Attractions
Cimiez
In a residential area in the hills above the hustle and bustle of the city, the grounds of Cimiez include a large park set amid olive groves, the Archaeology Museum, Matisse Museum and the Franciscan Museum and Monastery. Also within the gardens the Musée National Message Biblique Marc-Chagall displays some 450 of the artist's oils, drawings, pastels, lithographs, sculptures, and ceramics. During a couple of weeks in August, Cimiez is the site of the Nice Jazz Festival, with music being played every day until midnight and performed on three stages, in the olive groves and the Roman Amphitheatre. It is an hour's walk, or a short bus ride from the town centre.
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
Housed in the former residence of the Ukrainian Princess Kotchubey is a fine collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, including works by Boudin, Ziem, Raffaelli, Renoir and Monet. The gallery also includes great sculptures including works by J. B. Carpeaux, Rude, and Rodin. There is also an important collection devoted to the masters of the Second Empire and Belle Epoque.
Address: 33 Avenue des Baumettes;
Telephone: (0)4 9215 2828;
website:www.musee-beaux-arts-nice.org;
Transport: Bus 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 22 or 23 to Grosso stop, or bus 38 to Chéret stop;
Opening time: Daily except Mondays 10am to 6pm;
Admission: Eur4 (adults), Eur2.50 (concessions). Under-18s are free
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Musée Matisse
Matisse spent the last few years of his life in Nice and he is honoured by this museum. The museum has several permanent collections, mostly painted in Nice and many donated by the artist and his heir. The better known paintings include Nude in an Armchair with a Green Plant (1937), Nymph in the Forest (1935/1942) and Portrait of Madame Matisse (1905). There is also an ensemble of drawings including The Créole Dancer (1951) and Blue Nude IV (1952). Seeing his nude sketches today, you'll wonder why early critics denounced them as "the female animal in all her shame and horror".
Address: 164 Av. des Arènes de Cimiez;
Telephone: (0)4 9381 0808;
E-mail:matisse@nice-coteazur.org;
website:www.musee-matisse-nice.org;
Transport: Bus 15, 17, 20, 22 or 25;
Opening time: Daily except Tuesdays 10am to 6pm;
Admission: Eur4, under 18's free. Concessions available
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Phoenix Parc Floral de Nice
Outside Nice, near the airport, this vast tourist attraction includes a botanical garden and a bird and insect zoo where visitors can tour a greenhouse full of wonderful butterflies. There is also a tacky theme park with automated dinosaurs and mock Mayan temples but the highlight of the park is the Musée Départemental des Artes Asiatiques, which houses a collection of ethnographic artefacts, including silk goods and pottery, as well as traditional and contemporary art.
Address: 405 Promenade des Anglais;
Telephone: (0)4 9229 7700;
Opening time: Museum 10am to 6pm (May to September), 10am to 5pm (October to April); closed Tuesdays. Park 9am to 7pm (March to October), 9am to 5pm (November to April);
Admission: Eur5.34 (museum); Eur6.10 (park)
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The Chateau
With wonderful views over the rooftops and gleaming mosaic tiles of Old Nice, along the sweep of the promenade des Anglais and out to the Mediterranean, the Château park is good place for visitors to orientate themselves with the city. The Château has long gone but with cool walks in the shade of the trees, a large grassy park, Roman ruins and a waterfall it is a great place to spend an afternoon. To reach the park, visitors can either climb the steps at the front, from the Quai des Etats Unis, or for those who aren't up to it an elevator is available.
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Antibes
Antibes is a pleasant excursion a few miles east of Cannes. It has one of the best markets on the coast and an excellent Picasso museum in its ancient seafront castle, the 16th-century Château Grimaldi. Picasso was lent a room in the castle to use as a studio in 1946. Several extremely prolific months followed before he moved to Vallauris, leaving all his Antibes output to what is now the Musée Picasso. Although Picasso donated other works later, most of the collection dates from this one period. The best known work is Ulysses and his Sirens. There are also works here by some of Picasso's contemporaries including Nicholas de Stael. Picasso himself is the subject of some of his paintings. Alongside the castle is a cathedral which dates from Medieval times; only the choir and apse survive from the original Romanesque building, the nave and magnificent facade are Baroque. Nearby is a market which is open every morning over the summer and overflows with local produce.
Opening time: Musée Picasso open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (June to September); rest of year 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm. Please note however that the museum is closed until further notice due to renovations;
Admission: Eur4.58
