Old Town of Nice

The Old Town of Nice is made up of tall tenement houses lined up along narrow and shadowed streets. The ground floors are occupied by restaurants, shops, and the galleries of local artists. You can buy everything here, from Provencal spices to hand-made jewelry and cosmetics. Just go in and let yourself be carried away by the past, which is still very much present here.

The Old Town of Nice (Vieille Ville), also called Old Nice (Vieux Nice), lies just below Castle Hill. To the south it borders on the Promenade des Anglais, while to the north it touches the Paillon River, or rather the Promenade of Paillon, because the river has been flowing through the city in an underground channel since 1972. The names of streets in the Old Town are written in two versions: in French and in the local Nissart dialect (niçart).

The Old Town of Nice at a glance

• What: the historic heart of Nice, called Vieux Nice, with street names in French and Nissart.
• Don’t miss: the Cours Saleya market, the Cathedral of Saint Reparata on Place Rossetti, the Palace of the Dukes of Savoy and the view from Castle Hill above it.
• Best time: the morning for the market, the evening for dinner on the squares.
• How long: 2 to 3 hours, or at least one.
• Eat: socca, pissaladière and an ice cream from Fenocchio.

See also our Nice travel guide.

The Old Town of Nice is full of historic tenements, churches, and squares. A walk through the narrow and shaded streets allows you to, almost,  go back in time and feel the spirit of Old Nice – you just need to know where to look for it.

Old Town of Nice – where to start your walk

A stroll around Old Nice is best started from Place Massena, which is the central square of Nice. Going towards the sea, which is visible between the buildings,  you will, in a minute, reach the green square called the Esplanade Georges Pompidou. Right behind this square, on the promenade, stands a tall sculpture that I call toothpicks, but is in fact a work by Venet commemorating the 150th anniversary of the annexation of Nice by France. But this is the Promenade des Anglais area, so let’s go back to the Old Town.

Just turn left onto the main street of historical Nice, Saint-François de Paule. This leads to Nice’s main marketplace – Cours Saleya. Along the way, you will pass the Opera House and Patisserie Henri Auer – a chocolate and candied fruit workshop that has been operating here since 1820. Queen Victoria of England personally bought her favorite chocolates here; she often stayed in Nice under the name of Lady Balmoral, so that nobody would disturb her.

The Cours Saleya is an elongated square that, until midday, is filled with stalls of flowers and food, and which later transforms into a huge restaurant under the open sky. Every Monday there is a flea market here, which moves to the Old Port of Nice on other days. Here it is worth trying a traditional pancake made from chickpea flour called Socca. At the far end of the square stands the yellow house where Henri Matisse had his studio, and on Place Pierre Gautier next to it the Palace of the Dukes of Savoy, where the Treaty of Nice of the European Union was signed in 2001; today it houses the prefecture.

What to see in the Old Town of Nice

Strolling around the Old Town of Nice you cannot afford to miss some of the other attractions this place has to offer:

• The Cathedral of St. Reparata (Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate), whose colorful dome is perfectly visible from Castle Hill. A reliquary with the remains of Saint Reparata, the patron saint of Nice, is located in the main altar of this 17th-century cathedral, and the entire building is of course richly decorated. It is worth going there to see the dome and numerous side altars.
• Place Rossetti – a small but beautiful square on which Nice Cathedral is located.
• The beautiful False Gate (la Porte Fausse) that leads to the newer part of the city. The passage is lined with marbles, and its ceiling looks like it was decorated with real gold.
• Lascaris Palace – a museum in a former aristocratic villa with a collection of old instruments.
• The House of Adam and Eve (8 Rue de la Poissonnerie), one of the oldest houses in Nice, from the late 16th century. Stand in front of the entrance in the narrow street and look high up to see the reliefs of Adam and Eve, which are not exactly flattering.
• Place Saint-François, where the fish market sells fresh fish and seafood in the morning. From here, the narrow Rue Pairolière, full of restaurants and souvenir shops, leads to Garibaldi Square.

While walking around, you will also discover several other beautiful churches and city squares. Visiting the Old Town of Nice can take 2 – 3 hours or longer. If you don’t have this much time, it is worth going for a walk for at least an hour – this is just enough to visit some of the charming corners and feel the spirit of this amazing place.

Where to eat and stay in the Old Town of Nice

The Old Town is full of restaurants, from socca counters to bistros, but the ones with menus in five languages on the busiest squares are rarely the best. My favorite addresses, and the local dishes to try, are in what and where to eat in Nice. Lunch is served from noon to about 2pm, and dinner from about 7:30pm.

Sleeping in the Old Town puts the market, the beach and the restaurants on your doorstep, which makes it the best area for a first visit. See hotels and apartments in the Old Town. The hotel links go to Booking.com: if you book through them we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you (learn more). Other areas and 2026 prices are in my guide to hotels in Nice.