Nice holds two single-artist museums within a short ride of each other. The Musée Matisse sits in a Genoese villa among the Cimiez olive trees and traces close to 600 works from the 1890s to the late cut-out gouaches, while the Musée National Marc Chagall was built at the artist's own wish around the 17 canvases of the Biblical Message.

Down in the old town, Palais Lascaris adds more than 500 historic musical instruments behind a frescoed baroque staircase, and Villa Masséna covers Riviera life from the 18th century to the early 20th. Most close on Tuesdays, so check hours before planning the week.

Nice was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as a winter resort town of the Riviera, recognizing a cityscape shaped by British, Italian, French, and Russian visitors. The Promenade des Anglais itself began in 1824, and the city was ceded to France in 1860.

For something older, Cimiez holds Cemenelum, the Roman city founded by Augustus in 14 BC, where you can walk the amphitheater, the public baths, and the paved streets. Back in the center, Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas holds the title of largest Orthodox building of its kind outside Russia, while Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate anchors baroque Vieux Nice.

Parc Phoenix is the obvious anchor for a family day. Seven hectares hold 2,500 plant species and 2,000 animals, and the Diamant Vert, one of Europe's largest greenhouses, recreates six tropical climates. There is a tree-top adventure course and plenty of open ground for younger children.

In the center, the Colline du Château has a large playground, a waterfall, and telescopes along the viewpoints, reached by a lift from the old town when small legs run out. The Promenade du Paillon adds a water mirror and marine-animal play structures, both free.