France, Nice, Provence: attractions, reviews

This city on the Cote d'Azur of France is associated exclusively with an ideal summer vacation on snow-white beaches under palm trees. A popular resort located in the province of Provence will satisfy not only lovers of sunbathing, romantic lovers who dream of seclusion, connoisseurs of historical attractions, and true gourmets who consider French cuisine the best in the world will find themselves here. Thanks to the year-round mild climate, the city accepts a huge number of travelers who dream of a warm sea and even sun.

History of the pearl of France

Nice (province of Provence) - a favorite resort of all aristocrats - was previously known as Nicaea (in honor of the goddess Nicky). The city founded by the Greeks for a long time was under the auspices of Italian dynasties, until at the end of the 18th century Napoleon annexed it to France. At a referendum held later, the residents expressed their desire to remain in the country, after which all questions about belonging to the most beautiful place in the world have disappeared.

Provinces of France

Before describing in detail about Nice, it is worth mentioning about the country's area of vineyards and haute couture, previously referred to as provinces. In our everyday life this word has the connotation of very deaf villages far away from the capital, and in France it is picturesque corners with its incomparable color. After dividing the country into departments from them, natural unity is created, which to this day bear an identical name. All provinces of France have their own budget, they are even considered small states with their own cultural and historical life, in which unified laws and regulations operate.

Huge areas with unique sights, although linked by belonging to one country, are unique and unique. Unhurried Burgundy is famous throughout the world for its vineyards and cozy villages, the ancient Normandy is of special interest to all those interested in historical monuments with magnificent architecture, Brittany, located on the ocean, is famous for its apple cider and abundant seafood cuisine.

Inspiring on the creativity of Provence

Located in the Mediterranean Sea province of Provence with its picturesque local nature, it has repeatedly become a source of inspiration for the creations of Gauguin, Cezanne and Matisse. Yes, and still colorful landscapes inspire the creativity of contemporary artists who come to Provence to work and enjoy the peaceful landscapes. Immediately there are huge exhibitions, where every traveler can buy paintings that will become a vivid memory of the spent happy minutes. Here are the famous lilac valleys with a swirling head of fragrance, and to look at the amazing lavender landscapes that fascinate anyone, tourist routes have long been laid.

Delicious cuisine and expensive resorts

Combining local and Mediterranean traditions, the cuisine of the province has long been considered the best, because it's not for nothing that all gourmets go to local restaurants to taste delicious fish dishes flavored with local herbs and fragrant goat cheeses, and how many sauces the local chefs know and can not count. Provence is known all over the world for the Côte d'Azur region, on which there are famous resorts, attracting all the famous and wealthy elites - Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Nice. The province, whose attractions are so diverse that it is worth writing about the whole book, when visiting there is a single problem - the choice of a place for future travel. The resort area, in addition to local architectural monuments, offers all guests a refined entertainment, cultural programs, fine cuisine and an unforgettable shopping.

City of luxury

One of the largest cities in France and a favorite place for rest of all lovers of comfort and bliss is, of course, the beautiful Nice. The province of Provence has long been associated with a luxurious life, and annually held festivals of cinema and music collect all the world's beau monde, who does not spare money for entertainment. However, you should not think that the resort town is famous exclusively for beach rest and expensive hotels. It's not like that at all! The city of Nice provides an exciting cultural program that will surprise the discerning travelers with a unique historical heritage.

The picturesque park Foni

At the very outskirts of the city there is a green park, stunning with its beauty and bright colors. On a vast territory there are pavilions with rare flowers and trees, all plants brought from different continents to show the variety of amazing flora. Visitors are surprised by a small garden, sown with medicinal, fragrant smelling herbs. All flower beds in the park are covered with dense carpets of fresh flowers.

The created landmark gradually turned into a small zoo with charming otters, small kangaroos and big-eyed lemurs. Later in the park there is an aquarium with a large number of fish collected from around the world, and an insectarium, in which tarantulas and giant cockroaches are teeming. Walking around the territory of Föhny exotic birds make us freeze from the amazement of adults and their children. Tired of traveling through the park, you can relax on the shore of a picturesque lake, on the surface of which swim pelicans and beautiful black swans. Tourists, sitting by the cool water, notice that during the rest time in Nice seems to stop. A musical fountain, playing nearby Viennese waltzes, will become a real treat for the eyes and ears.

Chapel of Mercy

The Catholic Chapel is a universally recognized masterpiece of world architecture. His favorite art critics recently needed a multi-million dollar restoration, but now all the visitors are pleased with the richly decorated facade with stucco and truly luxurious interior in gray and bluish tones. Ancient frescoes, gilding on columns, colored marble surprise with the special beauty of all who came to admire the temple. Quite often, concerts are held here due to good acoustic properties.

English Quay

The main boulevard, stretching more than 6 kilometers, has long been recognized as the symbol of Nice. Each tourist hastens to walk through the main city attractions, which are luxurious hotels for visitors to the new nouveaux riches. Here you can rent a bicycle or take a special train, but it's best to walk along the boulevard on foot to enjoy the magnificent views.

But even sitting in a chair on a busy embankment, you can get a lot of impressions, watching the seascapes. By the way, when the authorities tried to remove the famous blue chaise lounges, there was a surge of negative emotions from the local public. Once upon a time, the famous Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham rested in them, contemplating a sea of stunning azure color.

City museums

Municipal museums in Nice are amazing historical monuments that occupy a niche in the cultural enlightenment of society. Earlier, the entrance to them was free, and from 2015 the cost of the visit will cost 10 euros.

The two-story museum of fine arts, located in the amazingly beautiful Kochubei Palace, introduces visitors to both the unknown to a wide range of creations, and to the famous works of venerable artists and sculptors.

If there is time, you should visit the Franciscan Museum in Nice, which provides an opportunity to plunge into the life of Catholic monks. Religious artifacts will help a modern person to understand the ascetic world in which members of the order lived. For visitors, the monastic cell of the Franciscans was restored, in which there is a bed made of a heavy plank.

Entertainment

As already mentioned, Nice (province of Provence) is a real gourmet paradise. An incredible number of cafes and restaurants offer both local cuisine with a rich assortment, as well as American fast food or fine Italian food. Night life in the resort city is just boiling, many night clubs spend entertainment programs until the morning. Note the strict face-control at the entrance, so it is not recommended to choose extremely candid outfits. Everyone will find an institution for themselves: lovers will choose a quiet atmosphere at a cozy table, and cheerful youth companies will go to the dance floor for incendiary music. Even without leaving the hotel you can perfectly relax, because many cafes and bars are located on its territory.

Of course, lovers of shopping can get lost from such a variety of boutiques and souvenir shops. They say that in Nice you can find everything. Shopping centers offer a wide range of goods at different prices, often shops reduce the cost of last year's fashion collections, which can not but rejoice. In winter, Christmas markets open , offering stunning souvenirs, antiques and sweets. We can say that this is a paradise for all shopaholics.

Nice Cote d'Azur Airport

Before the resort, vacationers travel through the airspace, the flight from Moscow lasts only 4 hours. When the plane goes into the landing, it seems as if it lands right in the sea. Arriving tourists are waiting a few kilometers from the pearl of France, a huge airport. Nice annually meets about 10 million travelers seeking to relax and fully enjoy the local beauties. The main mode of transport here - public buses that go to the routes and at night.

The city of dreams - Nice (province of Provence) - just will not bore anyone. Stormy cultural and entertaining life, beautiful landscapes, goodwill of local residents will be remembered by all visitors to receive positive impressions. And the main problem for all tourists is just a lack of time to cover all the attractions of the resort.