Once I had finished exploring Monaco, I headed back to Nice to celebrate the New Year! I didn’t have any particular plans – I headed into town to figure out dinner and drink some champagne, and then I went down to the beach, where there was a crowd of people gathered for a countdown and some fireworks. I’m usually with friends for New Year’s Eve, not out in public, but there was something really special about celebrating with a bunch of strangers. And then after it was over and I was walking back to my hotel, everyone was cheering and wishing each other “bonne année” in the streets. I loved the experience.
The next morning, I went on my own unofficial walking tour around Nice! I started with breakfast near the famous rocky beaches.
Nice is beautiful. It was a really nice city to just walk around in. I imagine it was a bit quieter than normal, given that it was both New Years Day, and the winter season more generally. I would absolutely return in a different season and spend more time across Southern France.
When I was looking up places to explore, I did find an unusual place in Nice. Welcome to the Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice, which is a Russian Orthodox cathedral! It was built with in 1912 and mostly paid for by Tsar Nicholas II. They named the street where it was built after him and had a plaque honoring his contribution. They also honored one of the Romanov children who died in Nice and built a statue of him near the church. The church is officially owned by the Russian government after a long legal battle in the French court system.
Once I’d explored the cathedral, I made my way to the metro so I could visit the other side of the city. This is the area with the marina, as well as a short hike to a viewpoint.
I loved the views of Nice from above! It was pretty windy but absolutely worth it. The park up at the top of this hill was cool, too. There were Odyssey-themed mosaics on the stairs and near many of the lookout areas.
Once I had gotten back down to street level, it was time for a late lunch and a quick stop at my hotel to pick up my backpack. And then I was off to the next part of my journey!
I loved Nice. Within Southern France, I’ve spent time in Nice, Monaco, and Marseille, and I would definitely say Nice was my favorite of those three. I would love to go back and base myself there and explore more of the region, because it seems like there are so many beautiful places nearby. But no time for that now – it was time to board my train for Marseille so that I could fly out to Algiers the next morning!