that look like they should be on a postcard. Come up at dusk to admire one of the best sunsets around.

One of the parks most impressive features is the large waterfall that cascades down over a short cliff; you can walk up to the base of it and feel the cool spray or stand at the top and watch the torrent come crashing down from the viewing balcony.

The park has a safe playground for children with climbing frames to suit all ages; it is fenced in and there are benches nearby for parents to relax while they keep an eye on the kids. Large lawns dotted with shady trees make excellent picnic spots and you can pick up fresh baguettes and local cheese from the old town on your way up.

There are two cafés up here, both serve reasonably priced snacks, hot meals, ice creams and drinks and have sunny outdoor seating. One has a children’s play area nearby, while the other is more peaceful and is located near the old castle wall where you can still see a dent from a cannonball strike. Neither has toilets though, you have to pay a small charge to use the park facilities which are clean and well-kept (if a little hidden).

The summit of Colline du Chateau is at 93m and you can walk up either from the old town of Nice, from the eastern end of Promenade des Anglais or from the port area. There is also an elevator which you can access at Quai Rauba Capeu at the far end of the Promenade des Anglais just before the road swings up and round into the port.

Public transport comes courtesy of the little white tourist train that includes the park on it’s tour of Nice - you can pick up the train from the Promenade des Anglais.

The chateau was restored by architect Jean François Bodin, author of the restorations of the Modern Art Museum in Paris and the Matisse Museum in Nice.

Exhibitions of modern and contemporary art are the mainstay of this gallery and you can see works by Matisse and Chagal, who both lived in Vence for several years. There are also cultural events throughout the year, such as encounters with artists and critics, or educational workshops.

There is a path that will take you to all the corners of the park, which has more than 500 centenary olive trees, as well as oak and pine trees. There are also historic buildings in the park, such as the 1740 Sorguebelle Villa at the entrance, the Bellevue Villa, former mansion of the Estienne d'Orves count covered with trompe-l'oeil friezes, or the Vicina Villa, which was the count's painting studio.

From the top, there are wonderful views of the city and out across the Mediterranean over the Anges Bay. There is also a children's park. It's a great place to escape to for a walk, lunch with a view or a kick around.

Inspired by Austrian landscapes, the waterfall was built in 1883 when central European spas, like Baden Baden in Germany, were in vogue. They created a rustic artificial rock wall and a wide waterfall which also served a functional purpose: oxygenating the water before distributing it into the city.

Whilst the surrounding area is a little artificial, with caves and ponds, the views back to Nice city are spectacular. Definitely worth a visit.