Nice
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Nice is located in south east of France in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, on French Riviera. Nissa La Bella is ranked as the 5th city in France (some will say it's not true, but, whatever, officially it's still the fifth one). There's "about" 500 000 people living here and in the area. It's a sunny place, with beaches, mountains and landscapes all around. The best time to come will definitely be in June and September, as it's not overcrowded as it is in July and August. But for people who don't care about summer and warm weather, let's come in winter (don't worry about temperature is never less than 8°c) and you'll see how quiet and pretty and nice and pleasant it is to live here. And especially for mountains, let's go skiing it's about one hour driving.
There's a lot of couchsurfers here, but not so many very active, so if you plan to come in summer, be sure to get enough money to spend night in hotel or hostel in case you won't find a couch.
Here is a map : Map of Nice
Here is the link to the official tourism office website : Tourism Office
Contents |
HISTORY OF NICE
People have inhabited Nice since prehistoric times, but a clear, detailed picture of its past only emerges from antiquity onwards. After centuries of merchant activity marked by occasional invasion, Nice gradually developed through the 18th and 19th Centuries to take the shape we know today as a major tourist destination. People have lived on the geographical site for 400,000 years, the history of which is chronicled at the Terra Amata museum. Primitive settlers, the very first inhabitants of Nice, established themselves at the base of Mont-Boron, in a cave known as the Grotte du Lazaret, where they lived among ibex, stags, oxen and elephants, and carved weapons out of the limestone rock. Several thousand years elapsed in peaceful evolution, until Nice eventually gained its name in the 4th Century BCE when the Massaliotes won a memorable victory over the Barbarians. These victorious Greeks hailing from present day Marseille (200 kilometers/124 miles from Nice) named the colony Nikaïa, which literally means "giver of victory." Being the closest port of call from the island of Cyrnos (present-day Corsica), it became a Massaliote beachhead as well as an important commercial trading post. The beginnings of the new town were established not at the foot of Mont-Boron, as in prehistoric times, but on the slopes of the Château hill.
At this time, Nice was a small stronghold which protected the port using natural defenses—the Colline du Château. The few hundred inhabitants were mainly merchants under the authority of magistrates nominated by Marseille. Roman occupation of Nice can be traced back to 14 BCE, the start of the Roman Empire. At this time the Romans effectively built a second town, Cemenelum, on Cimiez hill. Once it had become the county seat for the Alpes-Maritimes military government, Cimiez quickly became a strategic center. The lower parts of the town, close to the port and climbing the Château hillside, lived in the shadow of Cimiez for the next few centuries. In the 6th Century, Nikaïa gained the upper hand over Cemenelum, which disappeared with the fall of the Roman Empire. Nikaïa became part of the French empire, and earned a place of importance through its successful maritime commerce. While almost no traces of the Massaliotes remain, the Romans left many historic relics. Via Julia Augusta, linking Nice to Vinitmille (37 kilometers/22 miles away) is just one, and you can admire the Trophee d'Auguste – a magnificent construction with four well-preserved columns, which offers a great panorama at Turbie. It symbolizes the submission of the Alpine people to Roman rule, representing the first stage of conquests in the valleys. Emperor Augustus can also be credited with setting up the region's first real administrative organization. Finally, the most manifest remains of the Roman presence in Nice are the well-preserved Roman amphitheaters and baths which you can visit around the site of Cimiez Archeological Museum, on the hill. In 813 the town was sacked by the Sarrasins, who managed to conquer the whole of eastern Provence on the Côte des Maures. It was only in 972 that Guillaume, the Compte de Provence, managed to rout them. The commercial activity of the lower town intensified and in 1176 the first town charter was drawn up. With the death of Queen Jeanne de Provence in 1382, civil war broke out at a time when Nice was the third biggest town in Provence, after Arles and Marseilles. Six years later, the people of Nice chose to place themselves under the protection of the Compte de Savoie, Amedee VII, in what was called the "inedict" of 1388. Nice became a strategic stronghold for the Savoy Counts, and the town was instrumental in assisting their defense against the French and their allies.
