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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.

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.

The 19th-century townhouse built for a Ukrainian princess is a marvel of Neo- Classical excess. It contains one of southern France’s best collections of art from the 17th to early 20th centuries. The highlight is on the first floor, which provides a panorama of 19th-century French art, through to the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. On the ground floor are 17th- and 18th-century works, while the patio and garden are adorned by Rodin sculptures.

Conceived as a triumphal arch on four marble columns linked by transparent walk-ways, the museum’s modern architecture is startlingly effective. It is an exceptional setting for collections tracing the story of the avant garde from the 1960s to the present day. Particularly notable are the US Pop Artists and European New Realists, including Nice’s own Yves Klein (see Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, Nice).

Shortly before his death in 1954, the artist (see Henri Matisse) donated a collection of paintings to the city in which he had lived for 37 years. They have found a superb home in a 17th-century Italianate villa on Cimiez Hill overlooking the city centre. Boosted by subsequent donations, the collection affords a comprehensive overview of Matisse’s work, from 1890 through to the gouache cut-outs of his later years. It is made all the more effective by the presentation of items from his daily life (see Musée Matisse, Nice).

Amid lovely gardens, this museum was purpose-built to house Chagall’s 17 great works on the “Biblical Message” (see Marc Chagall). The collection was later supplemented by oils, sketches, pastels and gouaches, donated by the Russian artist himself. He also created stained-glass windows, a mosaic and tapestry for the museum. The whole provides the world’s best opportunity to appreciate Chagall and the spiritual themes which fascinated him (see Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice).

This large floral park is a themed wonderland of world horticulture with, at its centre, Europe’s biggest greenhouse. Inside the metal and glass “marquee”, one wanders through recreated warm-climate zones, from equatorial forest to the Natal desert. Also in the park is the Asian Arts Museum, a marble and glass construction built over an artificial lake. It contains classical and contemporary creations from the principal Asian civilizations.

Dug in the mid-18th century, the port never took off commercially and remains quieter than most Mediterranean city harbours. It is all the more charming for that, a haven of pleasure boats and cruise-ships, surrounded by splendid Italianate buildings. Little wonder that the visiting Russian playwright Chekhov considered this the most pleasing part of Nice.

The world’s best-known seafront boulevard owes its name to the English community which funded its initial construction in 1822. Inspired by Anglican vicar Lewis Way, the community was keen to give work to the local poor. Now flanked by traffic lanes separated by flowerbeds and palms, the “Prom” sweeps majestically round the Bay of Angels. Belle époque edifices, notably the magnificent Hotel Negresco (see Le Negresco, Nice) recall Nice’s days as a magnet for European nobility. The substance has gone, but the style remains.

The city’s heart, filled with the aroma and sounds of all things Niçoise (see Vieux Nice).