Nice for next to no euros? Here are the best free things to do

07.06.2024 - 14:07 / lonelyplanet.com

One of Europe’s most glamorous, star-studded corners, the sun-kissed Côte d’Azur can take a toll on your wallet. Yet there are many ways to enjoy its largest city, Nice, without having to spend all your euros. 

From panoramic hilltop vistas to some of the world’s most famous beaches, this seductive city isn’t short of fine things to see for those traveling on a budget.

If you need a break from multiple museum entry fees and overpriced menus, here’s a look at the best free things to do in Nice.

The arcing blue sweep of Nice’s coast is probably the first thing that strikes you as descend on the Côte d’Azur. Thankfully, it’s a moment you can revisit again and again every day. While the stones of Nice’s beaches aren’t quite as soft as the sand further down the Riviera, the views are beautiful, and you can spend a whole afternoon stretched out in the sun (just be sure to bring a towel to lie on). If you’re craving sand, then take the short bus ride around the bend to the sheltered shores of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Taking its name from the 19th-century English aristocratic infatuation with Nice’s pleasant climate, the Promenade des Anglais is an elegant palm-tree-lined walkway stretching 4 miles (6.5km) along the city’s seafront. It gets busy during the summer with joggers, cyclists and wide-eyed tourists, yet no trip to Nice is complete without a stroll to admire the grand hotels and casinos along the waterfront (including the famous Hôtel Negresco) while the Mediterranean gently rolls in over the beach’s pebbles. In the evening, the lights flicker on and the hills to the east become stunning silhouettes, while the metronomic flashing light from the distant lighthouse at Port Lympia makes for an evocative scene. 

Enjoying seeing Nice by foot? See more of the Old Town on this Local Stroll

One of Nice’s most unique architectural curiosities is surprisingly hidden away in the most tourist-choked part of town. Head to the Rue de la Poissonnerie to find the Adam and Eve House, one of the oldest structures in Nice. Still in fine condition, it has a beautiful first-floor relief fresco featuring the characters of Adam and Eve that really captures the imagination. Dating from 1584, the house can be easy to miss among the Old Town’s narrow streets – so remember to look up.

Nice is a spectacular city at ground level, but to truly appreciate its allure you need to scale the stone steps up Old Castle hill, one of the top things to do in town at any price. The climb at the city shore’s eastern end is surprisingly short; as you ascend, the turquoise coast’s curve becomes more pronounced and the crooked apricot-colored roofs of the city start spreading out before you. The snow-dusted peaks of the Alps are visible in the far