After Class Activities

Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture, traditions, and everyday life after your class is over.

Nice has a total of 19 museums and galleries, 32 classified historical monuments and 300 hectares of parks and gardens, woodland and green areas in addition to 150 ornamental lakes and fountains.

Main Sights: Get to Know Nice

Vieux Nice, or Old Nice:

Old Nice is downright dripping with atmosphere. Its narrow streets are a one-stop shop for take-home finds, such as household items, wine, gourmet gifts, hip clothing and more. There are numerous restaurants in the area, as well as several fun bars and nightclubs. Be sure to stop off for a delicious ice cream in this neighborhood.

Cours Saleya Flower Market:

Nice’s famous Flower Market is one of the best attractions in the whole city. The edges are lined with cafes and souvenir shops, and the stands themselves are packed with amazing produce and myriad flowers. It operates six days a week, replaced on Mondays by a flea and antiques market.

Rue de France Pedestrian Zone:

The Nice pedestrian zone, or “zone pietonne,” is a hub of activity. This is the place if you need to load up on souvenirs. Street entertainers frequent this area. There are gourmet shops, clothing shops, newsstands, bookstores and more. (Check out the Ducs de Gascogne store for some real finds). Grab a cafe au lait and watch the world go by, nibble on a crepe, or visit in the evening for a robust meal with an Italian accent. This is just a lively spot!

Promenade des Anglais:

Few spots epitomize Nice — or, in fact, the joie de vivre of the French Riviera in general — than the inviting Promenade des Anglais. There are lots of tourists relaxing in the royal blue chairs lining the shore and locals roller-blading, biking or jogging along the way. You can even find a few crepes and drinks vendors along the way! Best of all, there are delightful seaside restaurants; splurge a little on a chaise lounge and enjoy some of the fine cocktails and appetizers.

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Excursions: Explore More of The Region

Monaco:

A train journey from Nice will bring you to Monaco. Most of the people who visit are drawn in by the sun, and the glamorous lifestyle. This is the playground of Europe's elite, a country where lady luck might clean you out at the casino one day and put you on the Grimaldi s guest list the next. Monte Carlo: Don't miss: Monaco-Ville (the oldest part of the town on a high promontory), La Condamine (where the Monegasque people live), Monte-Carlo beach, and of course....the famous casino.

Cannes:

This resort, on the world-famous Cote d Azur, is the perennial favorite for the International Film Festival in May. Apart from posturing boutiques, hotels and restaurants, it also has beaches with the equivalent of room service, which the sallow studiously avoid. Just offshore is the eucalyptus and pine covered Sainte Marguerite, which was used by Alexander Dumas in his classic novel The Man in the Iron Mask.

Grasse:

Clinging to the slopes of the Pre-Alpes 17 km North of Cannes, Grasse has served the country well in the art of perfume production for centuries. It's here that master perfumers - also known as nez (noses) - train for seven years to recognize around 6000 scents. The town, with its distinctive orange roofs sheltering densely packed cottages, also produces some of France's finest flowers, including jasmine, Centifolia rose, lavender, mimosa, orange blossom and narcotic narcissus.

Antibes:

One of the poshest and most famous of the Riviera resort towns. While there, visit the Musee Grimaldi- Picasso (Ancient granite castle was built on the ruins of a Roman camp) and the Musee Archaeologique Bastion St-Andre.

Neighbouring Villages:

Villefranche sur Mer (5km)
Beaulieu (7km)
St. Jean Cap Ferrat (10km)

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Architecture: Discover Unique Styles & Structures

Le Chateau:

The best reason to visit the chateau is for the spectacular panoramic view of the city and sea. You won't actually see much of a castle (only a few sections of it remain). You can take the elevator up for a nominal price or hike up the stairs for free to the park atop the hill. Be sure to bring your camera.

 

Russian Cathedral:

What a juxtaposition: the traditional Russian onion towers in the background, and the tropical palm trees in the foreground. As odd a pairing as the two seem, the Russian Cathedral is just one of many Russian attractions in the city. The Russian aristocracy used Nice as a balmy getaway, and left their indelable mark on the Riviera city. The cathedral is the finest example, and provides a rare opportunity to experience the former U.S.S.R. on the Cote d Azur.

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Museums: Experience the History of Past Generations & Cultures

Nice has a total of 19 museums and galleries, 32 classified historical monuments and 300 hectares of parks and gardens, woodland and green areas in addition to 150 ornamental lakes and fountains.

