Overview

It’s Nice!

With pebbly beaches made just for frolic and romance, a history of glamour and a penchant for attracting the celebrated, Nice is one of the most razzmatazz holiday destinations in the world. Sparkling like a gem on the French Riviera in Cote d’Azur, Nice has long been the preferred vacation spot of Royals, aristocrats, artists and celebrities making it ‘the’ social do every season. A vacation in Nice is synonymous with luxury and once far out of the reach of the regular traveller, the city today has expanded its sunny arms to welcome one and all. Although still not the shoestring vacationer’s heaven, Nice has spent the last decade slowly and surely re-emerging from the recent gray shadows of a high crime rate, dirty politics and the general ‘loss of sheen’.

The changes are many and not slow - the hotel industry in the city is booming; led by an expanding group of ambitious new chefs, there is a huge revival on the culinary front and the Old Port and the Old Nice Town are getting new paint with the emergence of sleek new nightclubs. Nice has never had trouble in the shopping or the sightseeing department (think Cours Selaya and the century old Cathedrale de St. Nicolas) and with all the new goodies thrown in there is every reason for Nice-Virgins to get corrupted with luxury that no other city in the world can offer! So pack in your snazziest bikini, shake the dust off that straw hat, find a great book and get ready to hit the Nice beaches, pebbles and all!

Blast from the past

Acheulean hut found near Grotte du Lazaret, 200 BC

Nice’s history has been very interesting with human settlements dating back to ancient times, wars of control between Greeks, Romans, Germanic tribes and Saracens and its development as a vacation hotspot. It’s prime location on the Mediterranean coast and temperate climate first attracted humans who settled here around 400,000 years ago in Terra Amata. The Greeks’ wanderlust and spirit of exploration brought them here from Phocaea in Asia Minor between the 5th and 4th centuries BC and they founded a trading post called ‘Nikaia’ at the foot of present day as Le Château. The Romans on their colonizing spree in Europe followed suit and were here sometime during the last few years of the 1st century BC, building Cemenelum (Cimiez) nearby and making it the provincial capital.

The time between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD was rife with invasions by Germanic tribes and the Saracens. These waves of invasions pushed much of the population down the Le Château hill towards the sea, and Cemenelum's importance dwindled in favor of Nikaia. Finally in 974 William, Count of Provence, managed to chase the feisty Saracens out of eastern Provence and united the region. In 1032, Provence joined the Holy Roman Empire and its fortunes in forestry, fishing, viniculture and maritime commerce rose to new heights.

The 12th century saw the region split in two: the northern part controlled by the counts of Toulouse, while the Catalan counts of Barcelona held the southern part. In 1229 Nice was incorporated into the Catalan Comté de Provence by Count Raymond Bérenger V who thus gained better control of eastern Provence and Southern Alps. After Raymond's death the county passed to the House of Anjou and enjoyed a long period of great progress and prosperity.

A bloody war of succession followed the death of Countess Jean de Provence in 1388 with the matter being settled by the incorporation of the Comté de Nice into the lands of Italy's House of Savoy who ruled for an unbroken 400 years till 1792-1814 when the new French Republic took control. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Nice took off as a beach resort and became Europe’s first completely tourist-driven economy. This sun filled spot by the sea was particularly favored by the English aristocracy, who followed Queen Victoria's example of wintering in the mild climate.

Between 1860 and 1911 Nice was the fastest-growing city in Europe, getting rapidly connected to the rest of Europe by new rail links and roads that provided easier and faster access to its genial beaches. This was also the time when the city beautified itself with a refreshing facelift - luxuriant palms and eucalypti were imported from Australia, opulent belle époque buildings and the neoclassical Justice Palace were constructed.

The new beautification drive attracted artists like Cézanne, van Gogh and Henry Matisse who couldn’t resist the stupendous scenic beauty and the uncommonly luminous light. The first guidebook to the region was published in 1887 by a lawyer-cum-aspiring poet who gave it its name: the Côte d'Azur (literally 'Azure Coast') and Nice stamped its place in the annals of tourism history as the one of the most sought after vacation places in the world.

When to go

Blessed with a Mediterranean climate and miles of sunny beaches Nice attracts tourist traffic most of the year and for beachheads the month of the year is inconsequential. That said, most tourists visit in the winter months when unlike most of the northern hemisphere, Nice is enjoying a mild and pleasant weather and spending a day on the beach is not an effort in survival. Winter temperatures rarely go below 11 degrees and the hottest is at 17 while frost is unusual and hasn’t put in an appearance in the last few decades.

Summer is hot but not scorching and a sun hat and some sun block makes it easier to be out. Respite from the heat comes in the form of surprising cool breezes coming in from the Mediterranean and the highest temperatures never cross 27 degrees centigrade. Check the weather if you wish, here, before you go to Nice.