Castle Hill, Nice, Provence

The hillside, often called “the cradle of the sun”, is a public park with unrivalled panoramas over the Old Port to one side, and the Promenade des Anglais and urban sprawl of Nice to the other.

The first records suggest that the hillside dates back to the 4th-century BC, when it was home to a Greek settlement. Between the 11th and the 18th-century, It was a military citadel. Having been besieged several times, it was taken by French troops in 1705 and destroyed under the order of Louis XIV in 1706. 

Today the hilltop can be reached by a pathway and staircase, or an old fashioned ascenseur (lift) from the Promenade des Anglais. Although it’s a bit of a walk, winding up the hillside will bring you past defensive ruins, an artificial waterfall and a cemetery, surrounded by beautiful gardens. At the top there is a park overlooking the Mediteranean, with cafes and street performers bringing the hill alive during the summer months.

 Alex/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr
Alex/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr
 Pto/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr
Pto/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr
 Aimelaime/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr
Aimelaime/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr

Opening Hours

Monday:
Closed
Tuesday:
Closed
Wednesday:
13:00 - 18:00
Thursday:
13:00 - 18:00
Friday:
13:00 - 18:00
Saturday:
11:00 - 18:00
Sunday:
11:00 - 18:00
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