Nice - Museums

How near the end of September? I believe the Matisse museum is hosting a special exhibition until September 23rd that includes paintings from other museums. If you plan to be there after it closes, however, think about spending your time elsewhere. Mostly sketches and I was underwhelmed. However, the Matisse chapel in Vence knocked me out. There's something indescribable about it, so simple but striking and peaceful. Venice is 13 miles outside Nice, though, so unless you hire a driver it may not work for this trip.

I, too, was underwhelmed with the Matisse museum in Nice and was in and out in an hour, which is unusual for me. On the other hand, I spent a couple of hours at the Chagall.

We have visited both museums in Nice. We enjoyed the Matisse museum. We spent quite a bit of time looking at the artwok and especially the paper cutwork. We also liked the park and the Roman ruins near the museum. The Chagall museum was also very interesting. We enjoyed both museums but since we were in Nice on two separate trips, we weren't limited on time. When we went to Nice in April, we visited the Baroness Rothschild's house and gardens along the coast between Nice and Monaco. We were also able to see the Russian Orthodox church in Nice. It had been closed on our previous visits. I spent about 45 minutes at the church. Even though my husband was wearing longer shorts, he was not able to tour the inside of the church. He had to check out the exterior of the church and wait for me. We used buses to visit the different sites but since you are limited in time, I would suggest a taxi. We have used the little tourist train and the hop on-hop off bus tour. If the cruise ship docks near the port, I would also suggest Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau). The Roman ruins are interesting. There is an elevator at the base of the hill. The waterfall is very cooling and the views of Vieux Nice are fantastic. You will be close to Vieux Nice and the Promenade des Anglais. The market in Vieux Nice is great, regardless of whether it is the antique day or the regular food/flower market. Just walking the Cours Saleya is fun. We also used RS's walking tour of Vieux Nice to see the special sites. With only four hours, you will just have to see make plans to return to see the the things you missed. But don't miss a salade Nicoise!