Nice: castle hill and breasts of Gustave Eiffel's beloved woman (France). Nice, France - lift to the castle hill Nice lift to the castle hill
Each city has its own color, which usually consists of the shades of houses, roofs, and architecture in general. And, probably, Nice is one of the few cities whose color is influenced by a completely different factor - of course, it is a sea of incredible shade... Dada, exactly azure... not blue, not blue or anything else. It is this color that is used to the maximum in the decor of everything you can imagine in Nice. This is the color of Nice.
It’s pleasant to admire the sea here from any angle, but how great it is to see it from above, to literally float above such beauty. I will forever remember our plane flight from Nice to Vienna, the picture from the window still remains in my memory. But not only from an airplane you can see Nice from above, for example, you can climb to a wonderful observation deck..
Our path to the observation deck lay from the Flower Market through Place Gautier. There is the palace of the Dukes of Savoy, which currently houses the city prefecture (Palais de Préfecture des Alpes-Maritime). Also located here is the Chapel of Mercy (Chapelle de Miséricorde), in which the Brotherhood of Black Penitents was based, helping the sick, the poor and the homeless. But personally, I was attracted by this pale yellow building with quite simple but attractive stucco molding.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Here's Europe for you! Are you saying that people there always clean up after their animals? But no! Before our eyes, this guy’s dog did its business right in the center of the square, after which they went on for a walk, as if nothing had happened. Fififi!
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
So, the best observation deck in Nice is at Castle Hill, and there are several of them here, in different directions of the city. There are also several climbs; we climbed the Lesage stairs near the Suisse Hotel. This climb is very easy to find; you just need to walk along the Promenade des Anglais in the opposite direction from the airport all the way. You can climb either on foot along these stairs or by elevator, paying 1 or 2 euros. We chose the sporty way))
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
I love the sea! And the sea of this color just drives me crazy)
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Typical postcard photographs of Nice are taken from here. Unfortunately, we visited this point when the sun was shining on the water; we were here already in the afternoon. Apparently, it is better to come here in the first half of the day to avoid such an effect.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Moment, stop! Take me back there)))
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Vegetation on the mountainside. Castle Hill is also called "Chateau Hill" (La Colline du Chateau).
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
On Castle Hill you can touch the remains of medieval Nice; here are the ruins of a castle from the 11th-12th centuries, the Bellanda Tower, where we are now, its height is 92m. It was built on the spot medieval fortress 15th century, originally bore the name Tour de Mole, in the 17th century. received a new name - Tour Saint-Elmo. In 1705, when Louis XIV besieged Nice, the tower was destroyed, and only in 1824. it was erected again. It was from this tower that the residents of Nice in 1532. demonstrated the Shroud of Turin. The tower received its current name in the middle of the 19th century at the behest of its next owner.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
The views from here are magnificent not only of the sea, but also of the city itself, it is here in full view.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
The dome of the Cathedral of Saint Reparata stands out.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
And only from this point you can get the best view of one of the main attractions of Nice - the Promenade des Anglais.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
The main space on the mountain is occupied by a park with winding alleys, an artificial waterfall and excellent views. You can also visit one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe - the Chateau Cemetery, where French, Russian and English celebrities are buried, such as: writer Alexander Herzen, author of The Phantom of the Opera Gaston Leroux, founder of the Mercedes company Emil Jellinek and his daughter Mercedes Jellinek, mother of Giuseppe Garibaldi and others. I left this part of Castle Hill for next time, as I definitely want to return to Nice one day. This time we went to explore other interesting places in the city.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Below, not far from the tower, there is a memorial plaque, the inscription on which reads: “May 8, 1945. Victory of freedom and peace over enslavement and dictatorship.”
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Literally a stone's throw from the Bellanda Tower at 26 Rue des Ponchettes there is such a simple but lovely building. I would like to go out to this balcony at dawn and admire the sun and azure sea.. Eeeh))
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Nice may not be a small city, but there is plenty of beautiful architecture here. Here, for example, is the soft pink, light, even “sweet” building of the Opera House. Probably, in such a city everything should be soaring, bright and carefree.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
The Opera building is located a stone's throw from the embankment on Rue Raoul Bosio.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
It was opened on January 7, 1885. production of Verdi’s “Aida,” but at that time it was not an opera house, but the Municipal Theater, and this is the name that can still be seen on the facade. The building became an opera house later, in 1902.
