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DISCOVER MORE GALLERIES AND ATTRACTIONS NEAR NICE

View from the coast of Antibes Old Town. Photo, Shutterstock

There are so many great attractions to explore along the Riviera, and we’ve looked at just a few of these in the last couple of blog stories.  The department of the Alpes-Maritimes is characterised by a profusion of artistic and cultural institutions—there are said to be more than 62 museums and foundations which bear witness to the attraction for so many artists during the 20th century to the light and environment of the Côte d’Azur.  Here we’ll look at a couple more outstanding art museums and sights that can be easily done as day trips from Nice.  We love to visit these when we can while in the neighbourhood, as they offer art works we enjoy in this beautiful environment.  Even getting to these is a visual delight, either along the coast or up into the hills, where you can see hilltops crowned with villages and beautiful villas.

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SOME FAVOURITE MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND SIGHTS IN AND AROUND NICE

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is in a stunning location overlooking the Mediterranean.

Nice has a wealth of sights and attractions, and we looked at some of them in the previous story.  The enormous number of museums, galleries and great attractions in Nice and its immediate vicinity showcase everything from art to archaeological artefacts to Provençal perched villages.  It’s a challenge to just restrict yourself to a few sights to take in during one visit, but that means there are plenty left on your list to draw you back for a future visit.  Whether you’re interested in arts and culture or history, you can find it all in and around Nice.  Even after many visits over some decades, we still discover new things to see.

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NICE – JEWEL OF THE FRENCH RIVIERA

Panoramic view of the Old Port of Nice. Photo, Shutterstock

No matter how often you visit the city of Nice on the French Riviera, there are always plenty of delights to experience and explore.  It wasn’t always the case though.  For many years, much of Nice was run-down and the area close to the docks was nothing more than a seedy sailors’ haunt.  This was certainly the case when we first visited Nice back in 1975.  In those days, Cannes was the place to go.  Today, Nice is almost unrecognisable from those days.  All that has been cleaned up, restored and revitalised and the area is full of vibrant cafes and restaurants, hotels, inviting shops, pedestrianised streets and some of the best museums in the country.

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MONET’S HOUSE AND GARDEN: VISITING GIVERNY

Masses of rose bushes were planted in front of Monet’s house.

I am often asked by friends and colleagues for suggestions for day trips out of Paris.  There are so many destinations and great things to see and do, it’s a case of, “well, what are you interested in” or “how many trips do you want to do?”  One destination that comes up more than most is Monet’s house and garden at Giverny.  Even for those who aren’t necessarily keen gardeners, Giverny has the well-deserved reputation of being one of the loveliest experiences of a trip to France.  Although many people take an organised tour from Paris, it is very doable under your own steam.  The upside of doing it yourself is that you can spend as much time as you wish, sitting quietly on a seat in the garden or strolling at your own pace, which feels like taking a walk through a Monet painting.

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THE SPARKLING SEASIDE TOWN OF LA ROCHELLE

The St Nicolas Tower and the Tour de la Chaine at the mouth of the old port of La Rochelle

Less than 2 hours by car up the coast from Bordeaux will take you to the beautiful port city of La Rochelle.  One of the country’s most important seaports from the 14th to 17th centuries, the city’s luminous limestone façades glow in the bright coastal sunlight.  Although its old commercial harbour, the Vieux Port, isn’t deep enough for the modern ships of today, it’s now one of the largest yachting harbours along the French Atlantic coast.  With its straight streets, arcaded walkways, half-timbered houses adorned with fearsome gargoyles and slate tile roofs, shady promenades on the site of the city’s ancient fortifications, and some fabulous lighthouses, it’s one of our favourite places in France, and a very rewarding destination for visitors to discover.

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