Vieux Nice Old Town Walk

Vieux Nice, the old town, is the part of the city most visitors fall for. It is a tight grid of tall, shuttered houses and narrow lanes squeezed between Castle Hill to the east, the sea and the Quai des Etats-Unis to the south, the covered course of the Paillon to the west and Place Garibaldi to the north. Locals still sometimes call it the babazouk.

Its character comes from history. Nice belonged for centuries to the House of Savoy, and the city has one of the few large and coherent Baroque heritages in France, most of it concentrated in the old town. Baroque building here ran from about 1642 to 1790 and was so thorough that it swept away much of what stood before. Look up to notice the details designed for the climate, such as grilled vents above doors and shutters with small flaps that let air circulate and keep the houses cool.

A good walk starts at Place Garibaldi, with its arcades, and follows Rue Pairolière, the shopping street named after the coppersmiths who once worked there, down to Place Saint-François. From there, cut across to Rue Droite, the old main route between the beach and the northern gate, where the Palais Lascaris stands. Continue to Place Rossetti and the cathedral, then take Rue de la Préfecture, where the Palais d'York stands at number 5, towards the Cours Saleya market. Rue du Malonat is a stepped lane climbing towards Castle Hill, with the small oratory of Notre-Dame du Bon-Secours, built in 1854 after the city escaped a cholera epidemic. Along the way you will pass chapels of the old penitent brotherhoods, including the Chapelle du Saint-Suaire of the Pénitents Rouges.

The city's heritage service, based at the Centre du Patrimoine on Rue Jules Gilly, runs guided walks of the old town, including tours in English on Tuesday mornings. Check the city's heritage pages for current dates. Exploring on your own costs nothing.

Go in the morning to see the market and the shops opening, or in the evening when the restaurants and bars fill the squares. The lanes are paved and often stepped, so wear comfortable shoes. Allow two to three hours, including a stop for socca or an ice cream.