The French Riviera or Cte dAzur as it is called in French is one of the most beautiful stretches of land in the world. It is blessed with the best European weather and perhaps the most beautifully colored ocean in the world. Most people will of course make use of a rented car to make longer trips in the area, but there are many beautiful nature walks which you can do as well. I will inform you of some of my favorite ones.

The Riviera has been a place for tourism for over a hundred years and is often associated with rather luxurious vacation habits. The massive villas and palaces on the slopes, fancy cars, palm trees, casinos and sometimes a hint of the old fashioned style which is quite mythical adds to this.

When traveling along the Riviera, Nice is a good place to set up base at and use as a starting point for all your planned trips. You can of course choose to go here just for the day to lay on the beach, party, look at people from one of the many cafes, but there are lots of other things to do and experience here as well.

Nice is a classic town for walking around thanks to the weather which is almost always perfect. Walking along Promenade des Anglais which follows the beach front is of course a classic. You may also find it rewarding to walk all the way up to see the upscale town area of Cimiez and complete your walk with a visit to the wonderful cloister garden situated at the top.

From Nice harbor you are able to walk along the beach almost all the way to Villefranche. Follow Boulevard Franck Pilatte and turn towards the water at Coco Beach. It is hard to imagine you are that close to such a large city when you experience this treat of nature.

The ninety meter high mountain Colline du Chateau, which is located above the harbor and the old town of Nice, is both a birth place and a place for burials. Up here are the earliest and oldest parts of Nice that were founded several thousand years ago by Celts and later invaded by Greeks and Romans among others. On the top of the hill is a large park with ruins for the history-savvy visitor along with cafes and a waterfall. The marvelous view makes it a great place to start exploring Nice. There are also two cemeteries located side-by-side here which are also worth seeing. One is catholic and the other is Jewish.

Another favorite walk of mine is one that stretches from Plage Mala in Cap dAil to Monaco. You need to hop on bus number one hundred from Nice and get off at the tourist office in the beginning of Cap dAil. Face towards Nice and follow the signs down to Plage Mala which is a great beach by the way. From here the spectacular walk begins of only a few kilometers all the way in to Monaco. You will pass many magnificent villas along the way one in which Greta Garbo lived for awhile.