Vieux-Nice

Background

Vieux-Nice is the heart of the city's historic life, not a single building. The Nice tourist office's practical guide includes the Cours Saleya, old streets and several historic buildings on its old-town walking route; the square's flower market, fruit and vegetable stalls, restaurants and crafts reflect a public space still in use today. The tourist office also notes that in the second half of the 19th century the floats of the Nice Carnival passed through here, before the event's centre moved to the Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna. When describing the old town, keep the historic quarter, the everyday market and the different extent of the city's World Heritage listing distinct, and do not treat one square as the boundary of the whole old town.

Local customs

• Walk through the narrow lanes, minding residents' doorways, shops and market aisles. Ask before photographing market goods, flowers and stall displays up close
• check the price before buying. Religious buildings may be tucked into the quarter
• when you enter one, follow its own opening hours and etiquette.

Religion & beliefs

• The old town has churches and religious art spaces, but the quarter as a whole is not a place of worship
• only when you enter a specific religious building do its dress, silence and photography rules apply.

Travel tips

• Allow 1–2 hours for the main lanes and the Cours Saleya
• with a meal, the market and visits inside buildings, plan half a day. The reference point is the Cours Saleya at the heart of the old town, used only for map navigation, not to mark the full extent of the old town. It is easiest to walk in from a public transport stop in central Nice
• inside the old town you get around on foot. The dates and times of the flower market, antiques market and evening craft market change, so check the Nice tourist office calendar before you go. You can combine it with Castle Hill, the Promenade des Anglais and, in season, the Nice Carnival
• plan trips to other towns on the Côte d'Azur separately.