The Magical Maze of Old Nice
We were happily lost in Old Nice for the day, stumbling upon one enchanting corner after another. Image by Emily Kundert.
An Ode to Old Nice, by Kiersten Rexcoat
Ten feet wide, narrow and steep
The roads of Old Nice are unlike any I’ve seen.
Couples hand in hand, with shimmer in their eyes
Lost in love for one another; No attention of passerby.
Locals gathering to shop, examining carefully
Each fabric, ring, and spice with its own unique qualities.
Aromas of all culture fill the maze with color.
Tables covered with people enjoying one another.
Ten feet wide, narrow and steep
The roads of Old Nice are unlike any I’ve seen.
Wandering through Old Nice, down the slender shadowy roads is like being trapped in a maze that you never want to find your way out of… – Melissa Lee
A guide to Old Nice by Emily Kundert
Old Nice is a place filled with wonder and history. As you step onto the Cours Saleya and its surrounding streets you feel as if you have been transported back in time two centuries. Residential areas flow into commercial areas without boundaries, the two often mixing together like milk and cookies. The narrow, shadowy streets are lined with tall buildings that rarely let in the sunlight creating a cool atmosphere full of mystery. Everywhere you turn there are staircases winding through the red, orange, and yellow buildings that lead to the indefinite – an infinite maze of homes, shops, and restaurants as well as doors leading to mysterious places only the mind can imagine. As you wander deep into the heart of Old Nice it will become common to see locals visiting in the street, shopkeepers greeting customers, and damp laundry hanging on the fastened lines outside high windows. The laundry is something you will notice first with your nose, the clean, delicious smell of home wafting endlessly throughout the walls of the labyrinth. Every so often the streets will lead you into a large piazza showcasing one of Old Nice’s many intricate churches, most of which are open for both tourists and locals during the daytime. I would highly recommend visiting one if not more of these beautifully designed sanctuaries, just remember to be respectful of the place and those who may be there to worship – wear church appropriate clothing and keep your voice to a minimum. Old Nice truly is a must see while traveling the French Riviera. Though there are many tourists that visit the area and English may be heard often in the air, it gives you a true sense of how the French had lived quiet, simple lives before the Industrial Revolution. The area is overflowing with a history just waiting to be discovered.