Nice (Charms of The Old City)

One of the main charms of Nice (besides the sea, of course) is the old city, “la vielle ville” or “vieux Nice” like the people here call it. It’s a typical old Mediterranean city from the middle ages which has supported very few modifications since the 15th century (at least). As it is a main tourist attraction, there’s a regular effort of the city to maintain in good state the architectural heritage of this old city and the whole area is really in a very good conservation state.

One of the main charms of Nice (besides the sea, of course) is the old city, “la vielle ville” or “vieux Nice” like the people here call it. It’s a typical old Mediterranean city from the middle ages which has supported very few modifications since the 15th century (at least). As it is a main tourist attraction, there’s a regular effort of the city to maintain in good state the architectural heritage of this old city and the whole area is really in a very good conservation state.

So, what makes of this old city something special? It’s the heart of the day & night life of Nice. During the day, you can find there almost every kind of shops and boutiques, selling the most traditional Mediterranean things like olives, oil, fresh made pasta (you MUST taste the fresh “raviolis à la daube”) or the specialty of Nice: the “Socca” a sort of pancake made of chick-pea flour, water and olive oil… hmmm it’s delicious with a bit salt and pepper! But you also find a lot of trendy and hype clothing shops and all kind of tourist boutiques.

When the night comes, the shops are closing and it’s the turn of all the typical restaurants, bars and clubs. The crowd isn’t the same as during the day, but it’s always full of people, specially during the summer time.

But if you don’t feel well with the tourist crowd, the old city has a lot of hidden charms, little narrow streets and amazing old buildings which are not written in the tourist guides and almost empty every time. Walk through these narrow streets, with a very special light and a very romantic mood is always a pleasure. Even if I know this old city for over 20 years, I always have the same pleasure to walk there, to take pictures and to be amazed by the colors and lights of the old city… What I specially like is to look up to the sky when the streets are crossing because you have some fantastic geometrical structures to shoot in this position. A dream place for every lomographer, there are always so many details and situations you can take a picture off that the place seems to be an endless source of inspiration.

So, just come to Nice, get lost in the streets of the old city and discover the true charms of the place!

written by vicuna on 2008-07-14 #places #culture #nightlife #food #history #shopping #location #nice #architecture