Parc Forestier du Mont Boron

The Parc Forestier du Mont Boron covers 57 hectares of woodland on the hill that rises east of the port, between Nice and the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. It is where people from Nice go to walk, run and breathe cooler air, and it gives visitors a completely different view of the city from the seafront.

The park has around 11 kilometres of marked paths, from gentle tracks under the trees to steeper climbs. The vegetation is unusual for a city park, and the higher viewpoints look over the whole of the Baie des Anges in one direction and towards the bay of Villefranche in the other. On clear days the coast can be followed a long way in both directions. Close by, on the summit, stands the Fort du Mont-Alban, a separate historic site that can be combined with a walk.

The hill has a long human history. The tourism office notes that it may have been a hunting ground for the prehistoric inhabitants of Terra Amata, a site in Nice dated to around 400,000 years ago. In the Middle Ages the slopes were cleared so that raiders could not hide there, and the forest you see today was replanted in the 1860s under the water and forestry engineer Demontzey. More than 150 years later, the replanted forest now feels entirely natural.

The park is free and open every day, and dogs are welcome. It holds the EcoJardin label for sustainable management and the Pet Friendly label of the local tourist office. There are few facilities, so bring water, sun protection and proper walking shoes, especially in summer when the paths are dusty and exposed in places. Morning and late afternoon are the most pleasant times to walk, and the light towards evening is good for photographs over the bay.

It suits walkers, runners and families with older children who can manage some climbing. Allow at least two hours for a loop with viewpoints. Fit walkers can climb up from the port on foot, and others can take a bus or taxi to the Boulevard du Mont Boron. Many people combine the walk with lunch by the harbour afterwards.