My wife and I are leaving Thursday to spend our first anniversary in Nice. While I have had the opportunity to travel around much of Europe, my wife has not, so I would like to give her a flavor of France that you can't get in the touristy areas (i.e. interacting with the locals). Are there areas around Nice that would offer this? Obviously Nice is a very touristy area, which is fine with us, but I would like to go off the beaten path at least for a day trip.
The hill towns behind Nice are very nice and somewhat off the path.
There are some very touristy places in and around Nice. But if you're looking for a quieter place that is off the beaten path, and if you like small villages, then I would recommend seeing Tourette Levens. Another village which is remarkable for its setting is Gourdon. It's more touristy but it definitely is worth seeing and it's actually classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. At this time of the year, the place would not be crowded as yet anyway. The restaurant on place Victoria where you have a breathtaking view over the whole Riviera would be a lovely spot for celebrating an anniversary!
Villefranche! Wonderful little romantic town near Nice - check it out!