Nice manages to be both a vibrant metropolis and charming seaside resort at the same time. Nice also has plenty of interest away from the usual tourist trail, particularly as it is set in such delightful countryside with a stunning mountain backdrop.
Provencal railway
A few hundred metres from Nice SNCF station is the small railway station that serves the Chemin de Fer de Provence, or Train de Pignes, so called because the locomotives used to be powered with burning pine cones. The single track railway runs right up the Var valley and high into the mountains.
There are four trains-a-day on the 150km route, or the two hour run to Digne. Built between 1890 and 1911, it’s an engineering marvel with bridges and tunnels galore as you crisscross the river and slither up narrow gorges with fabulous scenery virtually the whole way.
You can get off at the wayside halts to enjoy a day’s hiking and exploration. But if you opt to ride the whole route, it will be a train journey you will remember for many a year.
Call 049 382 1017 to check on departure times
Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Said to be the most beautiful and largest Russian church outside Russia itself, the Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe St-Nicolas is ample demonstration of how important the Russian community has been to Nice. A few hundred metres west of the railway station, its six onion domes are an unusual highlight of the Nice skyline.
The cathedral was inaugurated in 1911, built with English bricks, tiles from Italy, icons handmade by Russian artists and the domes coated with gold leaf. The richly decorated interior, in the shape of a Greek cross, is just as impressive. In the grounds is a Byzantine chapel dedicated to Tsarevich Nicolas, the son of Tzar Alexander II, who died in Nice in 1866.
Skiing and hiking in the Alps
Drive from Nice airport up the Var Valley (follow Digne signs) up into the Alps. Swing off right on the D28 through the dramatic Gorge du Cian – the road is an amazing feat of engineering – to the twin resorts of Beuil les Launes (alt. 1460 – 2100m) and Valberg (alt 1610 – 2100m).
Valberg was one of the early French ski resorts and offers a huge network of runs, with artificial snow and a wide range of hotels. Beuil is a traditional village but also offers good ski facilities. Both are superb bases for summer hiking, ranging from pleasant strolls to arduous sporting expeditions in glorious Alpine scenery along well marked trails.
Other resorts include Isola (alt. 2000 – 2900m); Greolieres (alt. 1400 – 1800m); La Colmiane (alt. 1500 – 1800m) and at 65km the nearest skiing resort to Nice; and Auron at 1600 – 2450m).
Nice cafe sign
Provencal railway
Nice Digne train
Cafe window
Auron France
