Plaza Sights in Nice — 4 of Our Favourites

From breakfast through until dinner there are stalls selling flowers, fruit and veg, local cheeses, honey, saucisson, olive oil, local crafts, artwork and more. On Mondays it turns into a busy antiques market where you can find anything from genuine collectibles to kitsch bric-a-brac.

The square is overlooked by grand old buildings with huge ornate facades in bright yellow and orange ochre - Henri Matisse lived in one of them during the 1930’s.

Restaurants surround the square and are open all day and late into the evening, it’s a great spot to dine if you enjoy being in the thick of it. If you haven’t tried the local dish yet, look out for the stall selling hot fresh socca straight from the pan. There are a few bars that stay open late and you are not far from the nightlife of the old town.

Cours Saleya is the pulse of old Nice; loud and lively, the stalls brimming with lush colourful produce underneath stripy awnings; the restaurants all have tables outside, many tucked in between the crowded market stalls; ice cream stalls and fresh fish counters display their wares and waiters dash in and amongst the crowds. It’s chaos, but it’s fun!

A visit to Cours Saleya is a must, whether you buy anything or not.

Inaugurated in 2002, La Tête Carrée is the work of Sacha Sosno, a French sculptor who spent much time in the company of other celebrated local artists such as Henri Matisse and Yves Klein. It is an iconic building that, at the time, was the first inhabited monumental sculpture in the world. Also titled, “Thinking Inside the Box," the giant square head houses 3 floors of books within the central library, “Bibliothèque Louis Nucera”.

Sitting on the corner of Promenade des Arts, La Tête Carrée looks out over Place Yves Klein from the small but colourful Jardin Maréchal Juin, a public garden crammed full of various bright blooms. Small paths weave in and out of the flowerbeds and there are a couple of other sculptures dotted about.

On the opposite side of the square to La Tête Carrée is a small landscaped area with ornamental fountains and the Acropolis, a large conference and exhibition centre that also houses a bowling alley and cinema.

Look up if you’re passing La Tête Carrée at night, as it is lit from within and you can make out the floors of the library inside.

All along the Baie des Anges runs a wide pavement that is always packed with sightseers, joggers, rollerbladers, families, street performers, artists and so on. "The Prom" is overlooked by the castle at one end; it only takes a few minutes to walk up the winding staircase to the viewing platform and is well worth it for the beautiful aerial views of the Promenade and its beaches.

Many events take place along the Promenade throughout the year such as the Carnival in February, the Bastille celebrations in July and the Nice marathon in November - have a look at our events calendar to see what is coming up soon.

​Other than the beaches, there are plenty of places to visit along the Promenade: the famous Hotel Negresco is the grandest hotel in Nice and a national historic monument; Parc Phoenix has tropical birds, waterfalls and botanic gardens; the Museum of Asian Arts and the Massena Villa both have excellent art collections from two very different backgrounds.

Bicycle lanes run the entire length of the Promenade, keeping cyclists safely apart from the traffic on the busy road and there are a number of Vélobleu stations where you can hire bikes for as little as 1€. There are also many bus stops all along the road, so getting to your favourite section of beach is very easy.

It was recently revamped during the extensive renovations that took place on the Promenade du Paillon and now benefits from shaded seating areas, toilets, improved walkways and a refreshing mist that puffs up from the ground casting rainbows on sunny days.

The park plays host to numerous festivals during the summer months, most notably the Nice Jazz Festival every July. Within the park is the Theatre de Verdure, a popular concert venue that has welcomed an eclectic line-up of guests such as Edith Piaf, Iron Maiden and Sting. Our sneaky tip is to go for a drink at the rooftop terrace of the Boscolo Plaza Hotel right opposite; it overlooks the park and you can hear the music clearly, you even gets a birds-eye view of the stage!

This area is great for families; Promenade du Paillon has excellent play areas with climbing frames and swings, both parks have the ever-exciting water fountains, and Jardin Albert 1er has a traditional carousel complete with galloping horses and swooping aeroplanes. Both parks are fenced in, so there’s no danger of children wandering into the street and there are plenty of cafés, restaurants and snack bars nearby. Toilet facilities are clean and modern, you have to pay a small charge to use them but we think it’s worth it to have them so well looked after.

Quieter than the nearby Promenade du Paillon, Jardin Albert 1er is popular with local workers enjoying a lunchtime snooze and leisurely strollers who’ve drifted in from the Promenade des Anglais. With ornamental fountains and beautiful flowers, it provides a tranquil haven for the Niçois to stroll and relax during their leisure time.