Vieux Nice (Old Town)

Where it is & how to get there

• Tram: Tram 1 to Cathédrale – Vieille Ville or Opéra – Vieille Ville.
• On foot: 5 minutes from Place Masséna or straight off the Promenade des Anglais.
• From the port: 10 minutes on foot around Castle Hill along the seafront.

The story of Vieux Nice

Nice belonged to the House of Savoy for almost 500 years and only became French in 1860. The old town still feels Italian, with tall ochre and pink houses, washing hanging over narrow lanes and an accent of Ligurian in the local dialect, Niçois.

Its baroque churches, like the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate and the Chapelle de la Miséricorde, date from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the Palais Lascaris shows how noble families lived. The Cours Saleya, once a promenade for the elite, is now the heart of the old town with its daily market.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Go in the morning for the market, and try socca from a street stall.
• Try socca, pissaladière and pan bagnat from the old-town bakeries and stalls.
• Fenocchio on Place Rossetti is famous for its long list of ice cream flavours.

What's around Vieux Nice

• Cours SaleyaThe flower and food market square of the old town.
• Palais LascarisA baroque mansion with painted ceilings and a musical instrument collection.
• Opéra de NiceThe city's grand 19th-century opera house.
• Castle HillClimb or take the free lift for the panoramic view.

Questions travellers ask