The heart of Nice is the city center, an area that can be explored on foot quite easily. Within this region are several walks, and you could easily walk from one end of the city to the other in under an hour. These walks include walks in the old town near the flower market, or along the Promenade de Anglais, which offers some great views of the bay. And while not a large city, Nice is actually second only to Paris in numbers of museums and galleries, and like Paris, Nice is home to several unique neighborhoods.
The Old Town ("Vieux Nice")
A dense area of narrow winding streets dating back to the sixteenth century. The famous Flower Market in the Cours Saleya remains a must see attraction, including the stall of local character Thérèse, queen of Niçois Socca. The neighborhood features cafés, souvenir shops, and lots and lots of flowers. The market is open every day until 1:30pm except on Mondays, when a flea and antiques market is open instead. On Place Rossetti in the centre of the Old Town is the Cathedral St Réparate, and Fennochio's, the Nice ice-cream maker of hundreds of exotic flavours which attract queues of visitors daily.
The Chateau
Climb the zig-zagging steps to the top of the hill of the chateau ("Colline du Chateau" - there is no actual Chateau now) , where from the western balustrades you can enjoy the finest views over the Baie des Anges towards Cap d'Antibes and the Esterel, and from its eastward-facing side, over the port of Nice with its luxury yachts, cruiseships and daily ferries to and from Corsica.
The Port
The port area doesn’t attract as many tourists, and in many ways this is the best-kept secret. It is near the Old Town, offering great harbor views and features some excellent restaurants and hot nightspots. You can reach it by foot from Vieux Nice via Place Garribaldi, or along the waterfront via Raba Capeu if you don't fancy crossing the Chateau hill.
The Sea Front
If you need to relax or just take it easy, then the Promenade des Anglais is the place to be. With its bustling beaches (private, paying alternating with free public ones), it is the place to bike, run or roller blade. It offers delightful (if pricey) seaside restaurants and is the place to get some of the best crepes in Nice. Everyone walks the Promenade.
Cimiez
Queen Victoria's favourite location about two km north of the centre, an area of fine villas and streets named after members of the English monarchy, Roman antiquities, the monastery and its gardens which offer fine views over the city, the Matisse Museum, and a popular picnic area for Nice families under the shade of the olive trees.
The Russian district ("Eglise Russe")
A kilometre north-west of the centre close to the rue Gambetta, home of the old orthodox Russian Cathedral, with its classic 'onion' towers, it marks Nice's long historic connection with pre-revolutionary Russian Monarchy.
Valrose
Parc Valrose is the site of the science faculty of the University of Nice a kilometre north east of the centre, but the park can be accessed in term time and is an enchanting setting with a small lake and lush vegetation, leading up to the magnificent Chateau Valrose. The surrounding streets are home to many villas dating back the the Belle Epoche, and nearby is the quirky concrete church of St Jeanne d'Arc