Best things to do in Nice

Marineland receives over a million visitors a year. See performances by trained sea creatures, including trained orcas, otters, and seals.

Enjoy beautiful sweeping city views from Colline du Chateau overlook. Take the more than 100 steps up, and on a clear day, you can see the Alps as well as the town's beautiful parks.

Musée Marc Chagall, founded in 1973, houses some of the best works of Marc Chagall. Chagall himself guided the architecture of the museum. Note the mosaic arching over a pond, and the blue stained glass that adorns the walls of the concert hall. View a famous series of 17 religious paintings, which Chagall offered to the French state in 1966. The museum hosts exhibitions on world religion, as per Chagall's wishes.

Place Massena features broad pathways, contrasting colors, and notable surrounding buildings. From here, the old city is within easy reach, as are the sea and the main shopping thoroughfares. The square has seven resin statues representing the seven continents, created by Jaume Plensa, a Spanish artist who specialized in monumental art.

Old Town has a rustic and medieval feel with its historic buildings lining a meshwork of small roads. Stroll, shop, eat in one of the little restaurants, or just mingle with the locals.

This famous street travels along Nice's waterfront. Promenade des Anglais is a broad pathway stretching miles next to a wide beach. The promenade is popular for walking, biking, skateboarding, and in-line skating. Sit on a bench along the path, in one of the blue chairs (chaises bleues), or in a cabana. The promenade hosts numerous events, such as street plays and art competitions.

Cathedrale Saint-Nicolas a Nice houses some of the greatest Tsarist art in France. The cathedral's construction was funded by Tsar Nicholas II, and devout Russian courtiers once visited regularly. Ownership of the structure was disputed for about half a decade, and was finally settled in favor of the Russian government.

Musee d'Art Moderne Et d'Art Contemporain was inaugurated in June 1990, and is an example of Neoclassical architecture, with a facade covered in Carrara marble. The collections present an overview of avant-garde artistic creations from the mid-20th century to the present day, and are dedicated to movements such as the New Realists, American Pop Art, and minimalism. The museum's ten galleries spread over 370,000 sq m (4,000,000 sq ft).

Follow your taste buds through the culinary landscape of Nice on a guided food tour. Walking around the city, you'll work up an appetite--easily satiated with morsels of French-Italian flavors common to Provence. Home of classics like Nicoise salad, the city is packed with food vendors and sit-down eateries serving mouthwatering specialties. Tours generally last about four hours, with food samples and wine included in the price.

A national museum devoted to the work of French painter Henri Matisse, Musee Matisse holds one of the world's largest collections of his works, with 68 paintings and gouache cutouts, 236 drawings, 218 prints, 57 sculptures, 14 illustrated books, 95 photographs, and 187 objects that belonged to the painter. These are displayed alongside serigraphs, tapestries, ceramics, stained glass, and various documents. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, lecture series, and screenings of art films.

The Romans first settled Lérins Islands, a group of four Mediterranean islands which now belong to the commune of Cannes. Tiny, forested Île Sainte-Marguerite housed the fortress where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned for 11 years. His cell can be seen in the Museum of the Sea, which also houses archaeological discoveries from shipwrecks off the coast of the island. Guided tours in English are available. The other three islands are Île Saint-Honorat, Îlot Saint-Ferréol, and Îlot de la Tradelière, the last two of which are uninhabited. Île Saint-Honorat is now inhabited and run by monks, who pray and make wine in their leisure time. You can visit the 11th-century monastery ruins.

Trek along the rustic Mediterranean scenery at Massif de l'Esterel, a protected mountain range spanning the French Riviera. The sight of these craggy porphyry cliffs fringed by dark vegetation and rising above an azure sea has inspired many writers and painters. Rugged terrain with deep ravines and old cork oak forests provide shelter to red deer, foxes, and wild boars. A national forest extends for 130 sq km (50 sq mi), crisscrossed with hiking and mountain biking trails featuring maritime and stone pines and strawberry trees. Enjoy the sound of cicadas and inhale the scents of rosemary, thyme, and lavender.

Entirely dedicated to the brilliant work of Pablo Picasso, Musee Picasso is housed in the Hôtel Salé in Paris. The collection holds more than 3,000 examples of Picasso’s work in all styles, including ceramics, sculptures in wood and metal, drawings, and paintings. You'll also see Picasso's personal collection of works by other artists, including Cézanne, Degas, Rousseau, Seurat, de Chirico, Matisse, and some of his African inspirations. Peruse news clippings and photographs that chronicle the artist's defining moments.

A monumental example of Baroque architecture, Place Garibaldi spreads across the area between the old town and the town center, lined by Roman-style buildings. This spacious square was designed by Antoine Spinelli, who also worked on the beautiful Chapelle du Saint-Sepulcre, which is visible from the square. Visit the cafes and try the excellent local seafood. From here, take a tour of the harbor of Vieux-Nice, the municipal theater, or the Modern Art Museum, which are all in walking distance.