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
// senorita-angie.livejournal.com
Winding through the streets of the old town of Nice, you will certainly accidentally come to the small Place de Jesus, where the lilac-blue Catholic Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Major (St. James the Elder), also known as the Church of Jesus, is located. Its construction began back in 1612. Jesuits. Initially, a local wealthy merchant donated money for the construction of a Jesuit college. Then, over the course of several years, the Jesuits bought houses around the future church in order to build not only a college, but also a chapel. Most of the work on the temple was completed by 1650.
This is a narrow square on the sides of which there are numerous restaurants and every morning there is a market with fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, berries, pastries, then the market turns into a flower market and they sell flowers all day. On Mondays, this square is where the famous antique market is located. We will definitely visit it.
Place Charles Felix is located next to the Chateau hill (Le Chateau), which separates the city from the port and on which a park appears on maps called Parc de la Colline du Chateau.
In the 4th century BC. the Greeks, who arrived here by sea, settled in the Chateau hill, intending to turn Nicaea (now Nice) into a strategic and shopping mall Mediterranean. Today, only a few areas of the park remind of ancient settlements. Now we will see it.
There is a steep climb up the hill, and if you don’t have a car, the climb is long and tiring (despite the viewing platforms at each level of the climb). But you can also take an elevator up this hill!
Entrance to the elevator is from Rue de Ponchettes. This is very close to the square described above. The elevator is in a small tunnel, but if you ask the employee, he will tell you. The elevator and entrance to the park are free. When the elevator that takes you to the very top opens its doors, the amazing view of the sea and the city will take your breath away. The elevator opens immediately at the observation deck. As you move from the elevator, the views will change. And everything is for the better! The rooftops of old Nice will be increasingly visible.
The park itself is very pleasant for walking. The aroma of fir, shady corners with benches, everything is very pleasant and peaceful. There is a children's playground in the center of the park, where little children run merrily and squeal, but this will not interfere with relaxation at all. Observation platforms are laid out on all sides of the park, so you can admire both the Bay of Angels and the city from the port.
On the hill there are ruins of a church from the 11th-12th century. A computer reconstruction of the church is shown next to the excavations. These remnants of Greek culture and civilization can be admired endlessly. Some kind of wisdom and peace are preserved by these ruins.
A little history of the hill:
“Starting from the 10th century, measured city life flowed on Chateau Hill (or Castle Hill).
There was a castle, a cathedral and many residential buildings here. It was safer to live on the mountain,
after all, it offered an excellent view in all directions; enemies could be spotted in advance.
However, over time, people began to descend from the hill and build houses on the coast.
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the inhabitants of Nice practically abandoned the hill, and the castle was destroyed in 1706."
Every day at 12:00 noon a cannon shot is heard on the hill. When I heard it for the first time, I was very surprised, but the owner of the apartment explained that it was just lunch time. Well, already more detailed history“cannon shot” I read in the guidebook:
“In 1861, one Scottish tourist, spending the winter holidays in Nice, decided to install a cannon on Castle Hill at his own expense to observe the military tradition of the “midday cannon shot.” According to legend, this is how he invited his wife home ... to cook dinner. And On November 19, 1875, a decree of the government of Nice decided to make this hour official."
I walked down the hill.
“In the second half of the 18th century, it was decided to turn the former residential area at the bottom of the hill into a cemetery. Over time, it turned into a necropolis, where celebrities, noble residents of the city, representatives of Russian, English and French aristocratic families began to be buried. For example, here are the graves of a journalist , writer, author of “The Phantom of the Opera” Gaston Leroux, as well as the founder of the Mercedes automobile brand Emil Jellinek and his daughter. The grave of the Russian publicist and philosopher Alexander Herzen stands out among others." No, I didn’t go to the necropolis, that’s why the photos show only quiet churches
Going down the hill you find yourself in the very depths of old Nice
And on the embankment at that time there were yacht races
Next on the program is a trip to Monaco.
The stop from which buses 100 (Monaco, Menton) and 81 (Cap Ferrat) depart is called “STATION J.C.BERMOND”, it is located on the isthmus of streets Bd. Jean Jaures and Av. Felix Faure. The drive to Monaco is much faster than to Cannes, about half an hour. The bus makes several stops in Monaco. We get off at the stop: Office du Tourisme, and after walking a little we find ourselves directly opposite the Monte Carlo casino
Tourists crowd around the casino, taking pictures in front of the building and in front of the employees. But the latter apparently got used to not paying any attention to the cameras
Just behind the casino is the luxurious building of the Monte Carlo Opera.
Its author, architect Charles Garnier, had recently completed the construction of the Grand Opera in Paris. Opera theatre Monte Carlo stands on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and is connected to the casino by a red marble foyer. The construction of the building took only six months. 400 Italian craftsmen worked on its construction. The result was an extremely intricate Second Empire style façade with extraordinarily richly decorated towers and sculptures by Gustav Doré and Sarah Bernhardt."
