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Nice

Nice (pronounced like the English word "niece") is a large city in France on the French Riviera. It's a popular destination for vacationers young and old, with something to offer nearly everyone. It is well known for the beautiful view on the Promenade des Anglais, its famous waterfront, and is an ethnically diverse port city. In 2021 the waterfront and a considerable part of the city were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Understand
Nice's origins can be found among the Gallo-Roman ruins of Cimiez, in the hills up the boulevard de Cimiez from downtown. Cimiez also contains a monastery and some museums, but nowadays, most of the city's inhabitants live closer to sea level. Nice was part of the Italian Duchy of Savoia and then the Kingdom of Sardinia until it was ceded to France in 1860. The ancient local language is Nissart, and some of the street signs are bilingual. However very few people speak Nissart, and even the elderly know and speak French. Don't assume everyone you encounter will speak English — an effort at French will always be appreciated.

Climate
Nice has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm summers. Due to the movements of the winds, the winter months are generally characterized by chilly, sunny days alternating with periods of milder, cloudy weather. Compared to other Mediterranean climates in the area such as Marseille or Genoa, Nice’s spring features quite a slow warm-up, and there can still be winter-like temperatures well into April. Summer is warm, dry and sunny, assuring beach weather on most days. The autumn months have very distinct temperatures, with September staying generally warm, October being variable, and November presenting a mix of mild and cool weather.

Local information

 * Nice City Council website

By plane

Most airlines use Terminal 1 (the older terminal) while Terminal 2 is used primarily by Air France (and partners) and Easyjet. The new tram connects Terminal 2, Terminal 1 and the Grand Arénas interchange (where the relocated regional train station Nice St-Augustin is located) for free. There is also a frequent free shuttle bus between the terminals.

 * Airport to Nice
 * A tramway is now the primary option between the city and the airport. Tram line 2 serves the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) and connects the city centre at "Jean Médecin" station. A tram carriage goes to the airport every 8 minutes on weekdays. The tram can be used with a regular €1.70/74 min ticket with interchange into local buses. Do not forget to validate your ticket, which can be bought with contactless credit card or coins from black vending machines directly at both tram stops. You can also buy tickets using a mobile app if your phone supports NFC.
 * Regular bus 12 – Alternatively the local bus service 12 connects the airport to the old town via the seafront "Promenade des Anglais", costing €1.70, and running between 05:30 and 21:00. The bus stop is on the main road outside Terminal 1, and called . Outbound, the stop is on the opposite side of this busy highway, use the underpass to reach the Terminal. To reach to the main railway station (Gare Nice Ville), it takes about 30 min by bus and then 500 m by foot from the bus-stop "Thiers/Gambetta".
 * Trains – Convenient for some destinations, there is also a small  regional train station close to the airport (Nice St Augustin) where you can pick up a TER train one stop eastward to Nice, Monaco and all stations to the Italian border at Ventimiglia, or west back to Antibes and Cannes. The station can be reached by foot (approx. 400 m straight ahead from T1, towards the Sheraton hotel) via underpasses - it is situated directly at the Grand Arénas tram stop. The blue ticket vending machines at the station are complicated to use due to their "wheel" mechanism, however they do accept contactless Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards.
 * Taxis – are known for ripping off tourists but there is a ride share pick up zone which is easy to find. An Uber or Bolt to the centre of Nice costs around €20.

Some hotels offer shuttle buses from the airport, enquire with your hotel before or upon arrival.

If there is no transportation running, it's reassuring to know that it is quite possible to walk the 6 km to town or vice versa to airport, in a little over an hour, though the area around the airport is Nice's red light district, and the walkway's first kilometre is a cycleway. This may be a useful in the current social discontent in France, where manifestations (demonstrations) and grèves (strikes) frequently affect public transport. It is prudent to check the local newspaper (Nice Matin), where you will usually receive advance warning of potential problems.

By train

 * Domestic
 * Nice is connected to the rest of France via the SNCF train network. A direct TGV train from Paris to Nice takes about 5½ hours, the part between Marseille and Nice (2 hr 40 min) not being on high-speed tracks. The fares for an adult in second class range from about €19 to €180, depending on how far in advance you bought your ticket and the time of the year in which you are travelling. On TGVs a reservation is obligatory. The train arrives in Nice at the Nice-Ville station. Additionally, from March 2021 the classic overnight train from Paris will again be running.
 * Nice is also connected frequently via rail to other cities and towns in the French Riviera, including Cannes (30 min, €7.20), Monaco and Menton.

 * International
 * Regional trains in France and Italy terminate at Ventimiglia, a transfer at Ventimiglia station is needed to cross the border. The former Intercity/Eurocity trains (partially branded as Thello) have been discontinued without replacement.

 * Stations

By car
The A8 autoroute is the easiest way to access Nice either from the west (Cannes, Aix-en-Provence) or from Italy. From the west take exit 50 and follow the signs for the Promenade des Anglais which takes you into Nice and is a lovely drive along the coast. Coming from the east take exit 55 and follow the signs for 'Nice centre'.

Approaching the city from the east, the three 'Corniches' ('Basse', 'Moyenne' and 'Grande') offer a wonderful panoramic route from Menton to Nice. The 'Grande Corniche' is the highest one; it goes up to more than 500 m on the sea level in La Turbie.

By bus

 * Marseille – Zou Buses leave from Marseille Saint-Charles at 05:58, 06:58, 07:58, 09:58, 11:58, 13:58, 16:56, and 18:58, often daily. They take about 3 hr and cost €33. There are additional connection directly to Nice airport and Gare Routière Vauban via Aix-en-Provence.

Other long distance buses connect Nice with other major European cities. Flixbus connects Nice with Marseille, Toulon and Aix-en-Provence at a reasonable price and acceptable 3-hour journey time via the motorways.

By boat
Nice is right along the coast, so you should be able to find your way easily no matter if you run on diesel or let the wind help you. However, remember to contact the local port before arrival to reserve a place for your boat. Otherwise there will most likely be no room for you.

Nearby Monaco is a major cruise port.

By bus and tram
Each main town on the French Riviera has its own local bus network, for Nice it is Lignes d'Azur (Antibes has Envibus, Cannes has Bus Azur, and so on), and the 100 or more Lignes d'Azur routes are the main form of urban transport for locals going to work or school. Of more interest to tourists, an inter-urban network, Zou! connects all the Eastern Riviera towns between Cannes and Menton and all the main villages like Èze and Vence. Its terminal is at 16 Avenue des Diables Bleus. Bus fares are only €1.70 (2023) with a change to a non-return connecting service also permitted within 74 min, so it is worth mastering the bus system to get around.

The Lignes d'Azur and Zou! routes overlap in and around Nice, so the ticket and tariff system is integrated to a common ticket zone, in which the local Lignes d'Azur tickets and passes are accepted on the longer distance Zou! buses (only between Cagnes-sur-Mer to the west and Cap d'Ail short of Monaco to the east). The fare is identical on both networks - €1.70 for any distance - but with Zou!, you must always tell the driver your intended destination, so he can judge whether you should purchase a Zou! ticket or a Ligne d'Azur. Outside the common zone, Ligne d'Azur passes are not valid and you need to pay the €1.70 fare in cash.

Tram line 1 takes a U-shaped route from Las Planas to the northeast to Pont St Michel to the northwest. It links the main train station, bus station, downtown and the university, but it is primarily a mass transit system for commuters and shoppers. Trams use the same tickets as the buses, but you need to buy them from the machines at tram stops (unlike buses, where it is usual to pay the driver or show your pass on entering the bus).

Always validate your ticket, especially card-like tickets with magnet bands.

Another innovation is the hourly "commuter express" bus service direct to Monaco via the Autoroute, the 100 Express, though visitors may still prefer the slower and more scenic 100 route along the coast.

The SNCF rail service also links all the main coastal towns, so which is the best way to get around - bus or train? The journey from Nice to say Cannes by the 200 bus at €1.50 is considerably cheaper than the train, which is over €5. The buses are liable to dreadful overcrowding and have the prospect of standing for nearly 2 hr as it is slow with frequent stops and many traffic lights along the route. If you're short on cash and don't mind discomfort, take the bus. If you're short on time and prefer to sit, take the train.

When taking the bus, you must be aware of the somewhat odd way the bus schedules are laid out. They list the departure time at the first bus station, not the one you are at. At the right hand side of the bus schedule, you have a list of stations, and, next to some, you will find the time listed it will take the bus to get there (+20 min, for example). This means that you will have to do a lot of guessing. It is best to ask a native and leave some extra padding time if you plan to take a bus to any scheduled event that you really do not want to miss (airport, train, concerts, etc.)

You can find local bus and tram route maps and timetables on-line. Route maps are listed under 'Maps' and timetables as 'Timetables' in PDF format. Also, 'Stop timetables' purports to display the times at your stop. From previous experience with the bus company, those should stand somewhere between educated guesses and outright fiction, due to unpredictable road traffic conditions (like one hour traffic jams around Villeneuve Loubet).

Buses rarely run after 20:00. The tram however operates from around 04:30 to after midnight. Five nightly bus routes (called Noctambus) serve the main parts of city, from 21:10 to 01:10, and Zou! has also infrequent buses throughout the night on the 100 line. The night buses leave from the Station J.C. Bermond, near the bus station, and the day fares apply on these night routes. If you are planning a visit involving a late evening return, consider train services, which provide the most reliable form of late travel.

The starting point for buses in the direction Villefranche, Eze Village, Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Menton is Segurane/Garribaldi; westward buses towards the airport, Antibes and Cannes start at Albert 1er/Verdun close to the Meridien Hotel.

By train
Nice has no metro and little need for one. The main train service is the national French railway SNCF, which boasts the high speed TGV (slow to Marseilles and then extremely fast on to Paris) and the local TER stopping trains, which serve the main Riviera towns between Cannes and Ventimiglia across the border in Italy, including the daily commute to Monaco.

Less well-known is the little narrow-gauge railway Chemin de Fer de Provence, which runs from Nice through the Var valley and along the Route Napoleon, 3 hours to Digne in Upper Provence. In the summer months, the latter part of the journey switches to a real steam train, the Train des Pignes.

By car
You don't need a car to explore Nice itself, and if you do bring or hire one expect some frustration. The town centre is congested and its system of streets is complicated and mostly one-way. Parking is very limited: all on-street parking anywhere central is on meters during the day, and even in spite of this it's very difficult to find a spot; you'll notice the Nicoise happily double-parking to nip to the shops. If you need a reliable parking place, your best bet is to buy a fixed-length ticket (abonnement) at one of the underground car parks, several of which offer 24-hour access. You can expect to pay €8-10 a day for this kind of parking.

