The Promenade des Anglais is Nice's most famous landmark. This superb sea-front boulevard, always decked with flowers, follows the curve of the "Baie des Anges" and was originally a path just two metres wide. It was an Englishman, the Reverend Lewis Way, who had it built at his own expense in 1820. As it stands now, two lanes of traffic separate flower-beds and palm-trees.Nice is characterised by narrow winding alleys, labyrinths and secret little squares, monuments and facades brimful of history, traditional restaurants & cafe terraces. The markets throughout the year are spectacular as are the Christmas lights and the Festival in February.
Art lovers are spoilt for choice and every taste is catered for. The Asian Arts Museum offers classical works and contemporary creations and The Museum of Art and History houses collections of late Gothic "Primitive" painters & armour from the 15th to the 18th centuries, while The Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art's collections trace the history of the European and American avant-garde since the early sixties. The Matisse Museum shows works from all periods of the artist's life, from the first paintings of 1890 to the famous gouache cutouts.
Nice is also a city of parks and gardens. The oldest, Le Jardin Albert 1er is an oasis of greenery stretching over 2 kilometres from the seafront towards the hills. Fountains mingle with the play of light in Place Masséna, the restful and flowery esplanade between the Old Town and the centre.
Source: www.thomascook.co.uk
