Nice: Capital of the Riviera

Nice commands the Baie des Anges with a confidence earned over millennia. The city's layered history—Greek trading post, Roman resort, Savoyard stronghold, cosmopolitan winter refuge—creates a unique urban character. The Promenade des Anglais, perhaps the world's most famous waterfront walk, began as a make-work project for unemployed locals funded by English residents, evolving into the democratic space where all Nice gathers.

The old town preserves its Mediterranean character with narrow streets, baroque churches, and the daily market on Cours Saleya. Here, flowers compete with food for attention, creating a sensory overload that captures Provençal abundance. The beach, though pebbly, attracts dedicated swimmers who know that rocky shores mean cleaner water than sandy alternatives.

Modern Nice balances multiple identities: university town, technology center, cultural capital, tourist destination. The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art showcases the École de Nice, while the Russian Orthodox Cathedral recalls when aristocrats fleeing winter made Nice their refuge. The city's cuisine reflects its position between Provence and Italy—socca (chickpea pancakes), salade niçoise, and pissaladière represent a distinctive culinary tradition born of geographic position.