The best access is by car from the A8 autoroute. The airport is well-signed from the A8 and the A8 is well signed from the airport. Just make sure that you know which way you need to go when getting on the A8 and which terminal when leaving. Especially in the morning and evening rush hour, allow extra time to deal with accidents and traffic jams. The A8 has a ferocious bend right near the airport and accidents are frequent.

Even if it is going well for you, driving a car on the Riviera is for the brave: the region has one of the worst accident records in France, and every local has a favourite story about a mad driver. However, all major car rental firms, as well as some less well known ones, are present. Most are near Terminal 2. If you have a choice, try to pick a car that is already well dinged so that no one notices the new dings and scratches that you will add. Never forget to lock the doors of the car when parked.

By taxi
If you can, avoid the notoriously expensive taxis, though sometimes you do not have a choice. It is not always easy to find a taxi when you need one. Most will not respond to being hailed, and only ply from a taxi rank, from where cabs take passengers in turn. Taxi drivers have great solidarity with their fellow taxi drivers and will not accept offers to jump a line of waiting passengers. Taxi ranks will be found outside the train station and deluxe hotels (for example outside Le Meridien at 1 Promenade des Anglais).

Taxis are registered and licensed but like anywhere, it's not unknown for one to take advantage of tourists. If possible, agree on the rate before entering the cab. If running on the meter, insist on the meter being on the whole time. Try to sit where you can see it so that you can immediately query the driver if it goes off "accidentally". Taxi fares within Nice should be less than €20, to Antibes €50, Monaco or Cannes approximately €70 and St Tropez €250. The airport run to Nice is a fixed tariff around €35, depending on time of day, but you may be hit for surcharges on luggage or the presence of a 4th passenger (designed to discourage cab-sharing).

By bicycle
Nice has installed a public bicycle rental system called "Vélo Bleu". Subscriptions rank from €1 per day to €25/year. The first 30 minutes are free and you will not need any more time to get around in the city. Vélo Bleu stations can be found all over the city. Their website provides a map of stations.

If you have your own bike, you will never have to go far to find a place where to park it, as there are a lot of ground anchors in the city. Just be sure to have a good lock (avoid the cable-locks which can be cut within seconds), to lock the frame (and not only the wheel) and that your wheels cannot be removed without a tool.

On foot
Even though Nice is the fifth largest city in France, a high proportion of the tourist attractions are close together in the town centre, at most half an hour's walk from each other.

The main exception is the historical site and museum at Cimiez, which is more of a hike, but readily accessible by bus.

The only downside of being "on foot" is that there is a lack of attention in some parts of town to the needs of those with reduced mobility, such as those in wheelchairs, as the dropping of kerbstones is entirely haphazard.

See

The greatest thing to see in Nice is the views along the Promenade des Anglais, which skirts the seacoast for over 5 km, then ends at Nice Airport. These are the views you will have seen in dozens of postcards and in paintings by the 20th-century artist Henri Matisse, who spent so many years living in Nice, but whether you've seen pictures or not, you owe it to yourself to walk along some of this stretch if you have made it to Nice.

The old town (Vieux Nice) beneath the hill is a maze of streets and alleys, with many picturesque houses, boutiques and home to the daily flower and fruit market of the Cours Saleya. In addition, the local cathedral, the Baroque Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, in the heart of Vieux Nice, is pretty. You'll want to walk through the Place Sainte-Réparate, anyway, while you're in the old city. If the doors are open, go in and look at the interior and paintings.

Museums and art galleries
Nice is also known for several museums. Some of the most famous are in Cimiez, the older, upper part of the city which in a previous century was a favourite of Queen Victoria.

Pass for all City of Nice museums provides access for 4 days for €15 per person (2023), one entry per museum, to MAMAC, Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre, Musée Matisse, Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret, Anatole Jakovsky Naive Art Museum, Masséna Museum, Palais Lascaris, Nice/Cimiez Archeology Museum, Terra Amata Prehistory Museum, Natural History Museum, abd Priory of Vieux-Logis.

Beaches
If you go to Nice for bathing or general lounging on the beach, you may wish to think again. The beaches of Nice consist entirely of large flat stones (gallets). A few private beaches have added a layer of sand, but the free public beaches are a stony experience. Besides towels or mats, you should definitely bring sandals, since walking on the stones can be painful, and a cushion if you want to sit. Free showers are provided on all public beaches and there is a beach volleyball area that is netted off with white sand.

Although the beaches are mainly pebbles, many visitors enjoy the beautiful light blue sea for a swim. If you can bear to walk for a few steps on the pebbles it is definitely an opportunity for swimming rather than playing in the water as the beach drops quickly and the tidal pull can be very strong, and not for beginners. Lying on the beach for a sun tan or relaxation is also manageable as long as you rearrange the rocks/pebbles to a comfy surface for sitting and lying. Private beaches offer various services from restaurants and /bars to the rental of lounge chairs and towels.

Much nicer beaches exist in other towns close by, such as Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes and Cannes, which are far more sandy. Villefranche is a particularly preferred beach choice, especially if travelling with children, only 20 minutes away by the Zou! 100 bus.

However, for walks by the seaside with great views, the Promenade des Anglais is arguably unparalleled.

Beautiful landscapes
For views of Nice the best vantage point is the heights of Mont Boron (bus 14). From the derelict old Fort and the nearby villa of Sir Elton John there are fine views over the city to the mountains and east over Villefranche and Cap Ferat.

Go to Èze. It is a small village on the way to Monaco. The village is situated on a small mountain and there is a beautiful cactus garden with a spectacular view (a must see, €5 entrance fee). There is also Fragonard perfume factory which you can visit for free. To reach Eze by bus, take the 112 to Eze Village (not the 100 which stops at Eze Gare, a 90-minute steep walk away from Eze Village). If you missed an infrequent (up to 3 hours) 115 bus in Eze Village, there is a path that goes down the mountain from Eze Village to Eze Sur Mer (also Eze Gare). This is the Path of Nietzsche (named after the famous German philosopher Friedrich W. Nietzsche), with some fantastic views and a waterfall (if you know where to look). Walking downhill through this path takes about 40 minutes. Buses run from Menton-Monaco through Eze Gare back to Nice every 15 minutes or so and vice versa, making treking back up the hill unnecessary.

Also close by is the magnificent Villa Île de France, of the Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild, straddling the magnificent peninsula of St Jean Cap Ferrat in the so-called Golden Triangle of Villefranche, Beaulieu and Cap Ferrat.

Hiking trails emanate from La Turbie high above Monaco and the Grande Corniche, which are double the height above sea level of Eze and offer the hardened walker truly spectacular vantage points over the Riviera.

Sport

 * Football: OGC Nice play soccer in Ligue 1, the top tier in France. Their home ground Allianz Riveria (capacity 36,000) is on the river bank 5 km west of town centre.
 * Tour de France in 2024 concludes in Nice, and is a week earlier than usual, to avoid arriving in Paris on the eve of the Olympics. Stage 20 on Saturday 20 July is 132 km from Nice up Col de la Couillole, and the final stage on Sunday 21 July is from Monaco back to Nice.

Learn
There are many language schools in Nice offering courses in French. In addition, conversation groups often meet splitting time speaking French then English.

Work
Generally the Riviera is a place people come to spend money rather than earn it. Unemployment levels are high, casual work hard to come by, and as everywhere, service industry jobs tend to go to those with low wage expectations.

Sophia Antipolis is a huge office/science/tech park 20 minutes outside of Nice, which is the base for many French and multinational companies.

For those with the right qualifications and experience, the luxury super yachts of the nearby International Yacht Club of Antibes have spawned a major industry in crew and boat services which attracts many young English speakers. Employment agency connections are important as many of the yachts post signs to deter casual inquiries - "no day-workers required."

Financial service companies abound in Monaco which is readily commutable from Nice.

Buy
Most stores and restaurants in Nice will accept the major credit cards, and debit cards from major banks (anything carrying the EC or Maestro or Visa logos). If this fails you can always get money from any of the numerous ATMs.

All shops are now allowed to open every Sunday.

Postcards (as many other things) vary greatly in price. Do some comparison shopping as the price range is between 20 cents and €1 for a normal postcard.

Nice's main shopping street av. Jean Medecin is home to two giant music/entertainment stores, Virgin Megastore and the French FNAC. FNAC definitely has the edge as their many listening stations allow you to "try before you buy" almost every CD in the house, whilst Virgin push only a few promotional selections. Both run near identical pricing policy on new albums. FNAC is closer to HMV, offering most forms of entertainment including books, games, CDs, and DVDs. The 4-storey store on Av. Jean Medecin is well worth exploring!

Designer label garments are, as everywhere, notoriously expensive but general fashion goods are really cheap compared to most other European countries, and Galleries Lafayette offers a lot under one roof. If that's not enough for you, they also have a huge superstore at Cap 3000 just next to St Laurent de Var past the airport (Lignes d Azur 52 and Zou! bus 200, 400 and 500, stop La Passerelle). This is also home to Galleries Lafayette Gourmand, a food superstore to rival London's Harrods and Selfridges. The wine selection is brilliant, especially aisles full of Rose de Provence, and there are a half-dozen in-store lunch-time places.

Cheap bargain fashions are best sought at Ventimiglia's huge open street market each Friday, accessible by train from Nice Gare Ville to Ventimiglia a few kilometres over the Italian border. Just avoid the tempting fake luxury brands sold by the many street sellers. The war against counterfeiting is taken very seriously by the French border police and big fines are targeted at "innocent" tourists.

The central Nice Etoiles is available for anyone pining for a visit to a shopping mall, including three floors of a Dutch brand not seen by British people for 20 years that is still big in France - C&A. More nostalgia can also be found in av Jean Medecins' "Damart" - yes, the people that gave you "Thermolactyl underwear" to keep you warm in winter are also big here. About as sensible as the local Bronzage tanning parlours.

The "duty free" shops at Nice airport terminals are the absolute worst value you will ever find and should be avoided at all costs: prices are way over those of even the high street. Food, drink and cigarettes are dreadfully overpriced, and there are no bargains "before you fly". If you haven't yet kicked the habit, cigarettes in particular are best bought in Italy over the border, where taxes on smoking have not reached health-promoting punitive levels.

Nice specialities
Many restaurants and cafés serve local food. You might consider preparing some simple meals chez vous or take home some local Nice delicacies to enjoy on your balcony.

Street food is widely available in Nice. A combination of choices could easily replace a lunch without paying restaurant prices.

