Nice - Surroundings

The Musée de l'Automobil les Hautes Breguières is an ultra modern museum with an interesting array of mostly French vehicles. Located near Nice, this is a worthy stop if you're in the vicinity.

In the northeast of Nice, on the edge of Mont Gros (375m/1,230ft) and accessible by the Grande Corniche D2564, stand the white buildings, visible from a long distance, of the Observatory built by Charles Garnier. The dome, which at 24m/79ft in diameter is the largest in Europe, was constructed by Gustave Eiffel in 1885.

Halfway between the center of Nice and the airport, on the boulevard Impératrice Eugénie, lies the Parc des Miniatures. In a parkland setting it displays - on a scale 1:25 - episodes and monuments from the history of Nice from prehistoric times to the present day.

In the southwest of Nice, opposite the airport, is the newly built Arénas shopping center. Between it and the Promenade des Anglais there is a large park with various attractions, an artificial lake and aviaries. Of particular interest is a glass greenhouse (110m/361ft long, 25m/82ft high) with tropical plants divided into seven climatic zones.