Inside Nice: Shopping and Culture
Inside Nice
Nice is with its population of 400.000 the capital of the Riviera and the largest city along the coast. The city is a mix of modern and old world charm. Located at the French Riviera, as a part of the southeast coast of France also known as the cote’Azur, Nice is one of the most popular and well-known resorts in the world. The beautiful clear white beaches, impressive hotels and extraordinary shops make Nice one of the most attractive cities to work, study and to party in.
History teaches us that Nice was one of the first places where men used fire and constructed houses to live in. Nice was originally named Nikaia, after the Greek god of victory Nike. This name was given to it after defeating the ligurians in the 5th century before Christ. Due to its perfect location near the ocean Nice quickly became a crowded tradingstation. The name Nice was given to it in the 10th century after it became one of the biggest cities in the area. In the middle Ages it took part in some very gruesome wars and throughout history it has been attacked many times until it became a part of France in 1860.
Shopping in Nice
Nice has a very wide range of stores, by far the biggest shopping street is the Ave Jean Médecin. This street goes from the Placa Massena up to the center of the city and contains most of the biggest shopping and department stores. On the corner of Placa Massena you’ll find ‘the Novelles galleries’ this multi floor building is the residence of several typical department store departments. This store has some bilingual (French-English) capabilities and offers some ‘tax-free’ purchases for non- European visitors.
Somewhere in the middle of Ave Jean Médicin at the right side is the modern ‘mall’ named the ‘Nice etoile’. This building also has multiple floors each with its own boutiques and shops. It has its own parking and other facilities which makes it the perfect place to go to on a rainy day after your study, internship or practical work experience.
The rue de France runs practically similar to seaside. Here you have an area filled with exclusive shops, clothing boutiques, restaurants and cafés with beautiful terraces. A great opportunity for you to relax after a long day of study in Nice.
If you like to wonder in and out of all kinds of small stores you really should visit Vieille Ville roughly translated as ‘old town’. In this part of town all kinds of small shops, gift shops, ‘artisan’ crafts, regional items and clothing shops are concentrated and offer their goods. One more thing you should really a visit is the weekly flea market in the heart of the Vieille Ville every Monday you’ll find all kinds of secondhand stuff perfect for an international student.
Parks and sights in Nice
What is better than after a day of studying or working at your internship placement in Nice just to lay down in the grass, relax and completely clear your mind. In Nice there are some beautiful parks with numerous places to do so. A good example is the botanic garden, located at the west side of Nice this garden is especially designed for the display of Mediterranean plants but there are also a lot of tropical plants flourishing in this garden this garden was originally grown in 1983 but opened for the public in 1991. the entrance is free of charge and many people enjoy the garden on a daily base.
Another beautiful park is the ‘parc du chateau’ this park is also free of charge and can be visited daily from 7.00 to 18.00. this park has a great number areas to relax or spend your time during your break, when your doing your internship here in Nice.
A third park worth visiting is ‘parc de cimiez’ this beautiful grassy park shows centuries-old olive groves. There is no playground but the beautiful lawns, trees and low stone walls create an ambiance of rest an peace for those who visit the park.
Another very popular place of course is the beach, during your study or internship you’ll probably find the beach the perfect place to study, relax, have fun with classmates or just sleep when you’re hang over from last night. the beautiful beach is kept very clean which make it possible to have clear white beaches and a beautiful clear blue ocean.
Nice also offers very beautiful museums with very low entrance prices. The first Sunday of the month all the museums even have free entrance. The usual price of a ticket less than 4 euros and for less than 20 euros you’ll get a card which is valid for 10 visits to a great variety of museums.
If you happen be in Nice in February you won’t be able to miss the carnival, every year the carnival of nice is one big festival were people dress and party for days. It finds its origin in the middle ages but the way it is celebrated nowadays started in 1972 and has been a success ever since.