 * Socca, a chickpea flour flat bread snack, lightly fried, warm and ready to take away (about €3) in a paper wrap to enjoy on a bench overlooking the sea on the Promenade des Anglais
 * Pan bagnat is a tuna fish sandwich with olives, sliced hard boiled eggs and fresh vegetables
 * Pizza can be a 'street food' take away but might be better served directly from a wood-fired oven. It would be fun to compare.
 * Pissaladiere is a simple form of pizza topped with sweet sauteed, caramelized onion, olives, garlic and anchovies; it does not include tomatoes or cheese. Don't worry about anchovies. Anchovies are salty, offset the sweet onion flavour and add a wonderful complexity to this otherwise simple dish.
 * Tourtes aux blettes sweet tarts are made with Savoy cabbage (Swiss chard), raisins, nuts, and powdered sugar
 * Barbajuan is an appetizer found in the eastern part of the French Riviera and Northern Italy. The dough is stuffed with Swiss chard and ricotta among other ingredients and fried
 * Glace (gelato or ice cream) No visit to Nice would be complete without a visit to

Nice culinary staples - Neither street food nor restaurant dishes, these culinary staples should not be overlooked when visiting Nice. A picnic lunch can be quickly assembled from a market with among other delicacies, olives, cheese, a baguette, a fruit tart and a bottle of light rosé wine. In packing to visit Nice, don't forget to add a corkscrew, pocket knife and napkins for picnics. Borrow glasses from your hotel (but return them, please).
 * Mediterranean olives Olives are quite varied in the Mediterranean by growth and curing, sometimes with herbs or garlic.
 * Tapenade what can be better than olives? How about a puréed or finely chopped olive spread? Tapenades can be diverse based on the olive type and added ingredients. Tapenades can be used as an appetizer on crusty bread or with crudités.
 * Aioli is a sauce made of garlic, salt and olive oil. Aioli is common in the cuisines of many Mediterranean countries and used as an appetizer spread on bread or supplement to Mediterranean dishes.
 * Baguettes and pastries are an essential ingredient to life in Nice. Excellent boulangeries can have a waiting line at any time of day to buy fresh baguettes or pastries. Many locals have lively debates on the best baguette or pastry. Everyone has their favorite and everyone must find their favorites.
 * French cheeses are amazing in their diversity of flavors with many hundreds of styles and origins from which to choose. Most cheese vendors will offer a taste so that you can find the perfect match.
 * Spices in bulk are plentiful and diverse. They make excellent gifts for foodie friends.
 * Dark red wine grapes grow ripe and concentrated becoming rich and full of flavor in the Mediterranean sun. Red wines are perfectly matched with full flavored Nice foods. Try Syrah, Mourvedre or Cabernet Sauvignon.
 * Rosé wine is a delight in Nice when the weather becomes warm and the sun feels good upon your skin. A rosé wine is perfect for a lunch picnic. Search for rosé wine from Provence or Languedoc-Roussillon.
 * Pastis is an anise-flavored distilled spirit normally served with water and a couple ice cubes, turning the drink cloudy white. Pastis originated after the ban of absinthe. It is very popular in the French Riviera, especially in Marseille where it originated.

Essential Nice dishes:
 * Soupe de poisson, the regional fish soup, is made by simmering fish and just enough tomato sauce to make the soup a bronze brown color. Each bowl is typically topped with spicy aioli (garlic purée), croutons, and grated cheese
 * Salade niçoise is in fact from Nice. It is served as either a composed salad or tossed salad. Freshly cooked or canned tuna may be added. Seasonal raw vegetables or cooked green beans and potatoes could join the mix.
 * Local Mediterranean seafood features prominently in Niçoise cuisine. Typical dishes feature fresh fish, sea urchin, octopus and oysters. There is nothing like enjoying local seafood that was caught that very morning.
 * Pizza in the Italian style, Nice pizza is as terrific as you can find in Italy. Why not? Italy is just a car or train ride away and Nice was ruled by Italians from the 14th century until 1860. Many Italians manage pizzerias in Nice so it is worth finding the perfect pizzeria for eat-in or take-out. Similarly, pasta dishes in Nice are quite good.
 * Ratatouille is a French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice, and sometimes referred to as ratatouille niçoise. Common ingredients include vegetables grown in the south of France including tomatoes, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper.
 * Daube is a classical Provençal stew made with inexpensive beef slowly cooked in wine, vegetables, garlic and herbes de Provence.
 * North African cuisine is popular in Nice where Maghrebi cuisines of North Africa were introduced by immigrants.
 * Tagine is a fragrant Berber dish of meat, chicken or fish and vegetables such as potatoes or carrots. Olives and dried fruit are added. The tagine is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked.
 * Couscous is another Berber dish of a meat and vegetable stew spooned on top of semolina.
 * Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onions and garlic with aromatic spices. Shakshuka is popular across Mediterranean countries.

Check out the daily market in the Vieux Nice for fresh, local produce and many Nice favorites. You can save money if you are willing to cook at least some of your meals yourself. If you have leftovers, cooking can actually save you time as well since eating at a restaurant will easily cost you one to two hours per meal. There are several decent-sized 'supermarchés' around the city, and numerous boucheries, boulangeries and fruit and veg shops which are often competitive on price and superior on quality.

Budget
Cheap & cheerful food in Nice takes research, but for example, a baguette filled with your favorites ranges from €4 to €6 which is very reasonable by Nice standards. The best deals are found in the port area. Old Nice and all along the sea front the prices cannot be described as budget, but lunch-time set menus are certainly good value, if not 'cheap' per se. €10-12 should get you two courses, often with coffee and wine, and like much of continental Europe, lunches can drift happily well into the afternoon.

Drink
With the hot Niçois summers, carrying a bottle of water is almost a must. Bear in mind the largest single complaint to the municipal authority tourist department is the offering in restaurants of branded water bottles whose seal has been broken – i.e. refilled with tap water – and charged as Perrier or Evian.

You can save a lot of money by buying alcoholic drinks and such in a normal supermarket instead of the vendors geared towards tourists. Carrefour has a huge selection and unlike the other supermarkets has a policy of buying in wine show "prize winners" distinguished by their gold, silver or bronze medal stickers.

Wine in restaurants is often ferociously expensive, so do as the locals and order it by the "pichet" – usually a 50-centilitre jug. However, if you fancy quality appellation French wine to drink back home, Les Caves Caprioglio at 16 Rue de la Prefecture in Vieux Nice has a fabulous cellar of the wines you usually only read about in the fine wines books but rarely see. To see French wine making, the Chateau's Bellet and Cremat in the Var are nearest to Nice and will do tours by arrangement (reachable via the tiny narrow-gauge train from the Chemin de Fer de Provence).

Some popular places to go out for a drink include:
 * Checkpoint — A cozy bar on the ground level, and a great dance floor underground. Ladies night on Monday offers €0.50 champagne (as of Feb 2013).
 * Master Home — A pub by Wayne's and King's Pub. More "French" than Wayne's and King's pubs and a little more classy. When you order alcoholic drinks, they bring you two or three dishes of nibbles. Even though the price is a little more expensive than the "English" pubs next door, it's still worth a visit and a fraction cheaper that the touristy bars/pubs. Try the rose (€3.20), the cheapest on the menu but delicious!
 * Pompeï — Stays open late, live music most nights (usually rock), good dancing on the weekends, indoor smoking room, next to Wayne's and the other Irish pubs - everyone flocks here after they close.
 * Jonathan's — If you're looking to meet locals, go to Jonathan's. Small hole-in-the-wall place full of younger people (mostly students) with great drink specials most nights. Not very well known by tourists.
 * Master Home — A pub by Wayne's and King's Pub. More "French" than Wayne's and King's pubs and a little more classy. When you order alcoholic drinks, they bring you two or three dishes of nibbles. Even though the price is a little more expensive than the "English" pubs next door, it's still worth a visit and a fraction cheaper that the touristy bars/pubs. Try the rose (€3.20), the cheapest on the menu but delicious!
 * Pompeï — Stays open late, live music most nights (usually rock), good dancing on the weekends, indoor smoking room, next to Wayne's and the other Irish pubs - everyone flocks here after they close.
 * Jonathan's — If you're looking to meet locals, go to Jonathan's. Small hole-in-the-wall place full of younger people (mostly students) with great drink specials most nights. Not very well known by tourists.

Sleep
There are a number of hotels within walking distance of Terminal 1 of the airport and a special hotel shuttle bus serves other hotels within Nice itself. The hotels near the airport are a long way away from Nice center (7 km) and it will take a bus journey or taxi to reach the centre. A wide range of modern and traditional French hotels is available in the town, though few in the old quarter itself, which is mainly apartments. Convenient locations are between the main station and the promenade, in particular below Boulevard Victor Hugo and east of Boulevard Gambetta. Hotels further from the seafront are most convenient in the vicinity of the tramway along Avenue Jean Medicine or Avenue de la Republique.

Budget
It would seem that the simplest solution is to stay at a youth hostel. There are quite a number in Nice:
 * Les Camélias, 3, rue Spitalieri, near the shopping centre Nice Etoile, in the heart of the city centre.

Mid-range
Being a heavily touristed city, it's easy to find a number of small hotels which are perfectly acceptable, and usually at a decent rate.

Stay safe
Nice's crime rate is comparable to other cities in western countries. Nevertheless, locals have been grumbling about a number of issues since the 2000s, often with good reasons. Basic precautions are needed at times.

Nice is known to be the city in France with the highest number of police officers per capita – and since the tragic 2016 terrorist attack by the promenade, Nice hosts a large number of military patrols. They can be somewhat intimidating to meet, especially in the middle of the night, however they are there to maintain an air of control. Most French people maintain their weapons are fake, and they will normally never interact with you.

As with other larger cities, Nice has areas that must be avoided. The most commonly cited areas are:

 * The neighbourhoods of Arianne and Pasteur, located in the eastern parts of the city, and the neighbouring town of la Trinité are known hotbeds for gang violence and drug dealing. It is highly discouraged to wander there at night.
 * Some of the neighbourhoods immediately north of the airport have been the stages of pickpocketing.
 * The Thiers neighbourhood, immediately south of the Nice-Ville train station, has a few unsavoury streets.

