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France : Nice - August 2009

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August on the Côte d’Azur sees tourists from France and further afield splashing in the Med and basking in the Riviera sunshine. Mid-month, Nice is lit up by the Fireworks Festival (15 August), a big display held over the water – get the best views from the beach just outside the old town. Kathryn Tomasetti makes the most of high summer

Getting around

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is 7km west of the city centre.

Bus: The No.99 departs for Gare Routière, the central bus station just outside the old town, every 20 minutes. Tickets cost €4 and the journey takes about 30 minutes.
Taxi: The journey from the airport to the city centre takes 20 minutes and costs around €30.
Tourist information: The main office is at 5 Promenade des Anglais (tel. , nicetourisme.biz).

VIEUX NICE

Wander your way through the cool alleys of the old town. A village within the wider city, most of the buildings were constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Must eat – The sweltering heat means there’s really only one place to spend your day in August – the beach. Locals skip the restaurants and load up a picnic hamper instead. Don’t forget to pack goat’s cheese from La Poulette (12 Rue de la Préfecture), petits farcis (stuffed summer vegetables) from Charcuterie Ghibaudo (29 Rue Pairolière), tasty tournesol (roasted sunflower seed) baguettes from Le Four à Bois Espuno (35 Rue Droite) and punnets of fresh berries from Cours Saleya market.

Dance the night away – Nice has always had a soft spot for jazz. Hear the city’s finest jazz musicians at Le Shapko (5 Rue Rossetti).

PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS

Thronging with joggers, marathon cyclists, families heading to the beach and high-jumping rollerbladers, the 6km Promenade des Anglais is summertime Nice’s main drag.

Culture vultures – Throughout August, Nice Festival Académie (also known as Nice Musical Nights) stages classical concerts at the Opéra de Nice (4-6 Rue Saint-François-de-Paule) and Clôitre du Monastère de Cimiez (Avenue du Monastère). Pick up a schedule or book tickets through the Nice tourist office.

Must drink – Ultra-contemporary Hi Beach (47 Promenade des Anglais) is the city’s newest beach club. From 6-9pm, watch the sun go down, aperitif in hand, while kicking back to the signature mix of exotic tunes.

AVENUE JEAN MÉDECIN

From its southerly square near the sea to Nice’s main train station in the north, Avenue Jean Médecin is the city’s primary shopping artery.

Sleep soundly – The recently refurbished Hotel Ellington (25 Boulevard Dubouchage, tel. , ellington-nice.com, rooms from €177) is tucked away on a quiet, leafy boulevard, yet the beach and old town are less than a 10-minute walk away. The rooms are described as ‘modern Provençal’ (think prints paired with clean, neutral colours).

Must eat – For sophisticated Italian food, head to La Baie d’Amalfi (9 Rue Gustave Deloye, tel. ). At lunchtimes (Monday to Friday) you can choose two stunning courses for €16,50 – dishes include scampi and courgette flower risotto, and lightly smoked swordfish carpaccio. At nearby Hotel Windsor (11 Rue Dalpozzo, tel. ), the new chef, Gilles Haubron, has just launched a special seasonally inspired menu gourmand for €27. Savour its dishes in the hotel’s tropical garden.

Shop til you drop – Nice’s second branch of Pâtisserie Lac (49 Rue Gioffredo) is just off central Place Masséna. Drop in for a box of Pascal Lac’s luscious caramel-filled chocolates, or opt for his lighter-thanair mixed fruit mousses.

VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER

Nice’s nearest neighbour is perfect for a day trip. The no. 100 bus plies the breathtaking coastal route, departing every 20 minutes from the city’s Gare Routière.

Sleep soundly – Popular with artists during the 1920s, including surrealist Jean Cocteau and British author Evelyn Waugh, all the rooms at Hôtel Welcome (3 Quai Amiral Courbet, tel. , welcomehotel.com, rooms from €160) face the Riviera’s most perfect bay.

Culture vultures – Chapelle Saint- Pierre (Quai Amiral Courbet), which was decorated by Jean Cocteau in 1957, is dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen.

Shop til you drop – Every Sunday, treasure-hunters fill picturesque Place Amélie-Polonais to search the antique market for that perfect bargain.

Compiled by Kathryn Tomasetti