48 Hours In: Nice

WHY GO NOW?

The Alpes-Maritimes capital out of season is a delight: the pre-Lent carnival crowds have just left and taken their multitude of coach parties with them. Now locals can catch their breath and enjoy relatively mild days and warming sunshine until another batch of festivals arrives to welcome spring.

In typically French fashion, the next one is built around a vegetable, the humble gourd, in the Festin des Cougourdons next month.

TOUCH DOWN

Nice-Côte d'Azur - France's second-busiest airport after Paris Charles de Gaulle - is well served by flights from the UK. British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow; bmibaby (0871 224 0224; www.bmibaby.com) flies from Heathrow, Birmingham and East Midlands; easyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com) flies from Stansted, Luton, Gatwick, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Belfast; and Jet2 (0871 226 1737; www.jet2.com) flies from Leeds/Bradford and Manchester.

Shuttle buses from the airport take about 15 minutes to reach Nice Ville station (1) and cost €4 (£2.70). Taxis to central Nice cost €25-€35 (£17-£24). Or you can take the train from Waterloo via Paris if you have about 10 hours to spare (08708 371371; www.raileurope.co.uk).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Sandwiched between the Pre-Alps and the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), Nice at first glance appears to be a bit of a sprawl on the Mediterranean. The areas worth exploring, however, are very much on a human scale.

Furthest west is the airport, which sits on a spit of land jutting into the sea. Soon the Promenade des Anglais takes over as the official coast road; this broad, 5km stretch of palm trees and white pergolas was created by members of the expatriate British community in the 19th century so they could have an agreeable place along which to take their afternoon strolls.

It comes to an abrupt end at the eastern end at Castle Hill (2), before the road veers north to line the busy port, where cruise ships disgorge their passengers and ferries go back and forth to Corsica. The city is divided between old to the east and new to the west, with the affluent suburb Cimiez to the north.

CHECK IN

A piece of Niçoise history was brought back to life two years ago when the 1930s Palais de la Méditerranée (3) was rebuilt behind its imposing art deco façade at 13 Promenade des Anglais (00 33 4 92 14 77 00; www.lepalaisdelamediterranee.com). Now, the 188-room hotel offers relaxed five-star luxury in keeping with its elegant past, as well as a superior restaurant and top-class casino. Doubles start at €280 (£190) and go up to €2,780 (£1,900) for a lavish suite in high season. An enormous breakfast buffet is available for €30 (£20).

In the centre of town is the small and intimate Hotel Grimaldi (4) at 15 rue Grimaldi (00 33 4 93 16 00 24; www.le-grimaldi.com), set in an ornate 19th-century townhouse. Its 46 rooms are adorned with pretty Provençal touches. Its warm welcome matches the genial atmosphere. Doubles range from €90 (£62) in low season up to €230 (£157) for a suite in the summer. Breakfast ranges from a small continental breakfast for €8 (£5.50) to a full-on buffet for €15 (£10).

TAKE A VIEW

The effort to reach one of the loveliest views of Nice can be a doddle or a trek, depending on your mood and athletic ability. Castle Hill (2), to the east of the old town, was the site of Nice's fortress until the building was destroyed in 1706 by the illegitimate son of James II. The summit offers panoramic views of Nice in all directions.

You can walk up or pay 80c (55p) to take the lift. Tree-shaded paths snake towards an artificial waterfall, café, tourist shop and eventually the summit with a viewing table. If you turn up around midday, be prepared for a loud cannon blast - another relic courtesy of the English. In the 19th century, Sir Thomas Coventry grew tired of irregular mealtimes and insisted on a daily cannon blast to mark lunchtime.

Castle Hill is also home to the foundations of an 11th-century cathedral, Greek and Roman ruins and both Jewish and Catholic cemeteries that cling to the side of the hill.

TAKE A HIKE

Vieux Nice, the old town at the bottom of Castle Hill, is a warren of narrow alleys and charming squares, shadowed by tall yellow and ochre houses with green shutters. Cafés, restaurants, quirky one-off shops and art galleries vie for attention with some wonderfully outlandish structures. These include the baroque cathedral of Ste-Réparate (Nice's patron saint) in Place Rossetti (5), the belle epoque Opéra de Nice (6) in rue St-François-de-Paule and the 17th-century Palais Lascaris (7) in rue Droite, a Genoese baroque construction teeming with balustraded balconies and majestic sweeping staircases (open 10am-12pm, 2-6pm, closed Tuesdays, admission free).

