Vieux Nice is not only the historical district of the city, but also one of the tourist hubs of Nice. Located west of the Port of Nice, Vieux Nice is a bundle of picturesque narrow streets dotted with cultural venues, shopping opportunities and restaurants which yield the ideal set for a sightseeing tour, a shopping spree or a gastronomic experience.

Vieille Ville (the Old City), as the locals refer to Vieux Nice, bristles with attractions: religious edifices, museums and galleries, squares and pedestrian areas. Until the 1960s, it kept much of its medieval dash, but in time it was transformed such as to meet the requirements of contemporary tourism.

Both historical (by its architectural landscape and by its traditional markets) and modern (by its smart fashion boutiques and nightlife venues), Vieux Nice concentrates the highest density of tourist objectives, such that at present it is, next to Promenade des Anglais, symbolic of the capital of the French Riviera. It’s not for nothing that most of the companies which organize bus or walking tours in Nice prioritize the historical district of the city, as if essential to tourists’ attempt to make an adequate and complete picture of Nice.

Cours Saleya is said to be the very traditional core of Vieux Nice. The place strikes by its colorful markets which leave a mark in the memory of all tourists curious enough to plunge in searching out and sampling the traditional local produces of Nice.

But there are also a handful of religious edifices which can complement the sightseeing tour of Vieux Nice and of its surroundings. The Cathedral of Sainte Reparate, the so-called Chapelle de la Misericorde, the historical Church of Sainte Rita, the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher in the neighboring Place Garibaldi, the Church of Saint Martin and Saint Augustin, the Church of Saint Jacques le Majeur (dubbed the Church of Gesu), the Church of Saint Francois de Paule, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Chapel of the Holy Trinity and of the Holy Shroud, as well as the Visitation Chapel, all these peg out the narrow meandering streets of Vieux Nice, contributing to the architectural patrimony of the district.

The Lascaris Palace and Galleries des Ponchettes are the most notable museums and galleries one can visit while exploring Vieux Nice, but Opera de Nice, which is both a historical monument and a crucial institution on the artistic and cultural scene of the city, should not be disregarded either.

The Castle Park (Castle Hill) is an excellent lookout, providing beautiful views of Vieux Nice. And that, of course, on top of its inner highlights. Quai des Etats Unis, the east extension of Promenade des Anglais, delineates the south extremity of the district, enhancing, by means of its dreamlike set, the tourist appeal of Vieux Nice. The west side of the district is majestically marked by Place Massena, but yet another important public square, and a jewel of the Neoclassical heritage of Nice, refers to Place du Palais de Justice.

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