The largest resort on the Mediterranean coast and the fifth biggest city in France, Nice was founded by the Greeks in 350 BC and colonised by the Romans who developed the area behind the Port known as Cimiez. Nice has had a colourful history. First belonging to the Counts of Provence in the 10th C, it passed to the ownership of the Count of Savoy in 1388 after troubled times. In 1543 French and Turkish troupes besieged the city but thanks to Catherine Segurane and her defenders they were forced to retreat. Rue Catherine Segurane borders the Chateau Hill and is named after this famous woman. In 1793 the County of Nice was re-annexed to France and Napoleon Bonaparte lived here, revisiting in 1796 when he married Josephine. His house is marked with a plaque in Rue Bonaparte named after the famous Emperor. After the fall of the Empire in 1814, Nice reverted back again to the House of Savoy but in 1860 after the Treaty of Turin, Nice returned finally to France. Hence the city’s strong Italian influence in both architecture and cuisine.

Until World War II, it was favoured by aristocrats, including Tzar Nicholas 1’s widow who visited in 1856 making it popular thereafter for many Russian noblemen and their families to winter in its temperate climate. Tzar Nicholas 11 built the famous Russian Church in Parc Imperial which is a must to visit. Queen Victoria spent many winter months in Nice and commissioned the Palais Regina to be built on the Cimiez hill to house her family and entourage. The Palais Regina became a hotel but now houses private apartments.

Nice’s temperate winter climate and verdant sub-tropical vegetation have long attracted visitors and its glittering past has contributed to Nice becoming the capital of the Cote d’Azur. Today, Nice has great museums, good beaches and an atmospheric street life. Best of all is Carnival, 12 days of celebrations finishing on Shrove Tuesday with a magnificent firework display.

The Promenade des Anglais running right along the sea front was built primarily for the English visitors in the 1830’s. Today it is a 5km highway (3 miles) with galleries, shops, restaurants and grand hotels reflecting Nice’s prosperity.

Nice was Italian until 1860 and the pastel facades and balconies of the Old Town have a distinctly Italianate feel. It lies at the foot of a hill still known as Chateau Hill for the castle which once stood there. The Old Town is fast being restored and its tall, narrow buildings now house artists and galleries, boutiques and restaurants and some great outdoor daily markets. The flower and vegetable market in the Cours Saleya is a visual treat and a delight for shoppers as is the daily fish market in the Place St. Francois.

The Cimiez district on the hills overlooking the town is the fashionable residential quarter of Nice. The old monastry of Notre-Dame-de-Cimiez is well worth a visit. Lower down the hillside are the remains of an extensive Roman settlement with vestiges of the great baths and amphitheatre and it is here that the annual Jazz Festival is held every July. Artifacts from the excavations are on show at the archaeological museum next to the Musee Matisse. The new town, as it is known, starts at the Albert 1st Gardens on the Promenade des Anglais and the newer buildings going westward house many of the grand hotels, the famous Negresco, the Palais de Mediterranee and the Casino Rhul. Lovely examples of Nicois, Bourgeois and Art Deco architecture can be found in the Carre d’Or and Musicien Quarters while the grand Boulevards of Victor Hugo and Gambetta carry the traffic out to the A8 motorway and the Voie Rapide.

Nice has a great musical culture covering all aspects of music. For instance:

• The Baroque series of concerts given in the churches of Vieux Nice from November to April.
• Spring Philharmonic concerts at the Nice Opera House in Rue Saint-Francois-de-Paule.
• Spring Choral Concerts, again in the Baroque churches of Vieux Nice.
• The Mid-summer day of Music in June when Vieux Nice comes alive as well as the many Fete days which are celebrated with Nicois pipe and drum bands and dancing in costume as you can see from the photographs.
• The Summer Jazz Festival in the Parc des Arenes de Cimiez which is world famous and features Jazz and popular music.
• The Theatre de Verdure in the Albert 1st Gardens opposite the Hotel Meridien has a variety of music concerts which some have free entry during the summer months.
• Plus many other musical events, too numerous to mention but information on which can be obtained from the Office of Tourism on the Promenade des Anglais.

Within 1.5 hours drive, there are some excellent ski resorts including Isola 2000 and Foux d' Allos, which both have a good range of skiing for beginners to expert. There are some exceptional mountain villages within 1 hours drive with great walking and hikes. Lake Cassian is about 1/2 hour drive and is a centre for sailing, canoeing and camping. Or you can drive up into the top of the Gorges du Verdon area for some of the best paragliding and hang gliding in the world - indeed it's the test centre where Bruce Goldsmith tests several models for many of the top manufacturers. Alternatively why not canoe down the Canyon for some truly amazing adventures.

Italy is only 1.5 hours drive along the coast road to the east, or driving west takes you quickly via the motorway to St Tropez, Cannes and many other exotic resorts.