Nice’s old town, an atmospheric mellow-hued rabbit warren, has scarcely changed since the 1700s, and getting lost in it is a highlight. Cue cours Saleya : this joyous, thriving market square hosts a well-known flower market and a thriving food market , a staple of local life. A flea market takes over on Monday, and the overflow from bars and restaurants seems to be a permanent fixture.
North of cours Saleya spills the rest of Vieux Nice, its dark narrow lanes crammed with delis, small food shops, boutiques and crammed bars. A fish market fills place St-François.
Baroque aficionados will adore architectural gems Cathédrale Ste-Réparate , honouring the city’s patron saint; exuberant Chapelle de la Miséricorde (1740); and 17th-century Palais Lascaris , a frescoed orgy of Flemish tapestries, faience (tin-glazed earthenware), gloomy religious paintings and 18th-century pharmacy.