A few tips to stay safe are:
 * Don't take unlicensed "taxis"! That applies doubly so at times like the Film Festival, especially if you are female and have been drinking and partying late.
 * Take precautions against pickpockets, who are a constant and serious problem on the Côte d'Azur. They operate usually in teams in any crowded areas like buses, train stations, and tourist sites. Be vigilant at the tram station, Gare Thiers, where pickpockets prey on travel-weary tourists. They may well look like harmless fellow passengers, but they are extremely skilled and will lift your wallet from either your front or back pants pocket without your noticing. You are strongly advised not to carry anything valuable or annoying to replace in your pockets. Use pouches underneath your clothing for anything valuable, including cash. In restaurants and cafés, opportunist theft of handbags is a constant risk - keep them close at hand.
 * If you are travelling by car, take care not to leave anything of value in the car when parking. Theft from car boots is a particular issue in underground parking beneath the Nice old town. Leaving the parcel shelf off so that it's clear the boot is empty is a good way to avoid problems.
 * Judging from local newspaper reports, personal safety concerns are most likely to arise after 02:30, and visitors should stick to well lit streets with people still around.

If you do fall foul of Nice's criminal practitioners, the National Police Station is where you need to go to report problems such as being pickpocketed. It's at the junction of Ave Marechal Foch and Dubouchage, a couple of hundred metres east of the Nice Etoiles shopping centre. They will supply you with the necessary statements to support insurance claims, but don't expect them to recover your property. You will find the police station very busy with other victims towards the end of the evening.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Nice has 5G from all French carriers. Wi-Fi is widely available in public places, transport, cafes and so on.

Religious services
Holy mass in Catholic churches in the vicinity of the convention centre Acropolis (Palais des Congrès et des Expositions):

 * Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice, 36, Place Don Bosco. Sa 18:30, Su 08:30 and 10:00, M-F 16:15 and 18:30.
 * St. Joseph, 21, Rue Smolett. Sa 18:30, Su 09:00, Th 18:00.
 * Saint Jean-Baptiste, Place du Voeu/Rue Alfrede Mortier. Sa 18:00, Su 11:00, M-W 18:45, Th F 08:30.
 * St. Martin-St. Augustin, Place Saint-Augustin. Sa 16:00 and 17:30, Su 09:30 and 11:00, Tu-F 16:00.

Some other Catholic churches in downtown Nice:

 * Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, Place Rossetti. Sa 18:30, Su 10:00 and noon, M-F 10:00
 * Notre Dame du Port, 8, Place Ile de Beaute. Su 10:00, M-F 18:00.
 * Basilique Notre Dame, 2, Rue d’Italie. Sa 11:00 and 17:40, Su 08:30, 10:00, 11:15, 18:00, M-F 11:00, 18:00.

Protestant churches

 * Reformed temple, 21, blvd Victor Hugo. Su 10:15.
 * Lutheran church, 4, Rue Melchior de Vogüé. Su 10:30.
 * Baptist church, 32 rue de l'hôtel des postes. Su 10:30.
 * Evangelical church, 51bis, avenue de Pessicart. Su 10:00.
 * Anglican church Holy Trinity, 11, rue de la Buffa. Su 11:00, M Th 12:15, Tu 18:15, W F 10:30, Sa 09:00.

Orthodox churches

 * Greek orthodox church Saint Spyridon, 2, Avenue Desambrois. Su 10:30, M-Sa 10:15.
 * Russian orthodox cathedral Saint Nicolas, Avenue Nicolas II. Su-Sa 10:00.
 * Apostolic Armenian church, 281 Boulevard de la Madeleine. Su 10:00.

Mosques

 * (Sunni) Mosque in Rue de Suisse (in the city centre, near the cathedral - open at prayer times only)

Orthodox Synagogues

 * (Sephardic) Beit Yossef 16 rue Alexis Mossa

Consulates

 * 🇦🇹 Austria
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇯🇲 Jamaica
 * 🇲🇱 Mali

Go next
Some nice places just to the west of Nice include Haute de Cagnes, Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. East of Nice the trains stops at Villefranche, Monaco and Menton, and the border town of Ventimiglia. To the North of Nice in the interior of Provence, Vence and Saint-Paul de Vence are worth a visit for their hilltop old towns and boules pitches.

 * Villefranche is two stops east of the main station in Nice and is a rather nice village with a small beach (and it is much less rocky than in Nice). The village is quieter and more relaxed than Nice. A train ticket from the main station in Nice is just €1.70 each way. You can also get there by bus 81 or 100 — or by taking the scenic walk by the cliffs in little over an hour.
 * Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: Among the many expensive villas on this cape, Villa Ephrussi de Rotschild is the most impressive one. You can walk around the cape on a pathway and stop for a swim. Take city bus #15 from Nice, about 40 min.
 * Beaulieu-sur-mer: Right next to Cap Ferrat, this small town is known for the beach and Villa Kerylos, a Greek-style property built in the early 1900s. Take city bus #15 from Nice.
 * Liguria - the Italian Riviera including San Remo that is just a little over one hour away, switch trains in Ventimiglia
 * Èze village — a few hour-long hike (or take citybus #81 from Nice) from Nice, Èze is a medieval village and well worth seeing, if only over a day.
 * Visit the beautiful mountainous Touët-sur-Var, Puget-Théniers, Entrevaux, Annot, and even Verdon Gorge from along the narrow gauge Train des Pignes stops between Nice and Digne-les-Bains. Admire the castles or just hike the surrounding treks of each village.

title: Nice


text:
Niceville

Niceville is a city of 16,000 people (2020) along the Emerald Coast of Florida. It is located about halfway between Pensacola and Panama City.

Get in
The closest airport to Niceville is the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, located between Niceville and Fort Walton Beach.

Get around
There is no public transport in Niceville, so most transportation is by private car.

See
There is not much to see in Niceville, but what is there is noteworthy.

Sights include:

The Heritage Museum, located past Niceville in the tiny area of Valparaiso, Niceville's twin city.

Eglin Air Force Base, Air Force Armament Museum, access to the sugar white beaches of Destin and Fort Walton.

Factory Outlet Store shopping within 20 minutes of Niceville in SanDestin.

Destin Commons Mall; stores, Rave Movie Theatre, Bass Pro Shop, Macy's

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Niceville


text:
Nichols Hills

Nichols Hills is an upscale older suburb in Oklahoma City. You will find some of the largest homes and most affluent living in this area. It is surrounded by Oklahoma City and The Village to the north.

Get in
It is located in the area bordered by NW 63rd and Wilshire Blvd. and between May Ave. and Western Ave.

Do
It is worth a drive into this area to see some of the largest homes you will find in Oklahoma.

title: Nichols Hills


text:
Nicolosi

Nicolosi is a town in Sicily near Mount Etna.

Get in
By plane from Catania Bellini (formerly Fontanarossa) International Airport.

title: Nicolosi


text:
Nicosia

Nicosia (Greek: Λευκωσία; Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the capital of Cyprus and is the largest city by far.

While it may not boast the same abundance of archaeological sites and lively beaches as other parts of Cyprus, the city's Old Town, with its museums and churches, is still a pleasant place to explore. What's more, with fewer tourists than the resorts on the southern coast, Nicosia maintains a more authentically Cypriot atmosphere.

Take a stroll through the city's charming streets, where you'll find delightful cafes serving traditional Cypriot coffee, as well as woodworking shops tucked away in unexpected corners. And don't miss the opportunity to visit the Green Line, the boundary that divides North from South. As the financial and administrative center of the island, Nicosia is a haven for shopping enthusiasts.

Understand
Nicosia is one of the very few divided capitals in the world. The barbed wire and guardtowers of the Green Line cuts the town in two, with the northern side being the capital of the self-proclaimed Northern Cyprus and the southern half being the capital of the Republic of Cyprus.

The municipality of Nicosia governs only the central portion, but the city now sprawls for several kilometers and has engulfed surrounding villages and settlements. The population of the Greek part hovers around 245,000 in 2020 (a third of the total population of Cyprus), but the city has a feel of one much larger. It is the administrative and financial hub of the island as well as home to several universities, colleges and other educational establishments. It hosts most foreign embassies and offshore companies (a big industry in Cyprus nowadays). Along with its international students and foreign workers it has developed a truly cosmopolitan feel. It also acts as a separate administrative capital for the Nicosia district.

Climate
One of the southernmost locations in Europe, Nicosia's climate is classified as subtropical and semi-arid. Summers are very hot and dry, you can expect temperatures to regularly rise above 35°C. Pleasantly warm temperatures are common early in the spring and late in the autumn, making these good times to visit. Winter is the wettest time of the year, though even then just 7-8 days of the month see rain. During mid-winter, the temperature may sometimes drop below freezing and light frost and sleet occurs, but snowfall is very rare.

History
Cyprus is in the Levant, and as with other places in this part of the world it has a long and tumultuous history and has seen many great empires come and go. Taking that into consideration, Nicosia has surprisingly few sights dating back from antiquity or even from the middle ages.

Nicosia is in the middle of the island and the region has been inhabited since around 2500 BC. A city-state by the name of Ledra was established here sometimes after the end of the Trojan War (1180 BC), though not much of it is known today. By 330 BC Ledra was recorded as a small unimportant farming town. The following high point came in the Byzantine Era. In the 4th century AD the town became a bishopric seat and it got its current (Greek and Turkish) name, Lefkosia. Nicosia grew as an agricultural centre, and unlike the richer coastal cities it wasn't destroyed by Arab raids. Around 965 the Byzantine governor moved the administration to Nicosia, and since then it has been the capital of the island albeit under many different administrations. With the crusades came the rule by Western European powers. The Frankish Kingdom of Cyprus was established in 1192 as a base for crusades to the Holy Land. During that time, the first city walls were built, as well as some notable churches (now in North Nicosia). Over the years Genoan and Venetian merchants established themselves and competed for influence over the island, and in 1489 the last queen sold the administration to the Republic of Venice. Venice had been fighting one war after another with the Ottoman Empire for some time already, and during the following decades Nicosia was attacked multiple times. A new fortification system, which still stands, was built in 1567-70, but in the same year it was finished, the Ottomans captured Nicosia after a siege of 40 days.

After that Nicosia largely lay in ruins, and the population fell by 95%. From then on the inhabitants comprised Ottoman Muslims and Greek Orthodox Christians; the former settled in the north of the city and the latter in the south. Over the years the Ottoman Empire slowly declined, to the point that it was dubbed the "Sick man of Europe". In order to protect the empire from Russian incursions (as in the Russo-Turkish war of 1877), Cyprus was traded to the British in 1878 in exchange for protection against Russia. By then, Greece had gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, and many Greek-Cypriots hoped for the island to become united (enosis) with Greece.

Like the Venetian rule, the British rule would also last about 80 years. Most of it went relatively peacefully, but after World War II, the opinion turned against the colonial rule. The pro-independence EOKA organization was founded, and from 1955 on bomb attacks and rioting became common in Nicosia and elsewhere in Cyprus. As a result the independent Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960. The Greek Cypriots still dreamed about enosis with Greece, whereas the Turkish Cypriots who were afraid of what would happen to them now (and especially if such a union would take place), instead demanded a division of the island. In the following years the two groups were fighting each other.

