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Start at the Tourist Office (5 Promenade des Anglais), then turn left along avenue de Verdun to place Masséna, the city’s central square. Take in the glorious red façades, gardens and ornamental fountains before crossing to enter Vieux Nice on rue Alexander Mari. Turn right into rue de l’Opéra and left into rue St-François-de-Paul, an old-fashioned street with long-established shops, notably Auer for confectionery (No. 7) and Alziari for olive oil (No. 14). Proceed to Cours Saleya for the celebrated flower market, then turn into tiny rue Gaëtan to soak up the old town atmosphere. Before leaving the old town, don’t fail to take in the cathedral, the magnificent Palais Lascaris, place St-François fish market and the narrow, shop-filled rue Pairolière.

Emerge into the relative peace and 18th-century harmony of place Garibaldi, then take rue Dr-Ciaudo to the splendid MAMAC (see Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (MAMAC)), where you can spend an hour or so admiring the museum’s wonderful modern art. Back in the fresh air, stroll along Boulevard Carabacel with its elaborate mansions.

At place Magenta, forget culture and start shopping. For designer fashion proceed into rue Paradis then avenue de Suède. Rue de Rivoli then brings you to the legendary Hotel Negresco (see Le Negresco, Nice). If you’re feeling rich, lunch in its Chantecler restaurant (see Le Chantecler); if watching the pennies, have a look anyway: its interior abounds in ornate treasures.

The two bars on two floors provide a stylish, fashionable gathering place for the trendier elements of the gay community.

The original Neo-Classical Ruhl building has sadly gone, to be replaced with a more Las Vegas-style set-up. It offers gaming tables, cabaret, a disco on Friday and Saturday nights and slot machines until dawn.

The Russian community was almost as prominent in Nice as the British in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With the backing of Tsar Nicolas II, this Russian Orthodox cathedral was completed in 1912 as the community’s focal point.

Locals sip their apéritifs at the counter and from the kitchen comes simple, flavoursome food (fresh fish soup, tournedos au gorgonzola ).

When European nobility took to wintering in Nice, they colonized Cimiez Hill with mansions and hotels. The grandiose Boulevard de Cimiez is, thus, sumptuous with gardens and magnificent villas in styles from Louis XV, to Neo-Gothic, to Oriental. Most impressive of all is the Excelsior Regina Palace, a belle époque masterpiece where Queen Victoria once stayed. Most of the edifices now house apartments, but the opulence remains palpable.

A refined setting on the edge of Vieux Nice for the most refined Niçois cooking available. Try the stuffed ravioli à la Niçoise .

The fact that this is the local Italians’ favourite restaurant says it all. The food is exquisite, the decor distinctive and the ambience homely.

“Bar sympa” , they say in French, which means friendly and appealing – especially for the young, artistic and mildly eccentric.