House / Gardens Sights in Nice

Just a few minutes walk from the centre of Nice you can find yourself in a lush green park, shaded from the intense Mediterranean sun, high enough to benefit from a cool breeze and with showstopping views of the bay of Nice. Colline du Chateau translates as “Castle Hill” and, once upon a time, there was indeed a castle up here. All that remains now are the ruins but they are open to the public and there are information boards telling you what part of the castle they would have been.

At the edge of the sea, facing the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, the villa is a magic place that takes you back in time. Discover this French Riviera seaside palazzo, a luxurious recreation of an Ancient Greek villa.

This astronomical observatory is located on top of mont Gros. It was built in 1881 and was designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera House, and Gustave Eiffel, the celebrated creator of the Eiffel Tower.

Eze's exotic gardens were created after the Second World War, in the ruins of Eze castle. Located on steep terrain, it boasts wonderful panoramic views of the sea, the Esterel mountains and the Saint-Tropez gulf.

Located on the rue Poissonnerie, this ancient house is famous for its impressive façade which dates to 1584.

This impressive villa was built in 1906 by Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild. It overlooks the Mediterranean sea from Cap Ferrat and it is full of antique furniture, Old Master paintings, sculptures and a collection of rare porcelain, while the gardens are classified as Notable Gardens of France.

Located close to the city’s harbour, this park stretches over a surface of 1 hectare.

The natural park of Estienne d'Orves sits on Saint-Phillipe hill and was opened to the public in 2008. Its 15 hectares are located on the old terrain of the Chateau Miramar, near the centre of Nice.

Nice’s flagship urban park covers 12 hectares in the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk from Promenade des Anglais. Promenade du Paillon used to be a very congested and rather ugly thoroughfare where the old bus station and multi storey car park were situated. It was demolished in 2011 and a 3 year development project took place to turn it into the oasis of green open space, safe play areas and impressive water features that we enjoy today.

Phœnix Park combines parkland, tropical greenhouses, an aviary, a lake and over 2,500 species of plant.

The château (more like a townhouse, so don't go looking for turrets) was originally built in the 17th century and was gifted to the town of Vence by Emile Hugues who had been the mayor.

A lovely 3 hectares park in Nice, very close to the Matisse Museum and the Cimiez Monastery, with ancient olive trees.

Handily located on the Promenade des Anglais, Villa Masséna is a wonderful example of Belle Epoque architecture.

This Mediterranean botanical garden sits on the hillside and has over 3,000 different plant species divided into 40 different areas.

The Gairaut waterfall was constructed in the 19th century alongside a wooden alpine chalet to celebrate the completion of the Vésubie canal.