If you want to experience the flair of Provence, you only have to wander a little through the narrow and winding streets of the old town of Nice. The oldest and most original quarter of the city lies below the castle hill Colline du Chateau and invites you to stroll and linger: in the numerous boutiques and galleries, on the great flower market Cours Saleya and in the wonderful cafés, bars and restaurants.
Italian flair in Vieux Nice
The Italian past of Nice is omnipresent. The old buildings are often decorated with frescoes and the labyrinth of narrow streets is reminiscent of Venice. The pastel-coloured or dark red house facades alternate with small baroque churches and chapels. Clotheslines or even birdcages hang from the dark green shutters. Nice's old town is home to many Arabs and the so-called "pieds noirs", Algerian French. Italian immigrants have also found their home in Nice's old town.
Relaxing in small cafés
Every day there is a market of some kind here, with the smell of flowers, coffee, fish and all kinds of delicacies. Numerous small shops sell high-quality fresh food. Countless small bistros and restaurants invite you for a café and it is fun to just watch the hustle and bustle.
A walk through the old town
Those who walk through the oldtown will pass the cathedral St. Réparate from the 17th century. The church is located almost in the middle of the winding old town alleys and the three-aisled building was built in the early baroque style. The interior of the church, decorated in blue and white, is particularly worth seeing. In the immediate vicinity is the Palais Lascaris. The building was modelled on a Genoese city palace and is one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Vieux Nice. Built in 1643, the palace first served as the residence of a field marshal, but after the Revolution it was used as a tenement house and fell visibly into disrepair. Since 1942, the building has been used as a museum and thus saved from decay. The palace is open to visitors every day except Tuesdays between 10 am and 6 pm, and on the ground floor there is a pharmacy with antique furnishings worth seeing.
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Rossetti Square in the old town with cathedral and numerous restaurants (Photo: SvetlanaSF / Shutterstock.com)[/caption]
