Col de Ville franche (150m) walks

This walk takes you along the entire length of the promenade in Nice, between the harbour and Parc Phoenix next to the airport. You will also explore Castle Hill Park (Parc de la Colline du Château), a 19 hectare maze of greenery perched high up above Nice old town, with many areas to be discovered including an impressive waterfall.

This is the first stage of the Nice hills tour. This semi-urban hike starts at the Libération tram stop in the heart of Nice. It runs alongside the Gare du Sud railway station and then the Chemins de Fer de Provence railway station and railway line with its blue trains. After crossing the Mantega district, below the Palais du Righi, the hike climbs up a somewhat forgotten path on Pessicart hill. After circling Pessicart hill to admire the greenhouses and the Baou de Saint-Jeannet, the hike descends back to Nice. It then crosses the La Clua municipal nature park and passes by the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in the Saint-Sylvestre neighbourhood, finally arriving at the Comte de Falicon tram stop.

This walk is a variation on the second stage of the four-stage tour of the hills of Nice. It allows you to shorten this second stage slightly and admire the Jardin des Arènes de Cimiez and the Monastery of Cimiez. Starting from the Comte de Falicon tram stop, you first walk along the Place de la Fontaine du Temple and cross the Maurice Mouchan Garden and the new Parc du Ray. After crossing Avenue du Ray, you reach Parc Chambrun from the south and, via the Saint-Maurice district, the Vieux Chemin de Gairaut and theGRP® Les Collines de Nice, which climb northwards. Much of the walk then follows the Canal de Gairaut eastwards and descends due south towards Nice through the Quatre Chemins district. Finally, you cross the Jardin des Arènes to reach the Monastery of Cimiez and head down to the Pasteur University Hospital to catch the tram either at Pasteur or Saint-Charles.

An easy hike in spring or autumn. At the top of the Baou, there is a magnificent view of the French Riviera with a very accurate orientation table to identify the points along the coast and the surrounding peaks.

A beautiful seaside hike with some unusual sights to discover. While the coastal road from Menton to Ventimiglia is well known, the area below this road offers some little-known geographical and historical curiosities.