©Nice-Ville (French: Gare de Nice-Ville) is the main railway station in Nice, France. Nice Ville was built away from the centre although Nice has now extended around the station. The station has been remodelled several times but always kept its original style of Arles stone sculptures and forged steel rooftop.|IStock

The TOP 5 guided tours in Nice

The capital of the Côte d’Azur, Nice is the fifth-largest city in France and the second-largest in the southern region. It boasts a range of remarkable sites that reflect different periods: Antiquity, the Middle Ages and recent times. Based on this rich cultural heritage, the Guides de France have devised 5 must-do guided tours to help you get to know the city, which will be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021.

In the footsteps of the Romans

Nice is home to a Roman quarter, Cimiez, located on the heights of the city.

For a long time, Celto-Ligurian populations lived here before mixing with the Romans who settled in southern Gaul from the end of the IIᵉ century.

Cimiez was then called Cemenelum and was a major Roman site with an amphitheatre and thermal baths.

The Guides de France invite you to rediscover Nice’s Roman past through a tour: follow them!

➥ Book your visit to Nice with the Guides de France
➥ Listen to the Guides de France on France Bleu Azur

©Nice, France - July 18 2019: Roman Baths ruins archaeological site Cimiez travel holiday|IStock

Nice in the days of the county

The Vieux Nice (Old Nice) comprises the medieval and modern quarters at the foot of the castle hill, at a time when the town was under the control of the Savoy family, and later the kings of Piedmont and Sardinia, until 1861.

One of the main attractions of Vieux Nice is the Cathedral of Sainte-Réparate, built in the Baroque period in the heart of a maze of narrow, cool streets bustling with shops.

To discover the secrets of Vieux Nice, follow the Guides de France on a guided tour.

➥ Book your tour of Old Nice with the Guides de France

Nice, capital of painters on the Côte d’Azur

Numerous painters have settled on the Côte d’Azur, attracted by the gentle way of life and the beauty of the seascapes: Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Klein.

Nice has two major cultural institutions in the Cimiez district, the Matisse Museum and the Musée National du Message Biblique or Marc Chagall Museum. Matisse and Chagall are closely linked to Nice and the Côte d’Azur, the former having stayed several times at theHotel Regina in a room converted into a studio, while the latter settled in Vence after the Second World War, then Saint-Paul de Vence, where he is buried.

To find out more about the history of the main painters in Nice, and discover the museums involved, book a tour with the Guides de France.

➥ Book your visit to Nice and the painters with the Guides de France
➥ Listen again to the Guides de France on Bleu Azur about Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall

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Around the station, revisit the Nice of today

In the second half of the XIXᵉ century, the city of Nice developed thanks to the arrival of the railway.

Tourism became a major activity, attracting national and international visitors.

Hotels expanded in the Cimiez district, whose boulevard was opened thanks to capital from Lyon, and on the Promenade des Anglais, which became one of the city’s lively centres.

To explore Nice’s recent architectural history, around the two previous centuries, follow the Guides de France: they’ll take you on amazing discoveries thanks to their range of guided tours.

➥ Book your visit to Nice with Guides de France

Nice gourmand: culture, guided tours and food

Cuisine is an essential part of Nice’s identity, and the Guides de France invite you to enjoy a real taste experience.

Pissaladière, socca, stuffing, local wines, olives… the Guides de France will tantalise your taste buds with gourmet tours that include stops at carefully selected producers in Vieux Nice and the station district.

The Libération food market and the Cours Saleya flower market have a few surprises in store for you, so we advise you to book your gourmet tours for late morning.

➥ Book your gourmet tour of Nice with the Guides de France
➥ Listen again to the Guides de France on Bleu Azur about Nice cuisine

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