Travel Tips - Free

Considered to be the cradle of the old town of Nice, Castle Hill is a fortified site, offers stunning panoramic views over the Promenade des Anglais and the old port of Nice and despite nearly five visits, there is something about Castle Hill that always brings me back whenever I’m travelling to Nice. Whether it’s the wonderful views, photo opportunities or merely the opportunity to work up an appetite before heading for lunch in the old town, I cannot recommend visiting Castle Hill enough.

To really make the most of your visit I would suggest allocating a good 40 minutes and accessing the stone steps on the Promenade des Anglais side (next to the Hotel Suisse), that way you can enjoy the views of the beach before descending the hill on the Port side.

There is a children’s playground at the top of the hill, toilets (0.35 Euro), a café and lift if you don’t fancy walking back down.

It is no surprise that the French Riviera is often referred to as the Playground of the rich and a short stroll along the promenade in the Port of Nice will leave you mesmerised as to the size and scale of some of the motor boats and super yachts moored there.

Well worth a quick visit.

Take the time to visit the Gorges du Verdun, the largest gorge in Europe and second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the States. Its about 20kms long plunging 2,500metres from its highest point

It’s a spectacular drive along either side of the gorge with two lovely villages – Castellane and Moustiers Sainte Marie, that you should stop at. I would suggest Castellane for a coffee on the way and Moustiers for lunch

In the summer Moustiers does get busy especially at the weekend, but there are lots of small cafes and restaurants that you can eat at as well as the inevitable gift shops.

Lots of local white painted pottery but a lovely place to walk around close to the river.

Construction on this unique church began during the gothic period and was completed during the Renaissance, but it’s not so much the building’s beautifully crafted architecture that draws tourists by the thousands, as what’s inside Santa Maria delle Grazie’s Cenacolo Viciano. It is in this dining hall that Leonardo Da Vinci’s infamous fresco, The Last Supper, was painted in 1494. Thanks to its last restoration, which took 20 years to complete, the painting is in wonderful condition and truly awe-inspiring. But this awing experience doesn’t come cheap or easy. Only a limited amount of visitors are allowed in to view the fresco each day, so you should book your visit a minimum of two weeks in advance (minimum of a month in the summer).

The pleasure of seeing the work that spawned Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code will cost you 8 Euros, although visiting the rest of the church is free.