See the beautiful city of Nice on this fast-paced, half-day guided excursion.
After meeting your driver/guide on the tender pier shoreside, you will depart Cannes in your exclusive group of no more than eight guests. Your destination is the city of Nice, approximately 50 minutes away along the coast. Enjoy the views as your guide gives you information about the day.
Your first stop will be the Colline du Chateau, the former site of a 12th-century chateau razed by Louis XIV in a fit of anger. Now a city park with waterfalls, it has commanding views from 300 feet overlooking both new and old Nice.
The area now known as Nice (Nissa la Belle) was first inhabited by the Greeks around 350 BC, who named it after the goddess of victory, Nike. In the early 1800s, the English upper class began to winter in the area due to the mild Mediterranean climate. In the mid to late 1800s, artists the likes of Renoir, Chagall, and Matisse, came here for the light. Others soon followed. As you drive along the Promenade des Anglais (Walkway of the English) that parallels the sea, try to picture the English promenading in their Victorian finery.
You will continue along the seafront passing the Belle Epoque Hotel Negresco, built in 1920 to attract Europe's elite. Further, along the coast, you will see a Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1912 for a Czar's wife who occasionally wintered here. There are many photo ops!
A drive along the Avenue de Verdun, with parks and gardens down its middle, will show you more of the beautiful architecture and the Place Massena, the city's main square. Driving away from the sea, you will find the hilly Cimiez neighborhood, where the upper class built their homes. It was here in the late 1800s that the Excelsior Regina Palace was built, so Queen Victoria would have a place to stay. Nearby is the 17th-century Villa des Arenes, now home to the Musee Matisse (Matisse Museum).
No visit to Nice would be complete without a visit to its old town, Vieille Ville. Here, you will have approximately 40 minutes of free time to wander along its narrow pedestrian streets lined with shops selling Provencal wares. Smell the cafes selling fresh pastries or stroll through the fresh food and flower market along Cours Saleya (the market is closed on Mondays). See the colorful vegetables, ripe olives, and fresh seafood in the birthplace of the Salad Nicoise. Try socca, the local Provencal chickpea pancake served warm from pushcarts and is best when shared.
All too soon, you will meet your driver for the trip back to Cannes and your cruise ship tender pier, approximately 50 minutes away.
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