One of the most visited resorts on the French Riviera is located 960 kilometers from Paris and 30 kilometers from the Italian border, in the Bay of Angels. To the south, Nice is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, while to the north the hills on which the city lies are sheltered from the winds by a ring of Alpine mountains.
The city is the administrative center of the Alpes-Maritimes department. The population of Nice is about 345,000 people.
Archaeological excavations show that people lived on the Côte d'Azur 400 thousand years ago. Nice was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 5th century BC. The Romans and Genoese followed them. The city later came under the protection of Provence, Savoy, and Sardinia. In 1860, Nice officially became part of the French Empire.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, tourism began to develop here, and today about 80% of the population is involved in this industry. The mild climate, beautiful landscapes, and open spaces attracted many aristocrats to Nice. Members of the royal families of the British Empire once vacationed here. Later, wealthy entrepreneurs made the resort their favorite destination. By the end of the 19th century, Nice had become one of the main centers of European tourism, which led to an unprecedented architectural boom. Today, it is a popular international resort of the middle class.
