Cimiez

Nice is a large city whose population of 400,000 has carpeted the land with apartments and condominiums bounded only by the ocean and the surrounding hills.

The territory mapped out and referred to as Cimiez is where the Romans constructed Cemenelum, a town to rival the then existing Greek town of Nikaia (Nice) in the 1st century B.C. The renovated Roman amphitheater hosts a famous jazz festival that takes place every July. Cimiez also flourishes in March during the Festival des Cougourdons, and in May, Sundays are an offering of dances, picnics, and folklore presentations during the Fêtes des Mais. Cimiez is also worth the journey to visit the Musée d’Archéologie, 160 Avenue des Arènes (Closed Tuesdays, tel: 04.93.81.59.57), the Musée Chagall at the corner of Boulevard de Cimiez and Avenue Dr Ménard (Closed Tuesdays, tel: 04.93.53.87.20), and the Musée Matisse in the Villa des Arènes (Closed Tuesdays, tel: 04.93.81.08.08). The Musée Chagall houses the largest single collection of the master’s work, while the Musée Matisse honors its namesake, who made Nice his home for 20 years, through presentation of the artist’s paintings, drawings, and figurines.