 

Cimiez Museum Of Archeology:

Opened in 1989, its illustrates “Cerenemum’s”, as well as, the Alpes-Maritimes area’s life and history with exhibits of ancient pottery, monnies, jewelry

 

Nice Archaeology Museum and Roman Ruins:

The Russians weren’t the first to succumb to the allure of Nice. The ancient Romans also called the area home, and to this day visitors can see the ruins of a Roman arena and bathhouses at (or next to) this museum in the Nice Cimiez neighborhood (right next to the Matisse Museum)

 

Matisse Museum:

Situated in the center of Cimiez’s olive grove, this prominent museum is housed in a 17th century Genoan villa garnished with “trompe l’oeil” frescos. The lovely and innovative art of Henri Matisse was inspired by the fresh colors and lines of Nice. Just take a look at any of his art peering out of balcony windows, and you will see the Riviera shoreline. This vast museum shows Matisse’s works from his more traditional early days to the end of his career. The museum gift shop features prints of the artist’s works.

 

Mark Chagall Museum:

Located in the heart of a Mediterranean garden, the museum has a permanent exhibition of Chagall’s outstanding paintings

 

Prehistoric Museum Of Terra Amata:

This prehistoric elephant hunter’s camp, discovered in the center of Nice, has been marvelously reconstructed

Lascaris Palace Museum:

Home of the Lascaris family (Vintimillia), this Genovan style palace units a magnificent 17th residence with ornaments from the 18th century

 

Theatre de la Photographie et de l’Image:

This homage to the photographic arts is housed in a lovely renovated building a couple blocks off the busy Boulevard Jean Medicine thoroughfare. The museum typically hosts exhibits of universal appeal, such as a show dedicated to portraits of Hollywood celebrities over the decades and an exhibition on American Indians.

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Parks: Have a Break From Busy Life

 

Massena Square:

City life revolves around Massena Square, Nice s geographic center. Originally created in 1832, it has been redesigned several times since then and in 1852 finally named in honor of one of the city s most famous citizens. This harmoniously landscaped area of fountains, statues, trees, flowers, etc.

 

Monastery Garden:

Especially loved by ramblers looking for a peaceful environment and open spaces. Ancient pergolas connected to the main buildings are covered by climbing rose bushes, well kept grass paths are decorated with seville oranges, tangerines trees, etc. and the almost sacred wooded areas invite meditation

 

Albert 1st Garden:

One of Nice s oldest gardens which connects the old town (Vielle Ville) to the modern city. Located in the heart of the city but also overlooking the sea, it forms a continuous two kilometer green path through Nice beginning at the Mediterannean Sea and includes the Paillon promenade and Square Leclerc

 

The Phoenix Park:

The largest plant house in the world, the Astronomic Garden, the Island of the Remotes Times, The Maya Temple, fishes, birds, exotic butterflies and thousand of flowers as well as exhibits, events and entertainment.

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Beaches: Enjoy a Fresh Breeze

The beaches in Nice start at the airport and follow the 5 km sweep of the Promenade des Anglais all the way round to the foot of the Castle Hill - the Chateau. This is where the favourite beach is located - Castel Plage.

The Port of Nice is on the other side of the Chateau and there is a small public beach here, on rocks, in front of the port wall. If you walk all the way around the Port, you will come to another public beach (one of our favourites, La Reserve) on boulevard Franke Pilatte, just by Nice sailing club.

There are fifteen private beaches in Nice with plenty of free public beaches between them. If you splurge on a private beach, ask for the "premier ligne" - closest to the cooling sea breezes.

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Sports: Go Out and Be Active

It is possible to practice any type of sport in Nice, from the most traditional, such as football, to swimming. Tennis is played in many courts, as is basketball and volleyball. Conditions for practicing water sports is excellent. Water-skiing, motor, sailing and rowing boats are available and of course the great waterfront of the Riviera are what have made this area one of the most visited regions of France.

Take a local hike!

A ramble path, marked with arrows, fourteen kilometers long, is using the old country lanes which are linking the Var plain westwards, to the Gairaut hills eastwards. It allows, for good walkers, the discovery of the landscapes of the country of Nice, the Bellet vineyards, the olive groves, the traditional floral and market gardening, the pine forests and the green oak woods.

It offers marvelous viewpoints on the Baie des Anges and the hinterland overlooked by the Alpes Maritimes. A visit of the Bellet hamlet, the Saint Roman Church, with a stop by the spring, before taking the Via Augusta, built in 12 AD by August : so many interesting places, which are also telling the history of the region. The starting point is situated at the Lingostière station, which is served by the Chemins de fer de Provence train. Bus services are indenting the route, giving access to the paths, so one may interrupt the walk whenever he chooses to.

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