In July 1974, the military junta ruling Greece orchestrated a coup d'état, installing a pro-enosis leader. Turkey replied by invading the island a few days later, capturing the northeastern third of Cyprus, including the northern half of Nicosia and establishing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). After the ceasefire, the UN established a buffer zone (aka the Green Line) between the two parts of the island and stationed peacekeepers there. Even as Northern Cyprus isn't recognized by anyone but Turkey, it is de facto a separate state from Cyprus, and Nicosia is a divided city. Since 2003 it's less divided than it used to be when the first border crossing between the Republic and TRNC was opened at the Ledra Palace Hotel (now there are several of them both in Nicosia and elsewhere).

The Cyprus peace process is ongoing as of 2023. A plan to unite the country was turned down in a 2004 referendum, and thereafter peace talks have stalled many times. But from a traveller's point of view the situation is peaceful, and you can safely explore the two sides of the city (and the country).

Visitor information

 * Visit Nicosia

By plane
has been closed off since the partition of the country. (40 km, 30-min drive) has scheduled flights to all major European cities. An airport shuttle bus operates between Larnaca Airport and Nicosia, but this bus does not stop close to the city center so you will have to take a taxi or walk to the highway and take a public bus from there. Further away, the smaller  is a 140-km (1 hr 40 min) drive from Nicosia.

By boat
Limassol (80 km away) and Larnaca (40 km away) ports have passenger terminals with ferry and cruise ship services to the Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Greece. Timetables vary considerably with the summer season being the busiest.

By road
Nearly all visitors arrive via the southern highway from Larnaca (43 km) and Limassol (83 km). Regular, cheap and reliable intercity taxi and bus services connect Nicosia to the centre of Cyprus' other cities. Private hire taxis are considerably more expensive. Car hire is also affordable and all major car hire companies are represented at both airports. Cyprus By Bus provides information about buses in Nicosia. Nicosia's is at Solomos square, next to the city wall.

To/from North Nicosia
Entry from Northern Cyprus to south Nicosia used to be close to impossible. However, following a thawing in relations, it is possible for EU citizens to cross the border at official crossing points, regardless of their point of entry to the island. People from other parts of the world will likely be turned back at crossing point. For details on how you can cross the border, please see the Cyprus page.

The Ledra Street crossing (as opposed to Ledra Palace Hotel crossing) allows people to cross again from North to South Nicosia and vice-versa. The crossing traverses the United Nations Buffer Zone dividing Southern and Northern Cyprus. The (Greek) Republic of Cyprus does not maintain an immigration post at the crossing but conducts ID checks, while Northern Cyprus maintains an immigration and customs checkpoint on its side of the border.

If you're taking a taxi to North Nicosia before crossing, do not say "Ledra" because everyone in Northern Cyprus will assume the Ledra Palace crossing, which is outside the city walls to the west.

By foot
Greater Nicosia sprawls for kilometers on end, but the Old City is small enough to navigate on foot. Traditional Greek Cypriot shops line the streets of the Old City, and with very narrow footpaths/walkways, traffic must always be observed. GPS navigation systems may not include Cyprus, but a paper map can be picked up (free of charge) from the Nicosia Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) Information Office (in Laiki Geitonia).

By bus
Nicosia is developing a more extensive network of bus services that connect the ever expanding sprawl. Transport is inexpensive, however timetables remain unreliable and only a few buses are air conditioned.

By taxi
Private taxis abound, they are usually diesel Mercedes cars, and always have a number plate starting with the letter T. Some even have a yellow TAXI (or ΤΑΞΙ in Greek) sign above. Unlike other world cities, they are not in a distinctive colour. Make sure the meter is turned on the second you enter, as tourist expoitation is as common here as everywhere else in the world!

By bike
A cheaper alternative to buses and taxis is to use the bike sharing system Bike in Action. Smart card needed.

See
Nicosia's sights are concentrated in and around the Old City, surrounded by a picturesque star-shaped city wall whose moat has been converted into a pleasant park. Wandering around the Old City is an interesting experience in itself, although some buildings (esp. those near the Green Line) are derelict and crumbling. Many sights in the Old City close early, so try to get an early start - also a good idea for beating the heat in the summer.

Museums

Art galleries

Religious buildings

Monuments and architecture

Squares

Do
Explore the smaller city streets, small enough to easily do this on foot. Visit a traditional Cypriot cafe, and sample a Cypriot coffee. Greet the locals. Make sure you visit the Green Line and view all of the city from the Watchtower, into North and South Nicosia.

Spa

Cinema
In bygone times Nicosia was dotted with dozens of open air and closed cinemas offering films from local, Greek, Turkish and Hollywood producers. The advent of the video player and other home entertainment systems has strangled this industry and now only a handful of cinemas remain, none of which are open air. These offer the latest blockbuster movies from Hollywood and occasionally the odd arthouse European film. Most will be screened in their original language with Greek subtitles. The annual Cyprus International Film Festival  is the local Cannes equivalent. Expect to see great movies, but not the same calibre of stars.

The Friends of Cinema Society was the first to bring forward to the Cypriot viewer, films from countries as diverse and distant as China, Iran, and Japan. With the popularity and recognition of Greek cinema, the Cypriot viewer was able to finally view modern, Greek productions by distinguished artists. Through various festivals (European, French, Spanish, German), Cyprus is able to admire films which are awarded important prizes by international critics, thus bringing state-of-the-art trends of world cinema to Cyprus.

Sport

 * Football: the Cypriot men's national soccer team play at GSP Stadium (capacity 22,800) by the A1 ten km south of city centre.
 * Three city clubs share GSP Stadium: APOEL and Omonoia both in the Cypriot top tier, and Olympiakos relegated in 2023 to the second tier.

Buy
The traditional shopping district runs along and its tributary roads within the medieval walls of the city. A bustle of traditional jewelers, shoe and fabric shops give a blend of Middle Eastern and European feel. is a pedestrianised neighbourhood that has been preserved in its original architecture and is the best quarter if you are after souvenir shops. Big chains (e.g. Marks and Spencer, Zara) line the more modern. has evolved into a mini local version of 5th Avenue/Bond street with expensive brands such as Armani and Versace stores. All the above are within walking distance of each other.

There are no real department stores in a purist sense, but Ermes (this chain inherited and re-branded the old local Woolworths) has several mini department stores across the island and a couple on Makarios Avenue. Alpha-Mega is a local hypermarket chains (worthy equivalent of a Tesco or Wal-Mart) where it would be difficult not to find what you were after. Most of their stores however, are located in the suburbs.

International newspapers and periodicals (especially in the English language) are widely available but you can inevitably find them at the large kiosks (periptera) planted at the two corners of Eleftheria Square. These kiosks are open 24/7.

Eat
Traditional Cypriot cuisine is a melting pot of south European, Balkan and Middle Eastern influences. You will find most Greek, Turkish and Arabic dishes, often with a local name or twist. It is now decades since Cyprus has established itself as a tourist hotspot and as a consequence many of the local chefs have trained in Europe and elsewhere, bringing their experiences back home with them. As such most international cuisines are well represented (but unfortunately so are McDonald's & gang). In summary good food is not difficult to come by and most westerners will find dining quite affordable.

The shopping district is dotted with local tavernas and the likes of KFC and Pizza Hut. Virtually all restaurants allow smoking, (and unfortunately some don't even have a non-smoking area, and most restaurants with the non-smoking area don't enforce it). Al fresco dining is a luxury that can be enjoyed for over half the year. It would be a crime not to try (at least once) a mixed pork kebab with a chilled local KEO or Carlsberg (which is brewed locally and tastes different to the same brand overseas) beer. Carnivores are spoilt for choice, whilst vegetarians might find it a tad difficult.

The food is high quality and somewhat cheaper than in the most Western capitals. Snacks should be available from €2-4, kebabs from €7 and whole meals from €15-20. Local KEO beer costs around €4 a pint in bars, local wines starting from €10 a bottle. Hygienic standards are followed and even foods that usually are not recommended in the Mediterranean destinations, such as mayonnaise and salad-based foods, can be safely eaten.

Budget

 * Kebab houses. The epitome of Cyprus fast food. There is no neighbourhood without its local (99% of these are family-run businesses) so follow the BBQ smoke or smell. Try a traditional mixed kebab (aka souvlakia/sheftalia) with a cold KEO beer. That should set you back €12 at the most.
 * Sandwich kiosks. Several line Regina Str in central Nicosia close to Eleftheria Square. Some also offer doner kebab (gyros). You might have to stand whilst eating.

Drink
The substantial student population supports a flourishing industry of bars, pubs and nightclubs which keep the old city alive. Cypriots are true socialites and spend most of their time out as opposed to at home. In line with other south European countries going out is unheard of before 22:00-23:00. There is no official nightlife reference point but Makarios avenue turns into a catwalk cum cruising strip for Porsche owner show-offs. If you are after a more traditional flavour (generally catering for an older population) you could try a bouzouki bar.

Bars will stock the usual international brands of spirits. Local giants KEO beer and Carlsberg (the only other brand brewed on the island)also Leon beer, the first Cyprus brew, was relaunched 4 decades after it was last produced and traded in the market of Cyprus. Based on the original Leon recipe that was used in 1937, Leon is a pure all malt beer characterised by a rich and strong taste and aromahave a universal presence. Local wines are now making a comeback after years of medioaracy and decline. Commandaria is the pride of Cyprus' dessert wines. The local spirit zivania (very similar to grappa) is usually drank as shots straight from the freezer. Cyprus brandy was introduced about 150 years ago and differs from other continental brandies in its lower alcohol content (around 32%). As such it is often drank by locals whilst eating (and before and after) and is the basic ingredient for a local cocktail, The Brandy Sour. Local Ouzo is also another favourite.

Cafés
Coffee culture is a way of life in Nicosia. It is the place to see and be seen in the afternoon to early evening. In the summer months, tables spill on to the streets. The posh cafés line Makarios Avenue, intertwined with shops. Starbucks and Costa coffee have invaded the island but local equivalents also survive. For a change don't stick to the latté/cappuccino, try a Greek coffee. In the summer you must order a frappé (iced coffee).

Bars and pubs
There is not much of a distinction between the two, most will serve beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. Many will now serve food too, but kitchens usually close earlier than the bar.

Sleep
Being more of an administrative city plus the financial hub of the island, hotels tend to cater more for business travelers. Accommodation choice is more limited than the purely tourist destinations that line the coast

Budget

Splurge

Stay safe
Crime rates are generally low in Cyprus. Pickpockets and petty theft are a risk at touristed areas, and some scams may be prevalent in bars, though may be less of a problem than at the beach resorts.

