This Cimiez Gardens tour with me will allow you to visit one of the most important areas of Nice due to its rich history covering different periods, from Roman times to the 20th century and its many sites of interest, all located in and around the gardens where the ancient Roman city of Nice once stood.

I will tell you about the history of Nice in Roman times, when Cemenelum (the Roman town built on this site) became the capital of the Alpes Maritimes, then we will travel to the 16th century, the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the Twentieth century.

This is a very comprehensive visit, rich in information and testimonies from these times.

Together we will admire and I will tell you about:

– The bourgeois district of Cimiez, with its magnificent 18th and 19th century buildings, the most emblematic of which are now classified as historic monuments

– The building where Queen Victoria stayed during her numerous visits to Nice, and where the painter Matisse spent a large part of his life

– The ruins of the arenas of the ancient Roman city, whose origins date back to the 1st century BC, and its arenas, the oldest monument in the city

– The gardens with their century-old olive trees

– The monastery, built in the 16th century on the site of an 11th century church

– The rose garden which offers a magnificent view of the city, the castle hill and the sea.

– The 17th century building, nestled in the heart of the gardens, transformed into a museum to house one of the most beautiful collections of Matisse’s art works.

Also, at the venue, there are 2 museums that you may want to visit after the tour:

The Matisse museum and the Archaeological Museum.

Both museums are open every day except Tuesday.
10am-5pm from November 1st to April 30th – 10am-6pm from May 2nd to October 31st.
Closed on January the 1st, Easter Sunday, May the 1st and December 25th.
(For the Matisse museum, please check that it is not closed exceptionally due to the dismantling of an exhibition)

For that tour, there are 2 possible departures, depending on your desire, your means of transportation and what you already know about Nice :

. Place Garibaldi (then we will take a bus together up to the hill of Cimiez)
or
. In front of the entrance of the gardens of the Cimiez