Hotels near Musée Matisse

The Musée Matisse holds the largest single collection of works by Henri Matisse anywhere in France, set inside a 17th-century red-ochre Genoese villa in the leafy hilltop neighbourhood of Cimiez. Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954 and is buried in the cemetery a few steps away at Cimiez Monastery.

The permanent collection spans Matisse's entire career - early oils, the explosion of colour through the Fauve years, the cutouts of his final decade, and the studies for the Chapelle du Rosaire in nearby Vence. Allow 90 minutes and combine the visit with the adjacent Roman amphitheatre and the Franciscan monastery garden.

Pro Tip: Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, but expect a 30-minute queue at peak times. Bus 5 from Place Masséna drops you at the Arènes stop right outside, faster than driving up the hill.