LUNCH ON THE RUN

The easternmost end of Cours Saleya becomes Place Charles Félix (8), where a tasty and relatively cheap lunch can be had at L'F at No 6. There's a good range of Italian dishes, with large portions of bruschetta, pizza, pasta and risotto from €7.90 (£5.40). Tables are set outside all year round (courtesy of the now ubiquitous patio heater), while the interior is a funkier affair with artistic lighting and bright red and yellow furniture.

If you're after a traditional taste of Nice, try the pancake known as socca, which is made of chickpea flour and sprinkled liberally with pepper. Chez Thérèsa in the flower market (9) will sell you one for €2.50 (£1.70).

WINDOW SHOPPING

The main shopping area is on Avenue Jean Médecin, the wide street that goes north from Place Masséna (10) just above the old town towards the main railway station and beyond. Just west of Place Masséna is a pedestrianised zone full of more unusual shops as well as cafés and restaurants and the usual tourist tat. Unfortunately, both the avenue and square will remain noisy building sites until summer 2007 while Nice creates a major new tramway system.

For relative peace, stroll through the old town and then along rue St-François-de-Paule (11). In just that one street are parfumiers Molinard at No 20, which is also a perfume museum; Terres de Truffes at No 12, a restaurant and shop specialising in truffles (the tuber kind); and the olive-oil emporium that is Alziari at No 14.

AN APERITIF

Cours Saleya provides an entertaining floor-show in the form of the early evening stroll, enjoyed as much by the French as by the Italians. Choose from any of the bars at the eastern end, including Les Trois Diables, Les Ponchettes and Zoom.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

You can't walk far in Nice without bumping into a restaurant, many of which reveal a distinctly Italian influence thanks to the city's proximity to Liguria and Piedmont.

To avoid tourists and tuck into superior yet well-priced Italian fare, go to Casa della Pasta (12) at 9 rue du Pont Vieux in Vieux Nice. Trendy young French people have already discovered its cosy cave-like interior, lively atmosphere and great food, so go early to avoid disappointment. Home-made ravioli, which was invented in Nice, starts at €8.50 (£5.80).

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

There is an astounding number of churches with unusual exteriors or interiors, including the cathedral of Ste-Réparate (5) and ornate Russian Orthodox cathedral (13) on avenue Nicolas II that reflects Russia's long links with Nice: it was inspired by St Basil's in Moscow's Red Square and built in 1903-12 for the last Tsar, Nicholas II.

Slightly more offbeat (if that's possible) is the modernist white concrete Eglise Ste-Jeanne d'Arc (14) at 11 rue Grammont, designed by Jacques Droz. Its bell tower is designed to look like flames, and its simply shaped domes resemble white sandcastles.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Le Pain Quotidien (15) at the entrance to Cours Saleya offers brunch at weekends. For €19.50 (£13) you get soft-boiled eggs, a huge smoked salmon salad, charcuterie and cheese followed by croissants, juice and hot drinks served in bowls.

TAKE A RIDE

For years the wide Promenade des Anglais has been colonised by wheels of all sorts - bicycles, skateboards and especially in-line skates. At Roller Station (16) at 49 quai des Etats-Unis (00 33 4 93 62 99 05) you can hire any set of these wheels from €3 (£2.20) an hour and join the locals bombing along the seafront in the sunshine.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Take bus 15 north to the posh suburb of Cimiez, where the park is home to more than 2,000 years of history. A Roman arena that used to hold gladiatorial contests is now the setting for festivals and concerts. Just beside it is a popular patch for playing boule, which chimes rather nicely with the olive grove beyond it. It's also the site of an archaeological museum, extensive Roman ruins, a Franciscan monastery and its gardens.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

If you're in Cimiez for the afternoon, drop by the Musée Matisse (17), housed in a grand, deep-ochre 17th-century villa at 164 avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, (00 33 4 93 81 08 08; www.musee-matisse-nice.org; open 10am-6pm daily except Tuesdays; entry €4/£2.75). It contains the painter's personal collection, one of the versions of his Blue Nude series of paintings as well as works from all of his periods.

In the vicinity is the Musée Marc Chagall (18) on avenue Dr Ménard (00 33 4 93 53 87 20; www.musee-chagall.fr) 10am-5pm October-June, 10am-6pm July-September daily except Tuesdays, entry €6.70/ £4.60), which has the most important collection of the Russian-born painter's works. It includes the 17 large paintings that form Chagall's Biblical Message, and other works range from stained-glass windows to tapestries.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

One of the most delightful markets in France is held every morning in Cours Saleya, half of which is taken up by an amazing array of flower stalls and all of which is lined with a wide selection of restaurants. On Mondays the fruit and veg stalls make way for antiques and bric-a-brac. A slightly smellier but still evocative experience is found at Place François (19), home to a fish market every day except Monday.

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