In 1543 the Turkish fleet tried in vain to conquer the city. Local washerwoman turned symbolic figure Catherine Segurane, instigated a particularly unusual form of defense. Legend has it that she lashed out with a carpet beater to send them running...while showing them her behind! The 17th Century witnessed the flourishing of baroque art in Nice. Façades were painted in warm reds and yellows, ochre and burnt sienna; doorways and window sills were given contrasting colors and woodwork was painted in cold blues and greens. The restoration of the façades over the last few decades has returned Nice to its former baroque glory. Other striking examples of this artistic tradition are the churches of the old town like Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate. At the end of the 17th Century, in 1691 and 1705, the French army twice destroyed Nice's defenses and the castle was razed to the ground. In 1713, the town again retreated to the protection of the Duke of Savoy, who had also become King of Sardinia. Between the French Revolution and the Empire (1792-1814), the Alpes-Maritimes region was created and annexed to France. By the same token, Nice was also returned to the French, but this time with the assent of the people. With the fall of Napoleon, Nice again came under the sway of Sardinia, but the language and culture distanced it further and further from Italy. On March 24, 1860, Napoleon III and Victor-Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia, agreed that Nice would be handed over to France once and for all, a decision that met with universal approval from the inhabitants. A remarkable economic boom ensued; roads were built, the railway arrived, and the population underwent explosive growth. At the same time, winter tourism, which had started to develop in the mid 1700s with the arrival of the British aristocracy, gathered in popularity. In 1827 the town received some 600 winter vacationers, coming from all over Europe to enjoy the gentle climate. The latter part of the 19th Century and the years leading up to World War I were something of a heyday, to which the prolific and luxurious belle epoque residences attest. Nice was the winter playground of the rich and famous, but with the aftermath of the Second World War, mass tourism grew and the trend was reversed: the resort town became, and still is, a summer holiday spot for sun-seekers who come to relax on the beaches. Today tourism is a vital and fundamental part of the local economy, a fact borne out by the airport—the second largest in France—and the vast array of hotels.
More informations about the History of Nice on the wikipedia:Nice !
WHAT TO VISIT ?
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More informations about the places to visit in Nice on the wikitravel:Nice and even the Official Websote of the Office of Tourism!
TIPS
Nice is the 2° airport of france after paris. It is a very popular city. There's loads of tourits all year long,and finding a couch can be tough in summer. So it could be an idea to ask for a couch in small towns around, but actually you'll have to take the train before midnight in Nice. Nice nightlife is pretty good actually but ends at 2 oclock actually at the closing of the bars! So it's up to you, depends on what you wanna do here. the best dico life in summer is at juan les pins, 20 mn from nice. Check the transport informations below.
For you english speakers coming here in Nice, here is a very useful website : Useful website for english speakers
Free Internet/Wifi Access
Here is a list of places where you can get some Internet/Wifi Access:
- Cyber Coeur de Ville - Adress: 6, rue d'Italie 06000 Nice - Tel: 04 97 13 42 80
- Point Cyb Association La Semeuse - Centre Social La Ruche - Adress: 5 rue Trachel 06000 Nice - Tel: 04 93 82 40 42
- Nice - Adress: 5 rue de l'Hôtel de Ville 06364 Nice Cedex 4 - Tel: 04 97 13 49 60
- CRIJ-CIJ - Adress: 19 rue Gioffredo - Tel: 04 93 80 93 93
- GAADE - Adress: 7 Rue Saussure 06000 Nice - Tel: 0493979600
- Espace Magnan - Adress: 31 rue Louis de Coppet - Tel: 04 97 11 41 38
- Cyber-emploi - Adress: Place Yves Klein - Tel: 04 97 13 42 80
- QUALIMEDIA PLUS - Adress: 1 rue Parmentier 06100 NICE - Tel: 04 92 09 13 73
- axiome multimedia - Adress: 39 chemin terron sud bureaux - Tel: 04 93 97 10 10
- Cyber-Espace La Madeleine - Adress: 150, boulevard de la Madeleine 06200 Nice - Tel: 04 97 13 42 80
- Infa mediterranée - Adress: 62 boulevard paul montel - Tel: 04 93 71 16 08
- Le Hublot - Adress: Le Hublot 16 rue de roquebilière 06300 Nice - Tel: 04 93 31 33 72
- Cyber Rives du Paillon - Adress: 157, route de Turin 06300 Nice - Tel: 04 97 08 22 81
- D'CLIC - Adress: Fondation PSP Actes Service D'CLIC 71, rue Barbéris 06300 Nice - Tel: 04 93 56 09 99
- source001 - Adress: 2, Rue Georges Ville 06 300 NICE - Tel: 04 93 26 75 20
- Cyber café l Arobas - Adress: 22 rue Benoît Bunico - Tel: 04 93 62 64 59
Nice & Cheap Places to Eat
you can take socca in the old nice and small farcies : rené socca...etc.. the classical ice creams home made: fenocchio but the quality has lowered; anyway 100 flavours nearly!
