Half day in Nice

Founded by the Greeks of Marseille around 350 BC, Nice was called Nikaia, after Nike – the goddess of victory. For ages, Nice had been a dominion of Savoy, then part of France in 1792 – 1815 years, later in 1860 it was returned to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France.

In the 19th century the city became a retreat for European elite such as royals like British Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII, Prince Nicholas Alexandrovich – an apparent to Imperial Russia, Princess Catherine Dolgorukova – wife of the Russian Tsar Alexander II. Here you could meet such art figures like Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Friedrich Nietzsche and Anton Chekhov. It is probably through this association the city has earned the nickname Nice la Belle, which means “Nice the Beautiful”. In 2021 the city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as “Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera”.

Nowadays we know Nice for its windy streets, pastel-coloured buildings, shops and bars. Here it’s easy to spend a few hours people-watching, eating lunch or having coffee with your friends.