Getting Around
Aix-en-Bus is the way to get around Aix, with fantastically frequent service (04 42 26 37 28. Tickets €1. 3-day pass 5€. 10 rides €7.) Complete table of bus schedules and routes, bus passes and maps available at the Tourist Office. The Association Des Taxis Radio Aixois is also available (04 42 27 71 11).
nice
04
Nice has been on the backpacker must-see list since the youth of the world discovered its beaches and cheap wine. Combining a wealthy reputation with an affordable underbelly, Nice neatly condenses everything amazing about the Côte d’Azur into one sizzling metropolis. While those of you who’d like to escape the tourists will groan when you see the busloads of cruise-shipping retirees and loudmouthed anglophones in the Vieille Ville, you’ll cheer when you see the rock-bottom happy hour prices at the local bars, and grin when you interact with the well-established youth culture that goes out of its way to make travelers feel welcome (a rarity in France). Daytime activities revolve around the rocky beaches and immense seaside promenade; extensive shopping opportunities and an unparalleled array of museums are available for those of you who can’t just lie around all day. The city just about explodes at night, with live music in almost every bar and club and non-stop parties that make it hard to keep from dropping dead with exhaustion.
ORIENTATION
Vieux Nice
Vieux Nice is bounded by bld. Jean Juares to the north, the château to the east, and the Jardin Albert I to the west. Its winding steets are sometimes confusing for the tourists that invade the area around lunchtime and after sunset. The cours Saleya hosts local markets during the day that give way to cafes at night. Some of the largest crowds gather around the Église St. Jeaques and the Palais du Justice for street preformers. This is also where you’ll find most of Nice’s nightlife, backpackers, and cruise ship tourists. Small shops selling liqueurs, oils, and soaps are interspersed amongst the small boutique restaurants and hookah lounges.
For details on Nice map, click here
Massena
Bounded by the train station to the north, the Jardin Albert 1er to the southwest, and the bus station and old city to the east, Massena is one of the busiest areas for any commerce that extends beyond tourism in Nice. The tram runs right through the middle of the neighborhood along Jean Medecin, and stops in front of the main square, the shopping center, and the train station. The closer you get to the train station, the higher the frequency of sex shops and neon lights. On the plus side, the hotels around here are cheaper. Closer to the old city, you can find row upon row of cheap clothing outlets (or at least cheap compared to other towns on the Riviera). Massena also hosts most of the city’s metropolitan museums; almost all of them are free, though a couple of the private musuems, such as the Musée National Mesage Biblique Marc Chagall, are not. The local restaurants and bars mostly cater to residents, and you’ll be hard pressed to find fellow tourists.
Sea Front
The Sea Front is the easiest part of Nice to navigate. Step one: face ocean. Step two: walk either left or right. Boom, you have just oriented yourself along the only axis of this neighborhood. Dotted with the Massena Museum and the Opera, with the Hotel Negresco standing in the middle, the Sea Front is the least budget-friendly place to be in Nice. The hotels are pricey, the restaurants are formal, and the beaches are private. If you walk along any of the streets that run perpendicular to the ocean, you can find cheap food stands and two-star hotels. By doing so, you will have to give up the ocean view, unless you want to kink your neck in a manner befitting a circus performer to get a whiff of the salt air. A block up from the ocean runs streets parallel to the ocean, where you find more laid-back bars and cafes, as well as some affordable shopping. For those who want to escape the tourist-infested Vieux Nice at night, this is the perfect area to wander the boulevards in search of a more undiscovered Nice, one without the unattractive fanny packs and unwashed backpacks.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Vieux Nice
You’ll pay more for a smaller room in the Vieux Nice, but you can’t get any closer to the action than these hotels. It might be worth the credit card bill to keep from relying on Nice’s tram to get you from where you want to be to where you want to pass out.
HOTEL VILLA LA TOUR
4 rue de la Tour
BOUTIQUE HOTEL
04 93 80 08 15 www.villa-la-tour.com
An adorable boutique hotel in a former 18th-century monastery, La Villa de la Tour is a classier place for travelers who don’t mind paying a little extra for convenience and luxury. Check out the rooftop terrace for an intimate view of Vieux Nice.