I couldn't take my eyes off the front of the theater. All his sculptures, all his arches and women's heads, capitals, marble flowers.... in all this there is a special cheerfulness, pleasure in being.
An opera singer could be heard singing from the slightly open windows of the theater. And on the ground floor of the theater, employees in tuxedos were rehearsing.
There is a gorgeous park next to the theater.
To be honest, I never considered the Cote d'Azur of France as a tourist destination, it was too poppy and banal. Cambodia, Nicaragua or Mozambique - yes, interesting. But the Cote d'Azur has never attracted anyone. But it so happened that from the country where I have been living lately, cheap tickets consistently appear to Nice, Geneva, Istanbul, Athens, Basel, London, Manchester and Budapest. It is to these cities that low-cost airlines fly from us. So it turns out that any of my trips to Europe inevitably passes through one of the mentioned cities. This time the idea was to go to Tunisia, so tickets to Nice were purchased long in advance in order to transfer to Tunis Air to Tunisia. But then riots began in Tunisia, and the “voucher red tape” was not encouraging (as you know, CIS citizens need a voucher for Tunisia), plus two friends were not allowed into Tunisia, despite beautifully forged vouchers. It worked great before, but now it doesn't work. Usually I am prone to this kind of risks and adventures, but for some reason I didn’t want to tempt fate this time. Therefore, at the last moment I replayed everything and decided to fly from Nice to Sicily, and from there towards Malta. So I ended up in Nice for a day, waiting for a flight to Palermo. And guess what? I liked Nice.
It must be said that preparations for transit in Nice were not easy. A week before departure, it turned out that the hotel I had booked through Booking.com was , and it was only by using a card that was obviously not working that I avoided problems. They simply unilaterally announced that they would not be able to check in after 23.00, although no restrictions were set in the original reservation. Moreover, when I told them that in this case I would be forced to cancel the reservation, they tried to withdraw money. It didn't work out. But, as they say, “a sediment remains.” Therefore, this time I decided to do without Booking and booked the Kyriad Nice Port chain hotel directly on their website. Surprisingly, a week before my arrival I caught a great price of 40-something euros. For the city center and 200 meters from the embankment - practically nothing.
Given the extremely limited time, I decided to sleep off the night flight in the evening, and in the morning I went for a walk around the city. First of all, we climbed Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau), which rises almost vertically between old Nice and the port. There was once a fortress at the top, but now little remains of it. The mountain has been turned into a park, with numerous stairs and paths winding to the top. An extremely popular place for sport-minded city dwellers. The climb requires some (minor) physical effort, but the magnificent panorama that opens over the city from the top is worth it, believe me.
Rising from the port, I went down towards old Nice (Vieux Nice) -
At first, the narrow streets are quite deserted, there are practically no tourists here -
Ordinary residential areas, preserved almost unchanged from the 18th-19th centuries -
The lower, the busier: more shops, restaurants, tourists, bustle -
I accidentally raise my head, and here, it turns out, Napoleon lived -
In his youth, the dog carried the grandmother, and now the grandmother takes the dog -
Perhaps someone will notice that the Arabs are in the frame. Yes, we got it. Moreover, the south of France is increasingly reminiscent of Morocco. Visually, every third person here comes from the Maghreb. It is very difficult to take a photo where visitors will not see it. I sincerely tried to capture some typical French people in the frame, but it was not easy. I believe that it is best to look for real France away from Nice and Marseille -
The famous Promenade Des Anglais -
Grandfather of modern Citroens -
The famous hotel-casino "Le Negresco", built in 1913, is named after its founder, Henri Negresco, a Romanian emigrant who made a dizzying career in France and planned to build the most luxurious hotel in Europe. The frame of the famous pink dome, which is business card hotel, was made in the workshop of Gustave Eiffel himself. As legend has it, the famous architect was inspired to create this masterpiece by the breasts of his lover. French, what else can you add here except: “Cherche la femme.” Well, the hotel itself is still a symbol of Nice. Agree, the building is beautiful -
However, I preferred the simpler Kyriad to the Le Negresco hotel, because the tenfold difference in price is no joke!
A final muttering about airplane food at Air France
Recently, I mistakenly believed that the Turks do not feed well during the flight. Listen, after eating at Air France, the Turks begin to seem like culinary masters to me -
I'll finish this for now and start packing my things - I'm flying to Palermo in the morning. For your support in this autumn trip, I thank the online service for purchasing air tickets and booking hotels around the world