Visiting the city of Nice in the autumn
Nice in the autumn typically means fewer crowds, good weather and better deals. Many consider it by far the best time to visit this cosmopolitan French city.
After August, most of the tourist resorts in France start emptying. Children are back at school and offices fill up again and the French countryside is left primarily to the locals and a slower pace of life. The cities on the coast also wind down and can be explored at a more leisurely pace. Consequently this time of year is one of the best times to visit France.
The climate in the south of France during this time of year can be pleasantly warm, even hot, and September and October are not particularly wet months. The Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean remain warm enough for swimming until even as late as November.
Situated on the French Riviera between a rugged mountainous landscape and the intense blue waters of the Mediterranean, Nice is an incredible city to visit all year round and especially in the autumn.
The city of Nice has much to offer the visitor, from its beaches and famous flower market, to the old parts of town and not to forget, its many museums and art galleries, Chagall and Matisse in particular. All of which you can wander and explore without discomfort from heat or crowds in the autumn.
Nice was a major tourist resort way back in the late 18th century, long renowned for its significant beaches. The curving sweep of the Baie des Anges is a magnificent beach, bordered by the Promenade des Anglais and stretching for almost five miles, punctuated by palms and pergolas.
Sometimes the glare from the sea is so dazzling, it is referred to as the brightest city seafront in Europe. Nice was named after the first tourists began to change a sleepy fishing village into one of Frances premier resorts. And it’s been the favoured stroll of fashionable folk since the British funded the initial length in the 1820s.
Our royal forebears cleared off to the French Riviera every year to get away from the cold. Even Queen Victoria was particularly keen and came regularly. When she was dying on the Isle of White she muttered: “If only I were in Nice, I would get better.”
For a good idea of how Nice was then, visit the Palais Masséna, when the aristocrats invaded the city. Both the gardens and palace have thankfully not been redeveloped.
The Russian cathedral is well worth a visit, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful Orthodox Church anywhere outside Russia. It is festooned with cupolas, small steeples and turrets and gorgeous polychrome tiles.
The area surrounding Nice is simply breath-taking, and for those who enjoy getting out of the city for the odd day walking, cycling or driving, the autumn vista is beautiful, with its golden hues and long days with cloudless blue skies.