Originally Queen Victoria’s wintering palace, this monumental edifice was subsequently converted into apartments. In the 1940s Matisse lived here, using one unit as a studio and another as his home, and it was here that the artist passed away in 1954. Visitors can admire the building from the outside while waiting for a bus downhill from the Matisse Museum.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.71 MILES
Getting lost among the dark, narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now…
1.9 MILES
The most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – is this vast paved promenade, which gets its name from the English expat patrons who paid…
9.87 MILES
The only building French architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965) ever built for himself is this rather simple – but very clever – beach hut on Cap Martin…
7.86 MILES
Peeping inside Monte Carlo’s legendary marble-and-gold casino is a Monaco essential. The building, open to visitors every morning, including the exclusive…
Musée Océanographique de Monaco
7.62 MILES
Stuck dramatically to the edge of a cliff since 1910, the world-renowned Musée Océanographique de Monaco, founded by Prince Albert I (1848–1922), is a…
8.08 MILES
An ailing Henri Matisse moved to Vence in 1943 to be cared for by his former nurse and model, Monique Bourgeois, who'd since become a Dominican nun. She…
1.78 MILES
For the best views over Nice’s red-tiled rooftops, climb the winding staircases up to this wooded outcrop on the eastern edge of the old town. It’s been…
1.85 MILES
Originally built as a holiday home for Prince Victor d’Essling (the grandson of one of Napoléon's favourite generals, Maréchal Massena), this lavish belle…
Nearby Nice attractions
0.07 MILES
The scant remains of Nice's Roman amphitheatre can't compare to other ancient sites in southern France, but they do lend an atmospheric air to the park…
2. Musée Archéologique de Nice
0.09 MILES
The hodgepodge of Roman artefacts in this archaeological museum is rather ho-hum – but if you've already bought a Nice museum pass, it's worth a visit…
0.12 MILES
This museum, 2km north of the city centre in the leafy Cimiez quarter, houses a fascinating assortment of works by Matisse, including oil paintings,…
4. Monastère Notre Dame de Cimiez
0.25 MILES
Painters Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy are buried in the cemetery of this monastery, a five-minute walk across the park from the Musée Matisse. To reach…
5. Musée National Marc Chagall
0.79 MILES
The strange, dreamlike and often unsettling work of the Belarusian painter Marc Chagall (1887–1985) is displayed at this museum, which owns the largest…
0.96 MILES
This cool old 19th-century railway station was originally built to provide train service from Nice into the Alps. A century later, when it was replaced by…
7. Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain
1.32 MILES
European and American avant-garde works from the 1950s to the present are the focus of this sprawling multilevel museum. Highlights include many works by…
1.35 MILES
Named for Nice-born Italian nationalist and military hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, this grand square was a military parade ground at the time of its creation…