Where To Go In Nice For Panoramic Views

A viewpoint overlooking the eternally blue sky mirroring the Mediterranean below is all you need after a long day sightseeing in Nice. Add in rooftop cocktails at Le Méridien hotel and you’re on to a winner. Follow our tips on where to find the best vistas in the capital of the French Riviera.

1. Promenade des Anglais

Architectural Landmark

Aerial view of the Promenade des Anglais along the shoreline in Nice, France, on a sunny day

Representing the glamorous Côte d’Azur in good style, the Promenade des Anglais showcases much of what draws an eye-watering five million travellers to Nice every year. Walk along the long gentle curve of the beach backed by lofty palm trees, and you’ll be rewarded with views of the sparkling Med topped with luxury yachts in one direction and faded art deco facades in the other.

2. Castle Hill

Natural Feature

View of the crowded beach and promenade seen from high up on Castle Hill

If your legs won’t make the 30-minute hike to this hilltop beauty spot on the site of an 11th-century castle, you can take the free lift all the way up. Once you get here, it’s worth it for the bird’s-eye view over the bay below. Cool off afterwards with a reviving citron pressé in the park cafe, which overlooks a 19th-century waterfall. There’s also a play area if you’ve got kids in tow.

3. Hotel Le Negresco

Eco Hotel

Table for two with white tablecloth set up with breakfast on a sunny balcony overlooking the sea at Le Negresco

Dressed like a pink and white wedding cake, this turreted Dalí- and Picasso-filled landmark dominates a corner of the Promenade des Anglais. Sea-facing rooms and suites are the ones to book with balconies for small-scale sunbathing, if you can tear your eyes away from the sight of so many cherubs, chandeliers and antiques in one space. Follow their gaze with your sandal-clad feet to the private Neptune Beach across the street for sundown views of the Baie des Anges.

5. Le Méridien Nice

Resort, Chain Hotel

Beachfront outdoor pool with marine-blue beach chairs facing smooth azure sea at Le Méridien Nice

Is there a better address in Nice than number 1 Promenade des Anglais? Wake up each morning in your Sixties-style room to that alluring sea and sky view. Some of the bathrooms even let you peek at the sea as you wash your hair. Does it have a rooftop view as well? You bet. Head up here at every given opportunity to sip champagne and eat authentic ratatouille with the Baie des Anges in sight.

6. Hotel Palais Saleya

Boutique Hotel

View from Hotel Palais Saleya of the Place du Palais de Justice with courthouse on left and pink clock tower on right

For views over the terracotta rooftops of Nice, book Hotel Palais Saleya. Apartments inside this 18th-century townhouse are decked out in Riviera-chic style, and overlook the neoclassical Cours Saleya and colonnaded courthouse with its own square. Stock up on sun-ripened fruit and veg from the morning food and flower market, a must-stop for shopping when you’re sightseeing in Nice, before heading off to the beach, just a three-minute walk away.

This is an updated rewrite of an article originally by Alex Ledsom.

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