A Weekend In Nice
By Erin Deborah Waks
Desperately craving some vitamin D, good (read: strong) coffee and a plethora of croissants, I booked myself a three-day solo trip to the south of France. My destination of choice? Sunny, chic, quintessentially Riviera Nice. Despite being well acquainted with French soil, I’d never actually been to the city on the coast, and so I was greatly looking forward to exploring the new terrain. And, with that done and dusted, I’ll share some of the best things to do if you find yourself in the region…
Old Town (Vieux Nice)
It’s a classic for a reason. Albeit slightly touristy in the peak months, this truly is the real heart and soul of Nice. From gorgeous bars serving even more gorgeous Aperol Spritz, to quaint restaurants dishing up some of the culinary delights for which the region is known, there’s no shortage of things to enjoy here. My advice? Grab a drink at a tourist-trap bar to enjoy the view and the vibe, then stroll down the quieter alleys to find some genuinely good food.
The gastronomy in the region is some of the best in the world; that said, they’ll lure you in with just ‘French’ delicacies, whereas what you’ll actually want to try is that which is ‘Nicois.’ Go for a salade nicoise, salade cesar, pissaladière, ratatouille and, like any good city in the land of croissants, well, croissants.
2. Cours Saleya
Try to avoid visiting this quaint market square in the middle of the day or you risk, like me, overheating. Don’t make my mistake - head in the early morning or evening to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, soaps, oils and even jewelry.
3. Eze
A day trip and 30-minute bus ride from Nice, this is an unmissable spot if only for the coastal cliff drive to get there. Stop at one of the perfume factories, Fragonard or Galimard, for a guided tour, meditate at the botanic gardens and stroll around what I would argue is one of France’s prettiest villages - with certainly some of its prettiest views.
Side note, as the only bilingual person on the bus ride back, I greatly enjoyed translating the driver’s seeming fury to a terrified young German couple, revealing that he was merely returning their extra change. Not angry - just French.
4. Villefranche-Sur-Mer
Another day trip, this one’s for coloured houses and beaches. Great food and finally some sand for those less interested in Nice’s pebble beach (which, incidentally, I liked - made it much easier to clean up afterwards!), Villefranche is easy to get to on public transport.
5. Beach Club
And finally, for any self-respecting bougie princess like myself, spend at least one day paying a small fortune for a sun lounger at one of Nice’s beautiful beach clubs. I chose Castel, and loved being pampered with constant coffee, snacks and a very kind French waiter who pretended not to be annoyed at my hourly requests to move my umbrella and save my poor porcelain skin from an embarrassing tomato-coloured return home.
