France, Nice

Nice is a leading holiday resort on the French Riviera and France’s fifth largest city. Situated between Marseille and Genoa Nice’s location on the beautiful Azure Coast means that the town is typified by towering palms, sparkling blue sea, rugged beaches and seafront boulevards.

History

The citizens of Nice trace their city's name back to the Greek Nikaia- City of Victory. Though other accounts say that it was founded by the Marseillais in 350 BC. Nice has been created and shaped by successive waves of foreigners who occupied the eastern end of the Bay of Angels facing Antibes.

The Muslims were eventually driven out of eastern Provence by the Count of Provence in 974 AD, and Provence joined the Roman Empire in the early 10th century. Provence would then be taken by the House of Anjou in the 14th century and then the House of Savoy.

The following 400 years saw Nice change hands again many times, with Louis XIV of France ruling from 1706 to 1713 and the new French Republic controlling Nice at the end of the century for a further 22 years.

In mid-19th century while Nice still belonged to Italy, King Immanuel III hit on a plan to enrich his country the easy way. He sold Nice to Napoleon III in exchange for French financial and military help. Although the deal was done secretly the Niçois were allowed to vote so they could not say that they were being sold down the river.

The Italians occupied Nice during WWII, yet it wasn’t long before the tourists flooded back in, particularly with the coming of the jet age during the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, Nice is a very rich city and one of the Côte d’Azur’s most sought after holiday destinations.

Geography & Demographics

The city is located on the Mediterranian Sea 40 km from the Italian Border on the coastline region of the Cote d, Azur or French Riviera. The city is divided into 14 cantons. There are two halves to the city, the old town and the new.

It has a population fast approaching 350,000 people and is very multi-cultural. It has swapped hands many times in its history and only joined France in 1860. On top of the resident French, Italians, Swiss and Brits, expect to find a whole host of people from around the world who have made this city their home.

Culture

The city has welcomed immigrants from Italy, Spain and Portugal and in later years North and West Africa adding a rich mix of cultures to this fantastic city.

Eternally popular as a holiday destination, during the peak season the city’s population can be expected to double as French and international visitors flock to experience the café terraces, sandy beaches, colorful markets and picturesque buildings that characterise Nice.

There is a huge selection of eateries to choose from in the city, ranging from upmarket restaurants to cheap and cheerful bistros, as well as a multitude of small cafes and fast-food snack stalls.

Transportation

Nice is a major transportation hub in Europe. The low-cost airlines now offer frequent flights to the Nice Cote d'Azur Airport from London, Paris and other cities.  A High-speed rail service is also available to Nice from Paris.

The city is served by Cote d, Azur International Airport which is the second largest Airport in France. Due to its proximity to Monaco it serves as that city-state Airport with a helicopter link between city and airport. There is a regular bus service and a tramway, namely Tramway de Nice, which is due to open in 2007.