Going to Nice for a Bottle of Perfume

You can see the surroundings of Nice with a day trip to Castellane, Verdon Gorge, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Lake Sainte-Croix, where in the months of May, June and July you will see a beautiful view of the French landscape with lavender fields, the most beautiful canyon in Europe and an artificial turquoise lake. On a relaxing tour of Grasse, Gourdon, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint Paul de Vence, have a closer look at the history of French perfume in Grasse and the medieval village of Saint Paul de Vence. Enjoy exploring medieval castles, charming towns and the Gorges du Loup spring in the countryside around Nice. Once you have gained knowledge of the history of French perfume in the historical centre of the perfumery, the city of Grasse, finish your trip with a perfume making workshop at the Molinard perfumery and make yourself a 50 ml bottle of perfume. With the successful completion of the workshop, you will receive a diploma.

Complete the perfume-making test with a two-hour ride on a tricycle and drive along the coast of the French Riviera. It stops at locations such as Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, Mont Alban and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Don't forget to try the typical Provence sandwich pan bagnat à la voile bleue. Continue exploring the French Riviera and explore Cannes, Antibes, Eze, Saint-Paul de Vence and Monte Carloon a ten-hour excursion. In the medieval village of Eze, famous for its perfume industry, visit the Fragonard factory to discover the secrets of perfumers and indulge in the beauty of the view. The most beautiful places of the French Riviera meet from the sea on a boat from Port-Grimaud all the way to Saint-Tropez, visited each year by a larger number of internationally recognised stars from the world of fashion as well as literature. Spend your time in the small town on Lake Port-Grimaud and the streets of Saint-Tropez.

The foundation of the French Riviera town

Nice was founded by Phocaean naval colonists who came from the ancient Greek Ionian city of Phocai in western Anatolia. The founding of the city is associated with 350 BCE after the end of the Corinthian War, in which the Phocaeans, inhabitants of the Greek settlements of the ancient region of Ionia on the west coast of Anatolia, were involved. The city is named after the Greek goddess Nike, who embodies victory over the inhabitants of northern Italy. From the 1st century AD, the Romans organised the coastal settlement of Nice into a busy trading post, the territory of which was later acquired by the Counts of Provence in the 10th century. In 1388 Nice became a municipality governed by the Counts of Savoy until the second half of the 19th century, when the city was taken over by France. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, although in the past centuries it was taken over several times by the French and the French First Republic of Nice finally came to power in France with the 1860s and the annexation of a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Where can I shop locally?

The centre of life in Nice is the niche markets, where you can buy local products for any use. In addition to locally grown food, craft products and flowers, the markets offer antiques, works of art and other goods that can be obtained at a low price. Markets in the city combine local growers with people and provide a sustainable way of life through the use of sustainable products. A sustainable way of life is certainly one of the best ways of coexistence with an area, local producers and a sustainable product grown in the visited city. Nice market providers revive and enrich the city with traditionally made products of French craft, as well as various seafood and meat specialities and locally grown fruits and vegetables. Of the many markets in Nice, we have selected five where you can shop locally:

• A food market which offers fruit, vegetables, spices, bread, honey and jam, olive oil and other seasonal meat products, socco or chickpea bread and pissaladière, a dish made of dough with stuffing from onions, black olives and incense. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 6:00 to 17:30 and on Sunday from 6:00 to 13:30. Market location: Cours Saleya, 06300 Nice, France
• The fish market is located in the old part of the city on the renovated Saint-François Square, where fishermen offer fresh seafood products from the Mediterranean. Fresh sea bass, sardines, shoes and seafood are available with original stories and recipes from local fishermen. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 6:00 to 13:00. Market location: Saint-François Square, 06300 Nice, France
• The flower market has been offering many locally grown flowers since 1897. In the old days, traders gathered in the square to trade flowers and sell them across Europe. You can buy bouquets, ornamental plants, etc. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 6:00 to 17:30 and on Sunday from 6:00 to 13:30. Market location: Cours Saleya, 06300 Nice, France
• Evening craft market connects visitors with artisanal ceramics products, paintings, jewellery, clothing and fashion accessories. The market takes place in the evening after the famous daytime street markets. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 18.00 to 00.30 from May to September. Market location: Cours Saleya, 06300 Nice, France
• The flea market at the port is a unique outdoor market where they sell antique and modern products such as metal and bronze products, furniture, paintings, vintage clothing and many other used cheap products at a retail price. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 6:00 to 13:00. Market location: Rue Robilant, 06300 Nice, France

Tours and exploration in Nice

Once again, for your trip we have prepared a selection of the best offers from our partner GetYourGuide, through which you can see the old part of Nice, take a guided tour of culinary delights and go wine tasting in the region of Côtes de Provence and plan an evening trip to the second-smallest country in the world Monaco as well as to the monastic city of Mónte Cárlo. A trained guide will take you through the old part of Nice and introduce you to the curiosities of the Greek ancestors who settled on the coast of the French Riviera, the influence of the Italian kingdom and the English and Russian aristocracies. You will visit five restaurants and experience quick meals or classic street dishes with a glass of rosé wine and other non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages. The wine-growing region of Côtes de Provence will offer three award-winning wine cellars and a selection of fresh red, aromatic white and rosé wines to taste in the morning and afternoon. In the evening, take an evening five-hour trip to Monaco, where you will see the Formula One gránd prix racetrack, refurbished casinos or simply relax in the Café de Paris and Mónte Cárlo.

A holiday by the sea in the city of the French Riviera Nice can be arranged in the cosy Nice Youth Hostel - Les Camélias. The villa with a terrace in the city centre along the Anglais Promenade is located not far from the railway station and the most beautiful beaches on the French Riviera, which extend along the Nice Promenade. Hostel Camélias is a fully equipped accommodation where you can quickly access the tourist attractions of Sainte-Réparate Cathedral, the Russian Saint-Nicolas Cathedral, the Marc Chagall National Museum, the Matisse Art Museum and the MAMAC Museum of Contemporary Art. The winter period in February and March enriches the city with the Carnival of Nice, traditionally held for 150 years. The most important winter festival in two weeks presents the most beautiful masks of the French Riviera. The Nice Jazz Festival, the oldest jazz festival in the world, takes place in the month of July. It was first opened in 1948, just after the end of the carnival.

Did you know?

• The French city of Nice was once the Italian city of the Kingdom of Sardinia Nizza, so Italian architecture is present in the city.
• Nice was founded in 350 BC by the name of Nikaia, which it acquired after a battle with the defeated members of the Italian territory of Liguri.
• Throughout the year, Nice has an average of 330 sunny days per year, making it the most popular tourist destination in France.
• The most recognisable dish from Nice, which contains olives, tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, beans and vegetables and can also be ordered elsewhere in the world, is the Niçoise salad.
• Pebble beaches in Nice consist of larger pebbles called galets.
• A good summer lunch on the French Riviera is filled with the typical Provençal rosé wine.
• The Russian cathedral of Saint-Nicolas was consecrated in 1912 to commemorate Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia, in order to unite the Russian community that had settled in Nice at the end of the 19th century.

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