Thing to do
Cours Saleya Flower Market
The long market square of Vieux Nice, where flower, fruit and vegetable stalls trade from Tuesday to Sunday and an antiques market takes over on Mondays.
Port Lympia
Nice's harbour in the Lympia valley, begun in 1748, where traditional pointu fishing boats, yachts and Corsica ferries share the quays below Castle Hill.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic harbour
- Area
- Le Port, Nice, France
- Official site
- leportdenice.com
Good to know
- Free
- Open every day
- Ferries
- Waterside restaurants
- Wheelchair accessible
Why we recommend it
Port Lympia, the harbour of Nice, sits on the far side of Castle Hill from the old town, and walking round its quays is one of the easiest ways to see a more workaday side of the city. It is a commercial and leisure port, used by fishing boats, private yachts and the ferries that cross to Corsica, the closest point of mainland France to the island.
The port takes its name from the Lympia spring, which once fed a small marshy lake here. In 1748 King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia decided to build a harbour in the valley at the foot of the old citadel, and work continued in phases for more than a century. Today the basin is framed by tall, colourful buildings, and beside the harbour stands the neoclassical church of Notre-Dame-du-Port, opened for worship in 1853 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary as patron of sailors. It faces the Place de l'Ile-de-Beauté, once called Place Cassini, where arcaded buildings flank the church on both sides. On the Quai Cassini, look for the monumental Dominique Truchi staircase.
Look out for the pointus, the small, brightly painted wooden boats that are a tradition of the Riviera. They moor together in the Lympia basin and make the most photographed corner of the harbour. Elsewhere you will see working vessels alongside yachts of all sizes; the deepest quays can take ships up to 190 metres long.
The quays are free to walk at any time and are accessible for wheelchair users. Shops and services line the streets immediately around the harbour, and the quays have a good choice of restaurants and bars, which makes the port a pleasant area for dinner away from the busiest lanes of the old town.
Come in the late afternoon, when the light warms the facades, and then stay for an aperitif. The port is a short walk from the old town round the foot of Castle Hill along the seafront, or you can climb over the hill itself and come down on the port side via Montée Montfort. From the port, the coastal road leads on towards Mont Boron and Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Port Lympia FAQs
When was Port Lympia built?
Work began in 1748 on the orders of King Charles Emmanuel III and continued in phases for more than a century.
Where does the name Lympia come from?
From the Lympia spring, which fed a small lake in the valley before the harbour was built.
Can you catch a ferry to Corsica from Nice?
Yes, ferries to Corsica sail from the port, as Nice is the closest mainland French port to the island.
What are pointus?
Small traditional wooden fishing boats, painted in bright colours, which moor in the Lympia basin.
Is it free to visit?
Yes, the quays are open every day and free to walk.
What is the church on the harbour?
Notre-Dame-du-Port, a neoclassical church opened in 1853 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary as patron of sailors.
Is it a good place to eat?
Yes, the quays and nearby streets have a good choice of restaurants and bars.
How do I get there from the old town?
Walk round the foot of Castle Hill along the seafront, or cross the hill and descend on the port side.