Take the Tram (dir. Pont Michel) to Catedral Vieille Ville. Walk in same direction as tram for 2-3 blocks and turn right onto rue de la Tour. Singles €49-129; doubles €52-139; triples €150.
AU PICARDY HOTEL
10 bld. Jean Juares
HOTEL
02 93 85 75 51
This budget traveler’s favorite is easy to find and centrally located in the Vieux Nice. The family-run hotel offers simple rooms and a shared terrace that connects all the rooms to each other.
Take the tram (dir. Pont Michel) to Catedral Vieille Ville. Walk in same direction as tram for 1 block. Hotel on your right. Singles and doubles €25-38; triples and quads €40-54.
Massena
While the sex shops and neon lights might be a turnoff, Massena hosts the cheapest hotels in Nice. Don’t worry: the hotels we’ve included here don’t rent by the hour.
VILLA SAINT EXUPERY
22 av. Gravier
HOSTEL
08 00 30 74 09 www.vsaint.com
One of Europe’s coolest hostels, Villa Saint Exupery boasts one of the most extensive lists of organized activities we’ve ever seen, including sailing trips to St. Tropez and “Anything But Clothes” parties in its newly renovated monastery-turned-social-space. The place used to be one of the farthest hostels from the Vieille Ville, but all that changed in 2010 with the opening of its sister hostel in the pl. Massena. Family-run with English-speaking staff.
From the Comte de Falicon tram stop, walk toward the post office and walk up ave. du Ray. Continue straight as the road turns into ave. Gravier. Walk 2 blocks and make a sharp left turn up the steep hill to the hostel on your left. Prices change frequently depending on occupancy. Dorms €16-30; doubles €54-90. Reception open 8am-noon and 6pm-2am.
HOTEL BELLE MEUNIERE
21 av. Durant
HOSTEL
04 93 88 66 15 www.bellemeuniere.com
This manor-turned-hostel is a backpacker’s dream. Forget about the kitsch and the coin-operated soap dispensers; this place is unapologetically simple in its design and home-makeover feel. The rooms are all different and packed with loud social youth, who are attracted by the hostel’s ideal location and “Backpacker special.” New apartments with kitchenettes are also available for weekly rent not far from hostel.
From the train station, walk across the street and down the stairs to ave. Durant. Walk half a block and hostel is on your right. Backpacker Special: Breakfast, linen, and shower €18. Doubles €49-52; triples €45-60; quads €80. Reception until midnight.
PETIT LOUVRE
10 rue Emma et Phillip Tiranty
HOTEL
04 93 80 15 54
Hidden on a side street off the main drag, this hotel is centrally located and one of the best budget options for a long-term stay. The small but clean rooms offer baths, beds, and kitchenettes equipped with pots, pans, and silverware. While it may look like an Ikea catalogue, the prices are much more budget friendly.
From the tram stop Thiers, walk away from the train station down ave. Jean Medecibout 4 blocks past the Notre Dame cathedral. Turn left onto rue Emma et Phillip Tiranty. Hotel is on your left. Kitchenettes available. Singles €45-51, weekly €288; doubles €57/369; triples €68.50/440.
HOTEL INTERLAKEN
26 rue Durant
HOTEL
04 93 8
8 30 15 www.hotelinterlaken.fr
Once upon a time, Picasso and Andy Warhol had a love child. That love child was then asked to decorate a hostel in Nice. This is that hostel. Seemingly random stripes, colors, mismatched kitschy chandeliers, and shiny objects are scattered among the brightly colored and spacious rooms. Just to make everything groovier, the hotel comes with a bar.
Opposite the train station. Singles €44-55; doubles €49-62; triples €69-81; quads €84-104.
Sea Front
Not to burst your bubble, but the hotels along the Sea Front are, well, expensive. Who would have thought that such a pristine location right next to the beaches in southern France would be expensive? Surely not us.
