By Alexandra Cohen
NICE- The capital of the French Riviera, Nice is a perfect city for a relaxing getaway. This summer, I returned to Nice for the first time in eight years and was able to enjoy a fantastic few days by the Mediterranean.
For those who have not yet visited, Nice is the fifth largest city in France, with 350,000 citizens and more than 1 million people living in the surrounding areas. Located between the Alps, Provence, Corsica, and Italy, the exceptional climate makes it a great year-round destination for travellers.
During my visit, I was able to enjoy time walking along La Promenade des Anglais, a street known throughout the world. This long avenue runs right along the Mediterranean coastline, spanning a distance of 7km, and is frequented by walkers, cyclists, and joggers alike. This area is renowned for its palm trees, its private and public beaches, and its array of hotels, including the legendary Negresco and the Palais de la Méditerranée.
Just across the street from the sea lies Vieux Nice, the historic district of the city. In Vieux Nice, you will find a hub of activity, particularly at night, where you will find an array of small restaurants with terraces, markets, craft shops, and more. Nearby, you will also find Place Masséna, a historic square known for its black and white geometric paving, red ochre buildings, and 7 statues, which when evening comes, light up with warm and lively colours.
When visiting, it is also working exploring La Promenade du Paillon, which was inaugurated in 2013. This 12-hectare green ribbon in the heart of nice is known for its 1,600 trees, 6,000 shrubs, and 50,000 perennials. Benches punctuate the walk to allow you to stop, relax, and enjoy the view.
Jewish Nice
The Jewish presence in Nice probably dates from the Greek era. The successive occupations, mainly linked to the conflicts between France and Italy affected the status of the Jews over the centuries. A Jewish presence is identified in the middle of the 14th century. Nice then depended on Provence and the Jews were forced to wear a distinctive sign. In 1406, the Jewish community had official status, while the city once again belonged to Savoy. Two years later, she has a cemetery near Lympia harbor. A synagogue was erected twenty years later. The Duke of Savoy, while imposing restrictions on housing and profession, protected the Jews from the imposed conversions.
Nice has a small Jewish community of somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 and a few restaurants and kosher shops.
The Great Synagogue of Nice, built by the architect Paul Martin, was inaugurated in 1886. There is a pyramidal stone facade with a central rose window. It has beautiful interior decorations including twelve stained glass windows with biblical themes. The Ezrat Ahim Synagogue follows an Ashkenazi rite. It was opened in 1930 and has The Maayane Or Synagogue of the Massorti movement was opened in 1996. It also has a large cultural and community space, with a Talmud Torah, Hebrew lessons, religious festivals and other activities.
Rabb Yossef Yitshak Pinson has headed the Chabad Lubavitch presence here for many years,
The Jewish cemetery is located in the Castle Cemetery created in 1783, in its southern part. A cenotaph has been installed at the entrance to the cemetery for Nice victims of the Shoah.
Check out the Marc Chagall Museum. When he died in 1985, the Museum received 300 works by Marc Chagall. The artist’s heirs continue to this day donating to the museum.
Where to Stay
During my trip, I stayed at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée (https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/france/hyatt-regency-nice-palais-de-la-mediterranee/ncehr) in a spectacular king room with a full sea view.
This historic and luxurious 5-star hotel is located on the legendary Promenade de Anglais, directly across the street from the sea. There are 187 spacious guestrooms and suites, complimentary Wi-Fi, the option for mobile entry with your room key available through your smart phone, a beautiful indoor-outdoor pool, as well as a gym, sauna, and Turkish bath. The hotel restaurant, le 3e, includes a lovely terrace which overlooks the Mediterranean, as well as the outdoor pool, includes a large and delicious breakfast buffet, which I was able to enjoy every morning. The hotel also features a business and conference center on site. Dogs under 15kg are permitted on the premises for an additional fee.
All rooms include a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, air conditioning, an in-room, laptop-sized safe, an alarm clock, bathrobes and slippers, a hair dryer, an iron and ironing board, an electric kettle, and a mini-bar.
During my stay, I was very impressed with the hotel’s customer service. Their concierge service is able to reserve seats for hotel guests at the nearby beach – they will give you a voucher and place the charge under your room. Response to requests for room service and other needs was always swift.
In terms of accessibility, six rooms (including one suite) are adapted for the disabled with walk-in showers (equipped with a seat on the wall and a grab rail), a sink accessible for those in wheelchairs, height equipment (bed, mini bar, safe box, toilet) for wheelchair access, as well as a wardrobe with a telescopic rod.
Interestingly, a few years ago, the hotel had its own two and a half month-old Labrador puppy as part of the association “Les Chiens Guides d’Aveugles”. A hotel staff member spent two years training him as a future seeing eye dog. He was present three weeks a month at the hotel and learned obedience and savoir-vivre, following which he was made available for adoption at no charge to a visually impaired person.
You can e-mail nice.regency@hyatt.com prior to your trip with any questions. I was certainly impressed by their quick response time. The phone number is +33 4 93 27 12 34
Dining out:
There are many fantastic dining options at your disposal in Nice. During my previous trip to Nice in 2014, I dined at Le Grand Balcon (www.legrandbalcon.net), located at 10 rue St. François de Paule near the opera house. Having had such a great experience last time, I was looking forward to returning, and it did not disappoint. Since my last visit, their terrace seems to have more than doubled in size, and all of their tables were full. While their menu offers numerous options, I personally enjoyed their sea bream ceviche with pomelo, the scallops with truffles and homemade mashed potatoes, and the parmesan cheese risotto. For dessert, I had a tasty, restyled lemon meringue pie. Undoubtedly, should you choose to visit, you will enjoy their creative and delicious cuisine.
Le Grand Balcon is wheelchair accessible.
Another excellent restaurant worth visiting is Bocca Nissa (https://www.boccanissa.com/), a trendy restaurant and tapas bar located at 3 rue St. François de Paule. At first glance, the building resembles a beautiful Mediterranean town house. You will enter by walking down a hallway with walls lined entirely by greenery. Their rooftop terrace provides views of Vieux Nice and is also lined with plants and twinkle lights. Their menu contains a large array of tapas to share – I personally tried their tortilla dish, as well as their fried squid and sardines, sea bream ceviche, and beef ravioli. For dessert, their chocolate bombs were a real treat. For those less interested in tapas, their menu also boasts larger meals that one may choose to share, such as lamb chops and beef ribs.
This property is also wheelchair accessible.
Needless to say, I absolutely look forward to returning to this piece of paradise in France.
For more details log on to: https://www.explorenicecotedazur.com/
