Three Things I Love About Nice

I got back to Europe from Australia this morning.

As usually happens when I go home to Sydney, people (especially those who I don’t know very well) kept asking me:

“When are you coming home?”

(ie moving home. growing up. Coming back to reality – it’s a loaded question – I’ve been travelling pretty much since I was 17)

Things I Love About Nice

Fabulous Food

One of the reasons we love Nice is the food. The freshest fruits and vegetables from the Alpes-Maritimes countryside and Mediterranean seafood fuse to create dishes unique to this area. And being only 40 kilometres from Italy’s border, you will notice a distinct Italian influence.

Marvellous Markets

Constructed in the neoclassical style in 1892, Nice’s southern train station, “Gare du Sud,” closed in the early 1990s as the trains moved to a new smaller station. Declared a historical monument in the early 2000s, redevelopment plans for the station began. Restoration and renovation started on the main building in 2013. By 2019 the renovations were complete, and the abandoned train shed became a bustling marketplace.

Delicious Wines

The wines are, of course, one of the reasons we love Nice. Generally, Côte d’Azur is well known for its delightful rosé wines. However, many connoisseurs feel that the delicious red wines of the region are superior. The climate around Nice is almost perfect for growing grapes. In fact, the Bellet AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) is located entirely within Nice’s urban boundary. Whether you are a sommelier in the making or simply looking to enjoy a day learning about wine, visit the Château de Bellet vineyard for a guided tour and tasting.

More Reasons to Love Nice

Chrissie McClatchie

Sydney born Chrissie fell in love with the French Riviera at the age of 17, when she embarked on six months of French lessons (and table dancing at the Vieux Nice institution Chez Waynes).

Almost ten years after her first Nice experience, Chrissie returned to Nice for a summer and somewhat fortuitously landed a role with a local company selling fine wine to the superyachts along the coast, which cemented her passion for the fermented grape.

In late 2012 Chrissie started her blog, The Riviera Grapevine, to chronicle the wonderful and little-known local wines and indigenous grapes found along the French and Italian Riviera. Chrissie still works in wine and can often be found enjoying a sneaky Provence rosé at one of the al fresco bars on Nice's Place Garibaldi, or with her nose in her ever-expanding collection of wine literature.