About the City

Who hasn´t dreamed of the sun and the beaches in the French Riviera?

Nice was most probably founded by the Greeks in the 5th century B. C. Since 1860 Nice has belonged to France. The population is about 342 700. Nice is situated at the foot of the Mont Boron which is 178m high. Nice is the capital of the French Department of Alpes-Maritimes. The city is one of the most-known holiday resorts at the Côte d'Azur. The small river Paillon separates the old district from the new one. Along the coast there are the wide Boulevards and Promenades, like the famous "Promenade des Anglais". The mountains of the hinterland protect the city from the wintry polar air coming from the north. This is why Nice was already a famous winter residence for the aristocracy.
Nice has an important trading port and a variety of industries. Furthermore the city is a cultural centre with a university(1965) and several museums, two of them are dedicated to the works of Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall, artists of the 20th century. Worth seeing are the remainders of the Roman times in the district of Cimiez, the baroque Cathedral in the old town, the former townhall and the former Palais Lascris(both 17th century).