Thursday, November 22, 2012

Top 10 Things To Do Whilst In Nice

The following are just a selection of the many exciting options on offer in France's leading southern resort.

1. Dance the night away
Choose a nightclub that suits your mood and budget, whether you fancy something radical and funky or a more laid-back vibe. Choose Le Smarties on Rue Defly for a 70s feel or Ghost at 3 Rue Barillerie for an intimate club feel featuring drum and bass served up with cocktails.

2. Enjoy a spa treatment
Every city has a choice of spa venues and treatments, but only Nice can boast 'chococooning.' La Bulle D'Isis on Rue Massena offers chocolate lovers the opportunity to be covered in the creamiest of ganache mixtures along with liberal amounts of melted chocolate in the cause of beauty.

3. Sample the wine Nice is at the centre of a movement aimed at producing the most natural wines using the minimum amount of chemicals during production. Sample a variety at La Part des Anges on Rue des Gubernatis which is a fantastic little bistro which also sells wines.

4. Take in a concert
With a couple of large exhibition halls regularly featuring big names in modern music, Nice is perhaps surprisingly quite renowned for its modern music scene. If a stadium type concert isn't quite your thing, check out the eponymous Francis Gag Theatre which hosts events from Moliere plays to rap gigs and dance productions, mainly aimed at keeping Nicois dialect and folklore alive.

5. Try the local delicacy
Everyone should sample the traditional bread recipe of the region the socca. A kind of flatbread made with chickpea flour it has been described as being similar to a pancake. Nissa Socca on Rue Son Repart serves up traditional socca along with pizza and pasta accompanied by jugs of wine and beer for a lively atmosphere. Chez Rene Socca on Rue Miralheti is legendary for the street views, surly waiters and authentic flavours.

6. Visit an art museum 
Nice is home to some world class art museums offering styles from classical to pop art. The Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain set on the Promenade des Artes offers a fantastic collection from across Europe and America. The Musee Matisse is a villa set close to the artist's former home which celebrates his life and work in a unique setting.

7. Relax on a private beach
The beaches around Nice are notoriously stony, making them uncomfortably hot to walk on when the sun is blazing down. Choose a one of the hotels which offers guests carpeting to spare them blisters and have your refreshing drinks brought directly to your sun lounger.

8. Have afternoon tea
Take a day cruise along the Med and follow it up with tea on the terrace at Auer Gourmet in the shadow of the Opera. Have a snack to accompany the vast selection of teas, including 'green tea and mint' and 'spicy chocolate'.

9. Take a trip back in time
Pay a visit to the Musee de Paleontologie Humaine de Terra Amata on Boulevard Carnot. The result of an archaeological exploration of the area, the museum offers artefacts dating back 400,000 years including examples of early tools and a footprint literally set in stone.

10. See a Russian church The Avenue Nicolas II is the setting for the bizarre sight of a traditional Russian Cathedral, complete with onion domes. Featuring the fantastic colours that Russian architecture of this style is so well-known for, the interior is filled with beautifully-worked icons, carvings and wall paintings.

This guest post was contributed on behalf of Cruise.co.uk.

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