HOTEL CRONSTADT
3 rue Cronstadt
HOTEL
04 93 02 00 30 www.hotelcronstadt.com
One of the most down-to-earth hotels on the seafront, this establishment is run by an old lady who apparently still decorates like it’s 1873. Old pictures, chandeliers, quilted bedspreads, and eerie silence add to the feel that this place might be haunted. The only question is if you see Casper, who ya gonna call?
Bus #8, 11, 52, 60, 62 to Gambetta/Promenade. From the bus stop, along the Promenade des Anglais, walk towards the Hotel Negresco and turn left onto rue de Cronstadt. Hotel is on your left. Wi-Fi available. Singles €70-75; doubles 90-95; triples €110.
HOTEL CANADA
8 rue Halevy
HOTEL
04 93 87 98 94
A welcomed two-star hotel in this expensive neighborhood. Decorated with replicas of Fernand Leger paintings, this colorful and laid-back hotel has clean rooms and a calm breakfast terrace. If you can stand the heat without A/C, you can live the Niçois lifestyle here.
Bus #8, 11, 52, 59, 60, 62 to Gustave V. Facing direction of bus, walk across and down the street to the left of Le Meridien. Continue 1 block; hotel is on your right. Singles €52-60; doubles €65-85; triples €89-100.
SIGHTS
Vieux Nice
MUSÉE D’ART MODERNE ET D’ART COMTEMPORAIN
Promenade des Arts
MUSEUM
04 93 62 61 62 www.mamac-nice.org
Located just blocks from the Vieux Nice, Nice’s massive Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art offers minimalist galleries that pay homage to the French new Realists, as well as American pop artists like Warhol. Rotating contemporary exhibits showcase artists from around the world. Don’t miss the collection of statues by Niki St-Phalle, which routinely frighten even the most hardcore hallucinogen users.
Promenade des Arts. Take the tram to Catedrale - Vieille Ville. Free. Tours €3, students €1.50. Open Tu-Su 10am-6pm.
CHTEAU CASTLE HILL
FORTRESS
04 93 85 62 33
The remains of an 11th-century fort located on the hill overlooking Vieux Nice, this château is the oldest spot in the city. Celto-Ligurians claimed the sight until the Romans decided it would make a good spot for a fort in 154 CE. Centuries later, Provençal nobles built a castle and cathedral on the hill as a symbol of their authority. During King Louis XIV’s great centralization of France, the fortress was destroyed. Today, all that remains is the large park and waterfall that were made from the ruins. The climb may be tiresome, but the view is well worth it, and offers 360 degree views of Nice and the Med.
Free. Open June-Aug daily 9am-8pm; Sept 10am-7pm; Oct-Mar 8am-6pm; Apr-May 8am-7pm. Info booth open July-Aug Tu-F 9:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-6pm.
COURS SALEYA
cours Saleya
SQUARE, MARKET
Built on the ramparts in the 18th century, the cours Saleya is now a bustling hub of activity ideally situated between Nice Vieille Ville and the beach. Nice’s open-air market is located here by day, and a collection of hip cafes set out tables at night. The square is also home to the famous Marche des Fleurs, where you can buy opulent bouquets of local flora. A perfect spot to wander through Nice’s winding alleyways.
Market daily 7:30am-1pm.
WAR MEMORIAL
Place Guynemer
MEMORIAL
At the foot of the castle hill, this enormous WWI memorial stands in honor of the 4000 Niçois who died in the line of duty between 1914 and 1919. Over 50m tall, this monument was erected in 1924, and cut directly into the old quarries. Some of the most spectacular views of the Mediterranean are along this promenade, which links the port to the Vieille Ville. Although there are signs that warn against it, don’t be surprised to see local kids skateboarding on the memorial steps. Free.
CATEDRALE ST. RÉPARATE
pl. Rossetti
CATHEDRAL
Nice’s largest and most opulent cathedral was inspired by early Baroque architectural models from Rome. It is not an accident that the design is a miniature version of the larger and more famous St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with a triple nave and a transept.
Open daily 7am-6pm. Closed for visits during services.