Nightlife
some discos but nice is most known for its bars and pubs. And anyway night life stops mostly at 2pm.
international english pub: Wayne's in the old nicebut that's not typical at all;especially for 20-25years old american girls who miss home.Live music friday and saturday around 11pm you can dance on the tables; that's nice. australian american or british waiters. for night life up to 5 o clock you have to go at la siesta in antibes, disothecas in cannes, or inicesummer in juan les pins (le baoli),or monaco (le karement); which are all at 20_30 mn from nice
COUCHSURFERS
There are about 500 Couchsurfers in Nice and its area. You can check the CS Group of Nice or simply a couchsearch to find and contact them.
Meetings
There are sometimes some meetings organised in Nice, just check the CS Group of Nice to see what happen in the city and/or the Regional CS Group of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur to see if there is any event in the area.
Regular meetings coming very soon, for now, anyone can plan one on the group of Nice
- Monthly meeting : http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=18306
- Pictures of some former meetings:
- The First Monthly CS Meeting, August 6th 2008
- Pic Nic on the Beach, August 7th 2008
Meeting Organisers
- Pecanio Guillaume - CS City Ambassador of Nice - Group moderator
Coffee or a drink
Here is a list of persons who are ready to have a drink with you and/or show you the city: thomas barbier: very funny and "salsa dancer": http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/elthommy/
TRANSPORTATIONS
How to get to Nice
By plane
Nice airport is the second biggest one in France, with daily international and national flights. There's a few low cost company like easyjet or ryanair. it takes about 1h20 from/to Paris. There's buses and shuttles or cabs of course to reach town. Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
By train
Train station is located in inner city on "Avenue Thiers", it's simply called "Gare sncf", and there's many international and national trains from and to Nice. Trains Timetables or Search for Regional trains
There's luggage lockers in the train station :
- Automatic ones from monday to sunday from 7am to 9.45pm
- Manual ones from monday to Saturday from 8.45am to 12am and from 2pm to 3.45pm
By bus
The main bus station is in inner city, close to the old town. There's many regional buses very cheap : only 1€! Regional Bus timetable (sorry there's no english version, so in the "lignes régulières" field, pick the one you want)
For regional bus at night, there's some! Regional buses at night (here again , no english version, so in the "lignes noctambus" field, pick one)
Bus / Tramway
First of all, once you're in Nice, here is the maps and timetables for buses and tramway in town : Bus(night and day) and Tramway
Bicycles
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
- Police Station: COMMISSARIAT CENTRAL DE POLICE :
1 Avenue Maréchal Foch,
tél. : (+33) (0)4 92 17 22 22 Emergency call: 17 or from a cellphone: 112
- Health Urgency: CALL THE 18 or/and 15 or 112 from a cellphone
SAMU (French Health Urgency Service): Tel: 15
European Tel number for Urgency: 112
Urgency number for the homeless: 115
- Hospital: HOPITAL St ROCH 5 rue Pierre Dévoluy 06006 Nice (+33) (0)4 92 03 33 33
- Fireman Station: CALL THE 18 or 112 from a cellphone
- Emergency Doctor:
Sos medecin
135, AVENUE SAINTE MARGUERITE
06200 Nice Tél: 04 93 83 01 01
or
SAMU (French Health Urgency Service): 15 or 112 from a cellphone
- Permanent Drugstore:
Pharmacie de l'Aéroport En continu de 9 h 00 à 19 h 00
Aéroport (Terminal 2) - 06200 04 93 21 39 92
Pharmacie Santamaria Ouverte 24 h / 24 - 7 j / 7
7 rue Masséna - 06000 04 93 87 78 94
Pharmacie Riviera Ouverte 24 h / 24 - 7 j / 7
66 avenue Jean Médecin - 06000 04 93 62 54 44
- Embassy:
Allemagne - 34, av. H. Matisse - tél.: 04 93 83 55 25
Angleterre - 8, rue A Karr - tél.: 04 93 62 13 56
Autriche - 6, av. de Verdun - tél.: 04 93 87 01 31
Belgique - 5, rue G. Fauré -tél.: 04 93 87 79 56
Canada - 10, rue Lamartine - tél.: 04 93 92 93 22
Danemark - 30, av. J. Médecin - tél.: 04 93 85 35 49
Etats-Unis - 7, avenue Gustave V - tél.: 04 93 88 89 55
Italie - 72, bd Gambetta -tél.: 04 92 14 40 90
Pays Bas - 14, rue Rossini - tél.: 04 93 87 52 94
Suède - 7, avenue Gustave V - tél.: 04 97 03 06 15
More info in calling : (+33) (0)4 93 88 01 49, or tourism office or Police station
LOCAL MEDIA MENTIONS
INTERESTED LINKS
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