Where to Go in Nice for Panoramic Views

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.

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.

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.

Overlooking the Promenade du Paillon, a clever repurposing of an ugly bus station and car park to create lawns set with olive trees and water features, this hotel excels at stellar Nice views. Deluxe rooms with shiny tiled floors and white Provençal-style shutters either overlook the sea, park or old town from sun-dappled terraces. Nibble your salade niçoise outside at the main restaurant for soothing park views, saving the rooftop space with a pool and bar for seeing all over the city, kir royale in hand.

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.

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.