The greater part of Nice is situated on the semicircular are of flat or gently rising land. In front is the Mediterranean.
Elsewhere are low ridges and shallow valleys backed by higher hills, which have behind them the Maritime Alps.
I am at Nice,” wrote an Englishman in December, 1782, where I am lodged in a charming Hotel situated in the country and at the coast, but halfway up a bill.” The peas are in flower; one finds in the gardens the rose, carnation, anemone, jasmine, as in summer. Oranges and lemons hang from thousands of trees, scattered about the open country or in enclosures around this magnificent Hotel in Nice.”
Where the gardens remain, the flowers and the yellow fruit may still be seen at Christmas-time, but the popularity of the site has led to the destruction of its rural charm. “One comes to Nice as a tourist for a week, or as a winter resident for some months and one remains for life,” wrote the poet Théodore de Bainville in 1860, and countless visitors have become residents.
In 1860 the population numbered 50,000, and twenty years later, 82,000. In 1901 it was 143,000. Now it is little, if any, less than 240,000.
Even when Nice had half its present population, the modern portion of the town consisted of villas and cottages in gardens bathed in sunshine, but those residences have been replaced or are being replaced by buildings seven or eight stories high, divided into flats and cutting off the sun from their neighbours, so that there are streets that are but deep gorges into which the sunshine never falls.
The lamentable transformation is being intensified by the addition of stories to houses lower than their more modern neighbours, and by building on any small garden that was spared a few years ago.
A hundred years before Théodore de Bainville wrote of the charm of Nice, it was – in the first time at one of Nice Hotel of the Belle Époque style – then he became a temporary residence of a few foreigners, including the Scottish doctor and novelist, Tobias George Smollett. He arrived in 1763, remained about 1 years, wrote letters which drew attention to the town and surrounding district and in spite of the acerbity of some of his remarks, they induced Britons to visit the sleepy old town, where the sky was almost always blue.
In gratitude the Nicois called one of their streets after him, and it still bears his name, although it is not spelt as he spelt it, but appears as Smolett.
The blue sky Nice shares with the rest of the Riviera, but the beautiful bay facing the town, the “Bay of the Angels,” is its very own. Its shore is an immense curve, low on the right where it goes on and on towards Cagnes and Antibes, but rising on the left where is the precipitous rock whose summit was the birthplace of the town. Farther away are the slopes of Mont Boron, dotted with trees and houses, and the landscape ends at the extremity of Cap Ferrat, marked by a lighthouse.
The beach is of rounded pebbles, everywhere open to bathers in sea or sun. During the warmest months of the year portions are enclosed by slight barriers within which clusters of cabins are erected for undressing and dressing. Within the enclosures also are deck chairs and tables gay with coloured parasols, and afternoon tea and other refreshments are served. There may even be found an enclosure with a floor for dancing. Many bathers, however, prefer the cleaner water on the same beach farther west, or at Cagncs, Antibes or Juan-les-Pins.
At this time, Nice is became a little less tourist destination, especially because Cannes, Antibes, Monaco are became very popular. In any case we suggest to visit Nice during the day, especially the street market, restaurants, the old centre of the city and naturally, a walking in the very long Promenade des Anglais, where you can find a lots of historical Hotels of Nice as the Negresco Hotel, the Nice Opèra Theatre, Restaurants and Lounge Bar. Take a time to relax with a drink during the sunset – it is a local tradition – and a very incredible moment.
The best thing you can do is to reserve an Hotel in Cannes or if you want to be near to Nice, we suggest to booking Hotels in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, a very amazing harbour, or Villefranche-sur-Mer. Probably here you can find some more Hotels with lower rates.
Finally, we have received some feedback from our Guests that Nice is not too much safe during the night. So, move by cab always. That’s the reason because we have suggested to choose Cannes for Hotels.
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