Hotels near Promenade du Paillon

The Promenade du Paillon is a 12-hectare linear park that cuts a green corridor through central Nice, from the Théâtre National down to the sea at the Espace Masséna. Opened in 2013 on the covered bed of the Paillon river, it replaced a multi-storey car park and bus terminal with 1,600 trees, jet fountains, a children's water mirror, and a giant chessboard.

The park is the city's everyday meeting place - locals jog at dawn, families gather around the splash pad on summer afternoons, and skateboarders use the smooth paths in the evening. Walk its length in 20 minutes between Place Masséna and the MAMAC museum to connect almost every central attraction on this list.

Pro Tip: Time your visit to catch the children's miroir d'eau (jet fountains) in operation - they run April to October, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and turn the central plaza into a free water park on hot days.