Don't stray into the buffer zone other than at designated crossing points, and don't feel tempted to photograph military and police installations.

Connect
There's 4G coverage throughout Nicosia. Places to sleep also commonly offer free Wi-Fi.

Embassies

 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * You can cross over to Northern Cyprus and the northern side of Nicosia on foot or by car via the checkpoint near the Ledra Palace hotel, on the western side of the city wall. A more convenient checkpoint if you're on foot is the Ledra Street (Turkish: Lokmacı Caddesi) crossing which runs through the center of Nicosia.

 * Public buses take you to other major destinations in the Republic of Cyprus; Agia Napa in the southeast, Larnaca in the south, as well as Pafos and Limassol in the southwest.

title: Nicosia


text:
Nicosia (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Nicosia:

Cyprus

 * Nicosia - the southern Greek-Cypriot side of the divided capital city
 * Nicosia district (South) - the southern Greek-Cypriot side of the divided Nicosia district

Northern Cyprus

 * Nicosia (North) - the northern Turkish-Cypriot side of the divided capital city
 * Nicosia district (North) - a former district now reorganised into Güzelyurt and Lefke districts

title: Nicosia (disambiguation)


text:
Nicosia (North)

North Nicosia (Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the Turkish Cypriot side of the divided city of Nicosia, and the capital of Northern Cyprus. In 2011 the population was 61,378.

Understand
This ancient city was Leucotheon (Λευκοθέον) or similar names meaning "white deity" until the 13th century, when the "L" morphed into "N". It was the capital of the island from the 10th century, ringed by walls and a moat in the 16th to try to repel the Ottomans, and became capital of the Republic of Cyprus on independence in 1960. But inter-community tensions and violence persisted, leading to the Turkish invasion of 1974, and the eventual ceasefire line split Nicosia through the middle. And so it remains, a strange example of a divided city, in an era when Berlin, Jerusalem and Sarajevo have re-combined, and the Greek-Turkish partition of Cyprus is a "frozen conflict" blighting the entire island. The border however is straightforward to cross for individuals - vehicles, goods and pets are another matter - so many tourists in the south get their first taste of life in Northern Cyprus by strolling across at Ledra Street.

Most sights and amenities are within the sturdy walls of the Old City. Restaurants and shops also extend northwest along Dereboyu Street, also known as Mehmet Akif Cd.

By plane
Travellers to the south fly into Larnaca or Paphos. The former Nicosia Airport 8 km west of the city saw heavy fighting in 1974 and now lies marooned in the UN buffer zone. It's mostly derelict but is a base for the UN Peacekeeping Force, and you can take an online tour.

On foot
Ledra Street (Λήδρας) pedestrian border crossing is the easy way for visitors from the south to stroll into Northern Cyprus. It's open 24 hours and is friendly and efficient. Your only difficulty may be in finding it in the narrow bazaar alleys: here are are the cheap jeans, here are the cheap vapes, oh here it is. Don't confuse it with Ledra Palace aka Paphos Gate crossing west edge of Old Town, also for pedestrians only plus a few authorised vehicles.

By road
Highways and buses from all corners of TRNC converge on Nicosia. Buses from Kyrenia run every 15 min and take 30 min.

is the inter-city bus terminal, at the corner of Gazeteci Kemal Aşık Cd and Atatürk Cd two km north of Old Town. It's grubby but functional; on Sundays there's a farmers market here, be grateful they don't herd goats.

Dolmuşes bring you closer in, to Kyrenia Gate, so you might prefer to take one of these to the city if you don't mind sitting on the handbrake next to a vast woman with market wares.

The vehicle crossing from Nicosia South is Paphos Gate, aka Ledra Palace, next to the city walls to the west. It's open 24 hours.

Get around
The Old City of northern Nicosia is easy to explore on foot.

Kuzey Kibris Taxi are on +90 539 103 3131.

See

 * Bedesten on the south flank of the mosque was the basilica of St Nicholas, dating back to the 6th century but rebuilt in the 12th / 13th. The Ottomans converted it into a covered market and it's now a cultural centre.
 * Eaved House (Saçaklı Ev) is on Kütüphane Sk just east of Selimiye Mosque. It's a fine old mansion, nominally a museum, but you're unlikely to find it open.
 * Kumarcılar Han is a smaller caravanserai just north of Büyük Han. It was built late 17th century and was a ruin by the 21st, but is now restored as a craft market.
 * Haydarpaşa Mosque is on Kirlizade Sk, 50 m south of the Lusignan House. It was built in Gothic style in the late 14th century as St Catherine's Church and converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. It's only intermittently in use as a mosque and has also been an art gallery.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * Haydarpaşa Mosque is on Kirlizade Sk, 50 m south of the Lusignan House. It was built in Gothic style in the late 14th century as St Catherine's Church and converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. It's only intermittently in use as a mosque and has also been an art gallery.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * or Atatürk Square is the heart of the walled city. Most of its historic buildings have been lost, to be replaced with humdrum modern low-rise. So it's not scenic, but the Venetian Column was erected in 1550 (probably pilfered from the ancient Temple of Zeus at Salamis), and there's an Ottoman-era fountain, no longer connected.
 * Holy Cross Catholic Church is just south of the Armenian Church on Ali H Mulla Sk, but from here you only get to admire its walls. The entrance and interior are in Nicosia South, where they call it Καθολικός Ναός του Τιμίου Σταυρού.
 * Samanbahçe is a photogenic neighborhood just south of Mevlevi Lodge.
 * Walled City Museum (Surlariçi Şehir Müzesi) on Girne Cd by Kyrenia Gate is a ramshackle collection of Islamic art and this 'n that.
 * City walls were built in the 14th century, but rebuilt by the Venetians from 1567. There are 11 bastions, each named for a Venetian family that put up the money: Roccas, Mula, Quirini, Barbaro and Loredon are in the north, five others are in the south city and one is in the buffer zone. Pedieos River was diverted to fill the moat. The walls were still incomplete when the Ottomans captured the city in 1570. They defined city limits until 1880 and are well preserved right around their 5 km circumference, though border sections are off-limits.
 * (Girne Kapısı) was built by the Venetians in 1567 as a portal through their new walls, and restored by the Ottomans in 1821. It's tiny and must have been an infuriating bottleneck for travellers to and from the port at Kyrenia; in modern times the adjoining city walls were taken down so it now perches on a traffic island. Dolmuşes from other towns drop off here and the gatehouse was formerly a Tourist Information Centre. The nearby National Struggle Museum (Milli Mücadele Müzesi) has been closed for years.
 * on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk is Greek Orthodox. It's mostly used as a cultural centre.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.
 * on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk is Greek Orthodox. It's mostly used as a cultural centre.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.
 * (Cumhuriyet Parkı) is 300 m south of Concorde Tower. Its main feature is the mausoleum of Rauf Denktaş (1924-2012), founder President of TRNC. He was politicised by EOKA terrorism in the late 1950s, which sought to merge Cyprus with Greece to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots. A Grecian coup in 1974 led to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, the partitioning of the island, and his presidency of a statelet recognised only by Turkey.

Do

 * Theatre: Nicosia Municipal Theatre (Lefkoşa Belediye Tiyatrosu) is 2 km north of Old Town on Şehit Osman M Benli Sk. It's a bit cramped so big events are staged further out on Near East University campus.
 * Büyük Hamam Turkish baths on Irfan Bey Sk are 500 years old, but closed for renovation in 2024.
 * Football: 16 teams play soccer in K-Pet Super League, the top tier in Northern Cyprus, and many are based in Nicosia, so you should find a game any weekend Sept-April. There isn't a national team as TRNC isn't recognised by FIFA.
 * Casinos are often sleazy cover for gabareler ("cabaret"), code-word for brothels.
 * Gönyeli Festival is a music event in September by Concorde Tower.

Buy

 * Supermarkets: lots of little stores in Old Town, mostly open daily 07:30-21:30.
 * Town Market (Bandabulia) is on Kuyumcular Sk, 100 m south of Selimiye Mosque and open M-Sa 08:30-17:30.

Eat

 * Traditional specialties include Molohiya, the local name for Mulukhiyah, a gloochy broth of jute leaves in tomato and garlic, often with lamb or chicken, and Yalancı dolma, vine leaves stuffed with rice, onions and tomatoes. Yalancı means "fake" as there's no meat. Plus the usual East Med dishes such as shish kebab (skewered lamb), döner kebab (carved from a vertical rotisserie), köfte (meatballs) and musakka (a bake of layered mince, potato and aubergine). Leave room for dessert.

Budget

 * Kiosks: kebab and sandwich shops are everywhere.

Drink

 * Most cafes serve alcohol.
 * Brewery: Double O Brewing makes a range of craft ales at Müftü Raci Efendi Sk 18, near Arab Ahmet Mosque. The taproom is open Su-F 06:00-00:30, Sa 16:00-01:00.

Sleep

 * Nicosia has limited accommodation for a capital city, as it's within a short travel time from the resort hotel strip on the Kyrenia coast. Pansiyons are clustered in Old Town. Several places calling themselves "hotels" are just tacky casinos and brothels.

Connect
As of March 2024, Nicosia and its approach roads have 4G from KKTC Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. 5G has not rolled out in Northern Cyprus.

Coverage by Cyprus Republic carriers extends for a km or two into Old Town, with 5G from Cyta Vodafone and Epic, and 4G from PrimeTel.

Go next

 * Everywhere in TRNC is within an hour or so's drive of Nicosia.

 * The historic port of Kyrenia is 20 minutes by car, with frequent buses. St Hilarion Castle is an interesting detour along the way.
 * Famagusta has a walled old city like Nicosia, but is rather run down.
 * The west edge of TRNC around Morphou and Dillirga is a 90 minute drive or dolmuş.
 * Nicosia South is an easy day trip providing you have eligibility to enter the EU without a visa - other passport holders may not enter from TRNC.

title: Nicosia (North)


text:
Nicosia district

Nicosia district is a region that spans both Cyprus and Northern Cyprus.

 * Nicosia district (North) - the northern Turkish-Cypriot side of the district in Northern Cyprus is covered in the Nicosia (North) and Güzelyurt (Northern Cyprus) articles
 * Nicosia district (South) - the southern Greek-Cypriot side of the district, in Cyprus

title: Nicosia district


text:
Güzelyurt (Northern Cyprus)

 * For the village in Cappadocia, see Güzelyurt.

