Nizza or Nice (pronounced /`nils/ French pronunciation: [nis]; Niçard Occitan: Niça [classical norm] or Nissa [nonstandard], Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek: Νίκαια, Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of 71.92 km2 (28 sq mi). The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of over 955,000 on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is second largest French city on the Mediterranean coast.
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The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa la Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful. Nice is the capital city of the Alpes Maritimes department, and the second biggest city of the Region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur after Marseille.
The area of today’s Nice is believed to be among the oldest human settlements in Europe. One of the archaeological sites, Terra Amata, displays evidence of a very early usage of fire. Around 350 BCE, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory.
Throughout the ages the town changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For years, it was an Italian dominion, then became part of France in 1860. Culturally and architecturally enriched over time, today Nice has become a truly cosmopolitan tourist destination.
The spectacular natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winter there. The city’s main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais (‘the Walkway of the English’) owes its name to the earliest visitors to the resort. For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light has been of particular appeal to some of Western culture’s most outstanding painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city’s museums, including Musee Marc Chagall, Musee Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Cheret
The climate and landscape are still what attracts most visitors today. It has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it’s the second-most visited place in France after Paris, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the second busiest airport in France after Paris[8] and two convention centers dedicated to business tourism. The city also has a university, several business districts and some major cultural facilities, such as museums, a national theater, an opera house with a regional library and several concert halls and casinos. It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice (Comte de Nice).
Nice experiences a Mediterranean climate. The summer's/holiday season lasts for 6 months, from May to October, although also in April and November sometimes there are temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F). Winters are mild, with average temperatures of 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) during the day and 5.8 °C (42.4 °F) at night in the period from December to February.
Vieux Nice: A stroll around Vieux Nice is one of the highlights for visitors in Nice. In this part of town you can enjoy the busy atmosphere of the market, see the City Hall and the Palace of Justice. You can drink a cappuccino in one of the provincial pavement cafés, visit the cathedral St. Réparate at Place Rossetti or eat a traditional Socca, a Nicoise speciality, for lunch.
Graves of Dufy and Matisse: Bathed in light and overlooking the city from the hilltop at Cimiez, lies the old cemetery. The graves are very old, the majority being individual miniature white-marble chapels, some of which are adorned with beautiful sculptures. But the true allure of this cemetery lies in two particular graves: those of the painters Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse, who both ended their days in Nice.
Place Massena: The Place Massena is the main square of the city, where all important streets meet. On one side it is bordered by the beautiful Albert I Garden (Jardin Albert 1er) and on the other side by a row of red ochre buildings with arcades.
L'Eglise Russe: The Russian-Orthodox Cathedral with its five colourful onion spires and the beautiful golden icons in its interior is the biggest Russian Church outside of Russia.
Monaco: The style and elegance of Hollywood star Grace Kelly still lives on in the alleys of this small city state. Well worth seeing are the Casino, the harbour with its myriad of luxurious yachts, Monaco-Ville, today's Old Town with the Palais Grimaldi, the worldfamous Oceanographic Museum or the Cathedral Notre-Dame-Immaculee.