Top attractions

However short your stay in Nice, you should spend some time wandering the narrow streets of Nice’s charming Vielle Ville (Old Town). Many of the buildings date back over two hundred years when Nice was still part of Italy. Compact, full of restaurants, souvenir shops and places to buy local specialities like olive oil and local wine, even in the height of summer it’s nice and cool place. Visit the market at Cours Saleya for flowers and local produce, on eat in one of the cafes that takes over from the market at lunchtime. A few minutes away in Place Rosseti, this is where Italian ice cream can be found.

Not only does the Place Rossetti sound Italian, but this is where you can indulge in the best Italian ice cream, with nearly 100 flavours to choose from. (Marianne Heredge 2008)

From the Old Town it’s only a few paces to the Promenade des Anglais and the Baie des Anges. Local people come and stroll, especially on Sunday afternoons. Beware the kids (and adults) with their rollerblades and skates. Special tracks are laid out for them and if you want a go, hire wheels or blades to fly along this wide esplanade. The beaches are a little stony, looking better from a distance than close up. This doesn’t stop most people and the sea is lovely and warm for most of the year.

August summer holidays! Looking across the beach to Mont Boron, Nice. (Marianne Heredge 2008).

If you’re interested in art, you couldn’t have come to a better place. Popular with many of the top artists who lived here at various times, there are museums of the art of Marc Chagall and Matisse in Nice, as well as collections of Picasso’s work not far away in Antibes, Renoir in Haute Cagnes near Cagnes-sur-mer, Fernand Léger in Biot, and a fabulous collection that belonged to Aime and Marguerite Maeght, art dealers at St Paul de Vence who were friends with artists like Chagall and Matisse. For Asian art, the little Musée des Arts Asiatiques de Nice is a gem and on Saturdays you can be taken through a Japanese ceremony (book in advance). The Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts) and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art have large collections of French and art from other countries too.

Rail enthusiasts will enjoy the scenic Train des Merveilles and Train des Pignes that go from Nice station east up to Italy and west to Dignes. Ideal for going into the Alpes Maritimes for day hikes or visits to villages in the beautiful arrière pays, you will probably need a whole day.

Getting to Nice

Nice is very accessible by air, with budget airlines like Easyjet and BMI competing with Air France and British Airways for cheap prices. In the Winter, when Nice enjoys mild temperatures (cold but brilliant blue skies) you can get rock bottom deals. By train, the TGV from Paris only takes about five hours and offers cheap prices when booked well in advance.

Accommodation

If you really want to treat yourself, the beautiful Negresco Hotel on the sea front not only offers luxury accommodation but some of the finest cuisine in their 3* Michelin restaurant, Le Chantecler. If your pocket won’t extend to this however, there’s everything in between. Lots of budget hotels can be found particularly by the station, just 20 minutes walk from the sea. For example, a cheap but good standard hotel is the Hotel Parisian on rue Vernier close to the station and Boulevard Jean Medécin that leads down to the Old Town with the tramway taking you to the heart of town within minutes.

Dining and shopping

For fans of shellfish and oysters, this is definitely the place to come. Le Cafe de Turin is the best place, down towards the port. Not only the plump North Atlantic oysters, but here you can also try the smaller but more distinctive tasting Mediterranean variety. You won’t be disappointed at any of the cheap little restaurants in the Old Town either, but Nice offers a good selection of haute cuisine restaurants. As well as Le Chantecler, try the more modest Lou Mourelec for good local cuisine.

For shopping, the Old Town shops are full of tempting souvenirs, whether this is beautifully prepared tapenade, special basil flavoured olive oil, or lavender sachets and kitchen accessories in brightly coloured Provence designs.

Forty eight hours in Nice is never enough time, explore car hire Nice options to maximise your time and efficiency. If you don’t manage to see and do everything, don’t worry it’s so easy to back get to Nice that you’ll want to go back time and time again.

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Whether you believe movies today are better or more engaging is irrelevant, no one can watch a true golden age movie without being caught up in the romance and beauty of a simpler time. It would seem that nothing was more romantic to Hollywood at the time than Europe, the land too far away to be accessible by the average Joe but close enough for the culture to reach over the Atlantic. Here are three famous golden age movies set in Europe that anyone can relive by visiting a few key points.