ADAM AND EVE HOUSE
rue de la Poissonerie
HISTORIC SIGHT
You’ll walk right by this one if you’re not careful. The Adam and Eve house, as it’s called locally, is one of the last examples in Vieux Nice of the detailed facades that historically decorated the homes here. The house’s bas-relief dates back to 1584, and depicts Adam and Eve, naked in the Garden of Eden, threatening each other with clubs. Apparently this WWE version of the Bible never made into the mainstream in English-language trasnlation.
PLACE GARIBALDI
pl. Garibaldi
SQUARE
On the eastern end of the Vieille Ville, the large open space of place Garibaldi is lined by elegant, red buildings with green shutters and vaulted porticos. You can see the perfectly integrated Chappelle St-Sepulcre nestled amongst the buildings surrounding the statue and fountain of Garibaldi.
Massena
MUSÉE MATISSE
164 rue des Arenes
MUSEUM
04 93 81 08 08 www.musee-matisse-nice.org
This expertly renovated Genoese villa displays decades of art by one of France’s most elusive artists. The permanent collection includes Matisse’s early sketches, as well as gouache 3D cardboard cut-outs... er... sorry... “tableaux.” If you can’t make it up to Vence to see Matisse’s whimsical Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence for yourself, check out the museum’s model of the chapel, and the exhibit that examines his creative process, including the artist’s initial attempts to depict the stations of the cross in black and white finger paint. Temporary exhibits generally display more oblique aspects of Matisse’s life and work, such as his decades-long artistic obsession for a Russian girl (he drew her and only her for 10 years) named Lydia.
Take bus #15, 17, 20, 22 or 25 to Arenes. Free shuttle between Chagall and Matisse museums. Tours in English by reservation. Free. Open M 10am-6pm, W-Su 10am-6pm.
MUSÉE NATIONAL MESAGE BIBLIQUE MARC CHAGALL
av. Dr. Menard
MUSEUM
04 93 53 87 20 www.musee-chagall.fr
The museum showcases Chagall’s interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, comprised of 12 massive canvases that the artist chose to arrange by color rather than chonologically. The adjacent rooms display his “creative” blending of the Bible and the Russian Revolution (because when you say Lenin, we think Crucifixion). The museum also includes an auditorium that hosts concerts and other events, with stained-glass panels by the artist depicting the story of creation.
Walk 15min. northeast from the train station or take bus #22 (dir. Rimez to Musée Chagall). €9.50 under 26. Art students and EU citizens free. Open May-Oct M 10am-6pm, W-Su 10am-6pm; Nov-Mar M 10am-5pm, W-Su 10am-5pm. Last entry 30min. before close.
MONESTERE CIMIEZ
av. du Monestere
MONASTERY, MUSEUM
The monastery was a Franciscan hideout before it was confiscated by the Revolution. When the Revolution collapse, Monestere Cimiez was returned to the church, and the monks expanded its gardens; they now overlook the port, a
nd stretch to the cemetery where Matisse is buried. Inside the church is a nearly 6m tall marble cross, accompanied by small statues that portray figures from St. Francis’ visions.
Take bus #15, 17, 20, 22 or 25 to Arenes. Walk across the park to the Monastery. Free. Open M-Tu 10am-5pm, Th-Sa 10am-5pm. Closed on Su during service.
frenchism
If you hear a few familiar words while in Paris, even though you don’t speak French, don’t be alarmed; the adoption of English words here is both a common and controversial phenomenon. Le hamburger, le jogging, and le weekend are all words that French-speakers use regularly. As the digital age introduced words like podcast, email, and Wi-Fi, French has struggled to keep up with English in the creation of new terminology. Most French people find it easiest to simply say “podcast” or “Wi-Fi” (pronounced wee-fee), but French cultural purists feel that this is an outrage. Enlisting French linguists at the Academie Francaise, nationalists associated with the Ministry of Culture have started a movement to invent new French words for the influx of new ideas. Podcast becomes diffusion pour baladeur and Wi-Fi, acces sans fil a l’internet. It’s a valiant crusade, but Wi-Fi is just so much easier to say!
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 72