Nice

Nice announces itself with color: the deep blue of the Baie des Anges, the ochre and pink facades of the old town, the endless parade of the Promenade des Anglais stretching along the water. This is the unofficial capital of the French Riviera, a city where Mediterranean ease meets a distinctly French sense of style. Vieux Nice rewards wandering, its market stalls piled high with socca and olives, its baroque churches tucked behind narrow alleyways that open suddenly onto sunlit squares. Above the old town, the Colline du Château offers sweeping views over the bay, while the pebbled beaches below fill each morning with locals in no rush to leave. A short trip along the coast leads to Villefranche-sur-Mer and the exclusive enclave of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, both essential detours for understanding why this coastline has captivated visitors for two centuries. Dining in Nice reflects its crossroads position between France and Italy: pissaladière fresh from the oven, salade niçoise done properly with anchovies and Niçoise olives, and rosé poured generously as the sun drops behind the Baie des Anges. By evening, the promenade fills with strollers, and the city settles into the same relaxed rhythm that has drawn visitors here since the days of the Belle Époque.