Roman Holiday / Photo released under public domain

Roman Holiday – Rome

Staring the encapsulating Audrey Hepburn in her first Hollywood movie, Roman Holiday follows Princess Ann/Anya as she tries to escape the pressure of her obligations just for a day. Accompanied by journalist Joe, Hepburn tours the city and sees some of its famous sites complete with a scooter as the most applicable mode of transport.

If you’re heading to Rome for a holiday you can visit the historic Spanish Steps where Joe arranges to bump into Anya so he can convince her to accompany him. Built in 1717 these steps are an iconic landmark in Rome and lead up to the 16th Century church of Trinita dei Monti. At the bottom of the steps you’ll see the world famous Barcaccia Fountain. It’s the perfect place to catch your breath from a busy day of shopping in all the surrounding boutique shops.

The second site Joe takes Anya to is the La Bocca Della Verita, an ancient marble carving said to be from the 1st century.  Rumour has it that anyone who places their hand in the mouth and tells a lie will have their hand bitten off. Sat in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin tourists flock to test this mask and most come away with their hands intact.

To Catch A Thief – French Riviera

To Catch A Thief stared the beautiful Grace Kelly and Cary Grant and follows them as retired cat burglar John works to clear his name after a copycat starts stealing jewels. This film is set in the French Riviera making it the perfect setting for Kelly’s wealthy character Francie and her mother and of course a whole host of sparkling jewels – it’s the very definition of decadence.

The Riviera is the perfect setting for this film, not because of any specific sights but because of the general reputation of the Riviera. Its wonderful weather, crystal waters and golden beaches and of course an excess of wealth make it the perfect setting for a film about wealth and love.

If you’re heading over to the Riviera there is plenty to see just driving along the stunning coast (as highlighted in the film). If you love art then Saint-Paul De Vence is the centre in this region with galleries, artist’s homes and show rooms everywhere. If you’re looking for the level of wealth and decadence seen in the film then head over to Monaco, one of the most expensive areas in the world. You’ll find shops, gardens, museums all at the highest quality that can easily swallow days of a holiday.

The Prince and the Showgirl – London

The personal life behind Hollywood ledged Marilyn Monroe is irrelevant; you can’t watch her on screen and not be encapsulated by her innocent vulnerability.  As with so many of her roles, Monroe plays Elsie who initially appears strong but would dearly love to be rescued (much as Monroe was reported to be like when she was alive). Unlike the other two movies mentioned above, The Prince and the Showgirl isn’t set in any exotic or tropical climates, but in the reserved sophistication of London, England.

Elsie is a show girl who catches the attention of regent prince, Charles. Throughout the film we watch the Prince chase Elsie in an attempt to woo. She ends up proving she’s smarter and more insightful than he thought and they fall for each other.

There’s no city in the world like London for portraying a regal feeling without losing the romance and if you’re ever heading to London for a holiday there’s plenty to see. Obviously you’ve got an amazing selection of museums and theatres to see but if you just want to while away a few hours on a summers evening, take a stroll along the River Themes. Walk past the impressive Houses of Parliament and along the embankment. You’ll usually see lots of street performers asking for nothing more than a donation in their hat if you like what you see, the perfect romantic evening without spending a fortune.

Jessica writes for Live in Portugal providing banking services in Portugal for any UK residents.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by mindgrow

Stuibenfall Waterfall was created about 8000 – 9800 years ago during the glaciers melting. At that time there was a thawing of permafrost which moved the huge masses of rock. The stream Horlachbach was created after a landslide of approximately 3 billion cubic meters of rocks from the Tauferberg area to Horlachtal valley. There was thus created a large water reservoir from which the water broke the way and thus created a Stuibenfall Waterfall.

You still can see the rocks, which originally formed the dam of the lake. Stuibenfall Waterfall is 159 meters high an it is therefore the highest waterfall in Tyrol and the fourth highest in Austria.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by äquinoktium

Stuibenfall Waterfall is easily accessible from the village Umhausen, where you can also visit the archaeological park of Ötzi Dorf (Ice Man Village). The whole trip is also suitable for the children and take approximately 3 hours. If you still want to visit the archaeological park, be prepared for an hour and a half more. Stuibenfall Waterfall is open all year round for free.

Large paid car-park is available at Ötzi Dorf. At the Stuibenfall Waterfall there is also climbing arena available. It is 450 m long hedged way, that leads just at the left side of the waterfall. Reportedly it is also suitable for the children from 10 years and older.

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