This page describes the northwest of Northern Cyprus, mostly administered as Güzelyurt District, plus Lefke District at its west tip. Few tourists come this way but it's easily reached from the resort of Kyrenia or the capital Nicosia, and gives you a glimpse of traditional Turkish Cypriot villages. In 2011 the area had a population of 30,590.

Towns

 * , formerly known as Morphou, is the only town of any size.
 * , formerly Angolemi, is a traditional village.
 * is the main village in the west.
 * , formerly Karavostasi, is a port in the west.
 * is an exclave, separated from the rest of TRNC. It's nowadays a military area so you can't enter, and a thorn in the flesh of the Republic of Cyprus, who call it Kokkina.

Understand
This string of villages has long had a predominantly Turkish Muslim population, but they were an ethnic minority within the Republic of Cyprus. The area was governed as Nicosia District, a long straggling entity but it corresponded to a valley and transport route between mountain ranges. Ethnic tensions in the 1960s led to violence across Cyprus and in 1974 Turkey invaded and began to occupy the north of the island. A first ceasefire broke down and Turkey advanced to control the northwest around Morphou. A second ceasefire held along a negotiated line, and to this day there is a UN buffer zone, a broad "no man's land" dividing an already straggling Nicosia District into two ribbons. Population exchanges then entrenched the ethic split: the village of Morphou lost its Greek Orthodox residents and became Güzelyurt, while Astromeritis a few km south ejected its Turkish Muslims.

Fifty years later, this "frozen conflict" has blighted the entire island but especially rural areas like this. A political thaw in the 1990s enabled Kyrenia and Nicosia to develop as tourist resorts, but this didn't touch the far northwest. Publicly-sourced maps such as the one on this page persist in showing pre-1974 town names and district boundaries, lest their sponsors be accused of "colluding with illegal occupation". The area is peaceful and safe to visit - lots of countries must wish their borders were as peaceful as this one. But as with the geological fault lines that created these mountains and valleys, the traveller is bound to wonder if some shift in political tectonics will shake it yet again.

Get in
Most visitors drive from the beach strip at Kyrenia. The closest border crossing is Zodia / Astromeritis south of Güzelyurt, see Northern Cyprus for the rules - it's simple for individuals, but the car involves some paperwork. The other crossings are south of Lefke and west of Yeşilırmak.

Buses from Nicosia run every 30 min and take 45 min to Güzelyurt. Most continue to Lefke, another 30 min. Several per day run from Kyrenia to Güzelyurt, taking an hour.

Get around
You need your own wheels to see much of this area.

Dolmuşes potter hourly between Güzelyurt, Lefke, LAU Lefke University, Gemikonağı and Yedidalga.

See

 * is a Roman city west of Gemikonağı. The main feature is its theatre, restored and still occasionally used for performances, at other times you might have it to yourself.
 * , on a hilltop further west near Bademliköy, is a Persian palace dated to the 5th century BC. The ruins are scrappy but the views are spectacular.
 * , on a hilltop further west near Bademliköy, is a Persian palace dated to the 5th century BC. The ruins are scrappy but the views are spectacular.

Do

 * Beaches are mostly stony and undeveloped. For water sports head to the Kyrenia resort strip.
 * Golf: CMC Golf Club is on the coast, by the hospital at Yeşilyurt. It's nine holes with astroturf.

Buy
All the villages have small supermarkets, open daily till 21:00 or later.

Eat
Cafes in the main towns serve Trad Turkish cuisine.

Drink
Cafes may serve alcohol. There are no free-standing pubs.

Sleep

 * Aphrodite is a beach resort at Gaziveren 10 km west of Güzelyurt. It's not open for bookings in March 2024.
 * Aphrodite is a beach resort at Gaziveren 10 km west of Güzelyurt. It's not open for bookings in March 2024.

Connect
As of March 2024, Güzelyurt, Lefke and their highways have 4G from KKTC Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. 5G has not rolled out in Northern Cyprus.

You don't pick up Greek Cypriot networks here, as the UN buffer zone is a few km wide.

Go next

 * Kyrenia the beach resort and Nicosia (North) the capital are an hour's drive east.
 * The border crossing south of Güzelyurt brings you to Astromeritis on the road between Nicosia (South) and the Trodos Mountains.
 * The border crossing to the west brings you to Kato Pyrgos. The road along the coast eventually reaches Paphos.

title: Güzelyurt (Northern Cyprus)


text:
Nicosia district (South)

Nicosia district is a region that spans both Cyprus and Northern Cyprus. This article covers only the southern Greek-Cypriot side of the district; the Turkish-Cypriot side of the district is covered in the Nicosia (North) and Güzelyurt (Northern Cyprus) articles.

Cities

 * (Greek: Λευκωσία or Lefkosia; Turkish: Lefkoşa) – the world's last divided capital

Other destinations

 * (Greek: Φυκάρδου) - a deserted old village
 * (Greek: Τρόοδος, Turkish: Trodos Dağları) - with their beautiful medieval churches which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its centre is the village of (Greek: Κακοπετριά).
 * (Greek: Ιερά Μονή Κύκκου or Κύκκος, Turkish: Cikko Manastırı)

title: Nicosia district (South)


text:
Nicoya City

Nicoya is the main town of the Nicoya peninsula, in Guanacaste.

Understand
Nicoya serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. In 2013, the city's population was about 25,000.

The town was built in an old colonial style, in the Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste. Agriculture and cattle form the backbone of the city's economy, and that of the province which surrounds it.

The center of Nicoya is organized in the traditional Spanish-American pattern, with a central plaza surrounded by streets in a grid pattern aligned north-south and east-west. Unusually, the church is in the northeastern corner of the central plaza, not facing the plaza from a surrounding street, as was the Iberian norm. The church is locally called the templo colonial; local oral history maintains that the church dates from some time between 1522 and 1544, when the parish of Nicoya was founded.

Get in
Costa Rica's Route 21 is the main road serving Nicoya, connecting the city with Liberia 76 km to the north. From the south, Route 21 also connects Nicoya to the rest of Nicoya Peninsula, including Pueblo Viejo (exit to Route 18, and then connecting to Route 1), on the main way to San José 204 km via Route 1.

Nicoya has an airport, but there are no scheduled services.

title: Nicoya City


text:
Nicoya Peninsula

Nicoya Peninsula (Spanish: Península de Nicoya) is a region in Costa Rica. It has spectacular coastlines and jungle landscapes, yet is sparsely populated and often ignored by foreign tourists, making it an ideal destination for travelers who value seclusion and natural experiences.

Cities

 * — Montezuma is on the Nicoyan Peninsula's southeastern end, at the end of an unpaved road that winds down forested hillsides. The shoreline is largely sandy beach, as fine as any on the peninsula, interspersed with rocky outcroppings. Many come to see the popular Montezuma waterfalls, about a 20-minute walk from downtown. A commercial area, little more than a hundred meters of shops, hotels and restaurants, has sprung up to cater to visitors. As Montezuma can be reached from San José in a matter of 4-5 hours, weekends often see crowded conditions. Montezuma has a reputation as somewhat of a "hippie" venue, with all that implies.
 * — A long stretch of beach near the southeast end of the Nicoyan Peninsula that is quite popular with surfers. A string of low-budget hotels and restaurants can be found along the beach road going north to Santa Teresa, which has grown a lot, now more food and lodging options than Montezuma.
 * — An isolated village that offers excellent sport fishing.
 * — One of the few beach towns that has paved roads all the way to San Jose. It's a bit nicer and more expensive than many other beach towns, but smaller and less touristy than Tamarindo.
 * — Santa Teresa is not much different from Malpaís. It offers great surfing and affordable hostels and hotels.  Santa Teresa also has the best sunsets in the Nicoya Peninsula.

Get in
There is a ferry running from Punteranes to the Nicoya Peninsula daily. From the ferry station you can take a bus easily to Mal Pais, Montezuma, Cobono, or Santa Teresa.

Get around

 * The best way to get around is ATV. From Santa Teresa, Montezuma, or Malpaís the next town is only a trail away. The average price is US$60 but you can generally talk them to $40.

Stay safe
A break-in is almost guaranteed at Rio Tarcoles while you watch the crocodiles.
 * Be alert - you might always being watched.
 * Never, really never, leave valuables unattended in your vehicle.
 * Keep your hotel room's doors and windows locked and store valuables in a safe box.
 * In a restaurant or bar keep contact with your bag.
 * Also take care that nobody has the opportunity to put something into your drink.
 * In crowds, buses, or on lively streets wear your backpack on the chest, not on the back.
 * Always be suspect if anyone pushes against you.
 * On buses most thefts happen inside the bus. Never put your bags in the overhead bins.
 * Women in particular should not walk alone on the street or beach at night.
 * With a rental car be alert if you have a flat tire and people show up to help you. They might have put a nail under your tire and will rob you while "fixing" the car.

Go next
If you're going back to San Jose take the Direct Bus back, other buses to the Ferry Station at Paquera are available.

Some charter boats can get you to Jaco or Manuel Antonio starting at 50$ a person.

title: Nicoya Peninsula


text:
Nida

Nida is a resort town in Lithuania Minor on the Curonian Spit, a remarkable 99 km peninsula of sandhills. Nida and its associated villages comprise Neringa County and in 2020 had a population of 3,530.

Understand
The present town is 5 km south of the original settlement, engulfed by sand dunes in the 1730s. Replanting of woodland from the 19th century halted the dunes' advance.

This area has traditionally been German-speaking, part of Prussia from 1701. Its fishing village and haunting landscape of sand dunes drew artists in the 19th century, and in the 1930s it was the summer home of novelist Thomas Mann. That population was deported after the Second World War, and the Lithuanian communists turned it into a private holiday resort for party officials, a sort of Sandals Soviet Socialist Republic, so Nida was little developed and its old buildings preserved.

Get in
Coming from Klaipėda is the usual route; the city has trains and buses from elsewhere in Lithuania plus Riga.

How to use the ferry to get to Smiltynė on the Curonian Spit side, see Klaipėda.

By bus
There are regular bus connections between Smiltynė and Nida. In Smiltynė, the bus generally waits for the ferry passengers before it starts southwards. It carries bicycles and takes an hour for the full distance. It stops on request at intermediate villages such as Pervalka and Preila, but otherwise scoots by on the highway.

Costs are: €6 Smiltynė–Nida, €3 Smiltynė–Juodkrantė, €4 Juodkrantė–Nida

Times are (verify):
 * Smiltynė to Nida: 07:10 (weekdays only), 09:10, 10:10, 11:10, 12:10, 13:10, 14:10, 16:10, 17:10, 18:10, 19:10, 21:10, 22:10
 * Nida to Smiltynė: 06:00 (weekdays only), 08:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00

By car
With your own vehicle, head to Klaipėda New ferry terminal (Naujoji perkėla) for the 10 minute crossing to Smiltynė, then follow Highway 167 down the Curonian Spit via Juodkrantė to Nida.

From Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia)
You can drive to Nida with the correct documentation for yourself and vehicle. Drive northeast up the spit from Zelenogradsk via Lesnoy, Rybachii and Morskoe.

The is open 24 hours. There is no public transport here; bicycles may cross but not pedestrians. See Lithuania for the entry rules coming northeast: Lithuania is part of the EU Schengen Zone, but in 2023 bars entry to Russian citizens. See Russia for the rules going southwest: there is a special e-visa for Kaliningrad Oblast, free and quick to obtain, for citizens of 51 countries including most of Europe. Those ineligible for the e-visa, such as US or British passport holders, must go through the usual bureaucracy of obtaining a standard Russian visa. Either way, you must sort out your documentation before reaching the border, there is no "visa on arrival".

And don't lark about on the beach or in the water beyond the border fences, the guards will assume you are making a recce for an illegal crossing or smuggling run, and invite you in for a less-than-friendly chat. Most border transgressions are by small craft gone astray, or by ice-fishermen convinced the catch will be better just a few metres the other side.

On foot
In and around Nida, most things should be in walking distance.

By bus
For destinations a little further away there are almost hourly bus connections north between Nida and Smiltynė—see above.

By taxi
Taxis companies in Nida are:

By bicycle

You might also be able to rent a bicycle from a local accommodation in Nida, or even Klaipėda.

See

 * Miliūnas and Oškinis MO-1 crashed.jpg

Museums

 * Kurische Nehrung Nida 2.JPG
 * Museum of Zoology – A high-falutin' name for a few paddocks with sheep and goats, 2 km north of town by the airfield. Basically a farm selling its produces.
 * Museum of Zoology – A high-falutin' name for a few paddocks with sheep and goats, 2 km north of town by the airfield. Basically a farm selling its produces.
 * Museum of Zoology – A high-falutin' name for a few paddocks with sheep and goats, 2 km north of town by the airfield. Basically a farm selling its produces.
 * Museum of Zoology – A high-falutin' name for a few paddocks with sheep and goats, 2 km north of town by the airfield. Basically a farm selling its produces.

Do

 * Water sports: sailing, kayaking and paddle-boarding are on the sheltered lagoon. Boat hire is available from Jachtos Nuoma and others in Nida marina. The breezy beach on the Baltic coast is for flying kites, romping with the dog over the dunes, and building sandcastles.

Eat
Nida has a dozen places clustered round the ferry pier. Fish is the usual offering: try smoke-dried eel or bream. For example:

Drink
Bars in Nida are Purvynė by the ferry pier, Vyninė Nida at GD Kuwert g 10, and Griuvėsiai and Saulės on the west beach.

Sleep

Preila and Pervalka villages further north have self-catering accommodation.

Connect
As of June 2023, Nida and Highway 167 have a patchy mobile signal from Tele2 and Telia, but nothing from Bite. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Klaipėda for the north of the Curonian Spit, from Juodkrantė up to its tip at Smiltynė. For most visitors the only practical onward route.
 * South into Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast is possible with the correct documentation.

title: Nida


text:
Niedzica

Niedzica is a small town in Małopolskie Province, in the Pieniny mountains of southern Poland.

See

 * Renaissance castle, and ruins of the Gothic castle on the other side of Lake Czorsztyn.
 * Hydroelectric water plant (there are guided tours)
 * Organs sculpture by Władysław Hasior (Polish 20th century artist) located on the Snozka pass.

Do

 * Hiking, mountain biking.
 * Water sports on Czorsztyn Lake.

Sleep
Polana Sosny campsite, os. Polana Sosny 1.

Pod Taborem Guest House, os. Pod Taborem 2.

Pieniny Hotel**, ul. Kanada 38.

Go next
Slovakia is just around the corner.

title: Niedzica


text:
Nienburg

Nienburg is a town of 31,000 inhabitants (2020) in Lower Saxony. Nienburg is a charming town on the scenic river Weser, with some good places to stay and a rich variety of traditional German food.

Understand
Nienburg is a large town lying between Hannover to the south and Bremen to the north in the state of Niedersachsen. It lies alongside the river Weser, an important geographical feature that has influenced its cultural and historical development over the centuries, as it was one of the most important river crossing points between Porta Westfalica and Bremen.

Nienburg, with its numerous shops, both old and new, and its supermarkets, is a popular shopping centre. The town’s image is being shaped by the happy coexistence of old and new. Richness and variety characterise both cultural life and sport. The river and adjoining waters are available for water-sports (in particular rowing) and angling.

Nienburgers enjoy eating well and they like a good strong drink when they play Skat or Doppelkopf (local card games), or get down to a quiet game of skittles, after a hard day's work! Until a few years ago 'Baerentatzen' (bears paws) biscuits were a delicacy in the town. The émigrée family Facompré had brought the secret recipe with them when they came here in 1791 (and this is represented on the towns coat of arms today). Numbered among the favourite dishes here are, Nienburg asparagus with ham from pigs reared in Hoya; green-kale with Braegenwurst (literally 'brain sausage' though the percentage is relatively low), and Sauerkraut with Kasseler (smoked pork). All of these reflect the basic features of prevailing tastes in Lower Saxony.

History
Its name was first being mentioned in 1025 AD as being a part of the Bishopepric of Minden. The meaning of the name Nienburg can be literally translated as 'Neue Burg' or 'New Fortification' which may have been a reference to neighbouring strongholds (for instance Wölpe or Drakenburg). In 1215 Nienburg belonged to the Graf von Hoya and received its town rights in 1225. After the Grafschaft (County or land belonging to a count) was divided in 1345, Minden gained 'Residenz' status until the new line, Graf Otto VIII died without issue and the land passed to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg who made Nienburg into a Fortification.

In the 30 Years War, Nienburg was taken on a number of occasions. In 1623 the Duke Georg of Calenberg collected troops within the town. In 1625 Nienburg was partially occupied by the forces of Graf von Tilly, one of the Kaiser's most successful and ruthless generals. During one night, a group of the townsfolk sneaked into Tilly's camp and stole a tent and a Flag. This group called itself 'Dat Wählige Rott' and this escapade is a tradition reenacted today as part of the annual shooting competition. In the following years Nienburg suffered under occupation, destruction, takeovers, military occupation and quartering, and finally disease in the form of the Pest. In 1627 Nienburg was taken over once more by troops of the Kaiser. After the Peace of Prague in 1635 which finally brought the civil war aspect of the 30 Years War to an end, Minden was occupied by Swedish troops, and despite the Westphalian Peace treaty its wasn't until 1650 that Minden was able to restore its fortifications.

In 1757, during the Seven Years War, Nienburg was occupied by French troops, until forced out a year later by Herzog Ferdinand. During the Napoleonic Wars, Nienburg was once again taken by the French, becoming an Arrondissement in the 'Department Wesermündung', a part of the French Empire. The occupation continued until Napoleon's bitter retreat from Russia in 1813.

During the industrial revolution in 1847, Nienburg was connected to the Royal Hanover State Railway system, improving communications to the south and north.

Nienburg was brought into line as part of the Third Reich in 1933 after its majority Spcial Democratic Party council was banned by the Nazi Party. On 9 April 1945 British Troops marched into Nienburg, and the town became the base for the British 30th Corps, a three star command that encompassed the state of Hanover as it was known at the time. A large number of refugees came to Nienburg in those early post war months mostly from Silesia, and were housed in camps at Langendamm. The British Army continued to have a presence in Nienburg during the years of the cold war, and the major unit stationed there over more than 40 years was a Divisional Engineer Regiment (21 Engineer Regiment from 1973)up to 1996. The Royal Engineers were awarded the Freedom of Nienburg on 7 June 1980 in recognition of the close ties between the townsfolk and the soldiers and families from this British Regiment.

As part of the area reforms of 1974 Nienburg took on the neighbouring areas of Erichshagen-Wölpe, Holtorf, Langendamm and Schäferhof/Kattriede.

Nienburg whose inhabitants had lived by growing agricultural produce, including chicory as a coffee substitute and by making soap, vinegar, dextrin and mustard, became an industrial town. Its products which included bottles, chemicals, vehicle parts and adhesives, are highly rated and its pearl-catalysts, the remarkable pearls with the hardness and colour of amber enjoy a world-wide reputation, for they are exported to oil refineries all over the world.

By car

 * A7 Take exit 50-Schwarmstedt for B214 toward Nienburg/Celle/Wietze. Turn right onto Schwarmstedter Str./B214 (signs for Nienburg/Schwarmstedt). Turn left onto B215 (signs for Minden/Hannover/Bremen/Diepholz/Stadtmitte). Merge onto B215. Continue onto Nordertorstriftweg/K3. Turn left onto Buermende/K3. Take the 2nd right onto Hannoversche Str. Turn right to stay on Hannoversche Str.

Get around

 * Bus There is bus service around the centre of town if you wish. http://vln-nienburg.de/index.php/Aktuell-Presse-_2_2
 * Train There is a local train station that you can use to get to nearby areas, as well as some of the major cities.
 * Walk Everything within the town is reachable via foot.
 * Taxi If you are tired of walking there are a number of taxi services for you to use. http://www.stadtbranchenbuch.com/nienburg-weser/T/422.html

See

Go next

 * Bremen
 * Hamburg
 * Hannover
 * Verden an der Aller

title: Nienburg


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Nieu-Bethesda

Nieu-Bethesda is a small Karoo village in the Eastern Cape, most well-known for the Owl House, and its artistic community.

Get in
From the north, take the N9. Turn west on the marked gravel road, 60 km south of Middelburg, and keep going for 27 km.

From the south, take the N9. Turn west on the marked tar road, 28 km north of Graaff-Reinet, and keep going for 25 km.

From the east, take the N10 from Cradock. After 4.5 km, take the R61 towards Graaff-Reinet for 86 km to the N9. At the T-junction, turn right towards Middelburg for 600 m, and then left, towards Nieu-Bethesda, for 27 km.

Do

There are several hiking areas around town, and good biking opportunities.

Buy

Eat
Because the village is so small, most eateries require you to book in advance for anything beyond light meals. Most food includes the local karoo lamb, so vegetarian food needs to be specifically requested. Try some sheep's yoghurt or sheep's cheese, a surprisingly mild taste, and probably more palatable for most than goat's dairy.

Sleep
There is ample accommodation in the town, with numerous guest houses available.

title: Nieu-Bethesda