The parks of Nice: hills, olive groves and city gardens
Life in Nice is not all about the pebbles. The city hides wooded hills, century-old olive groves and gardens looking out over the Baie des Anges. Here is where to picnic, let the children run about or walk in the shade of the pines.
Parc de la colline du Château
Where the people of Nice go for the view, between Vieux-Nice and the port. From 92 metres up, the view sweeps across the Baie des Anges, the city’s rooftops and the Alpine foothills. Up top you will find a waterfall, lawns, a big playground and the remains of the long-gone castle. Climb the steps or take the lift from the seafront.
Montée Monfort, 06300 Nice
Promenade du Paillon
The green corridor running through the centre, at the foot of Vieux-Nice. Its reflecting pool and 128 jets draw children like a magnet on hot days, and the playgrounds shaped like a whale, a turtle or dolphins do the rest. Bring a towel, and a change of clothes for the little ones.
Avenue Félix Faure, 06000 Nice
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Jardin des Arènes de Cimiez
A grove of thousands of olive trees more than a hundred years old, on the hill of Cimiez, with lawns where you can stretch out without asking anyone’s permission. Families picnic here on Sundays. The Musée Matisse and the Roman archaeological site are in the same garden, enough to fill a day.
184 avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, 06100 Nice
Jardin du monastère de Cimiez
A short walk from the arena, an Italian-style garden laid out on the grounds of the Franciscan monastery: a rose garden, flower beds, fruit trees and a wide view over the sea and the city. Newlyweds come for the photos, everyone else for the peace. The cemetery next door holds the graves of Matisse and Dufy.
1 avenue Bellanda, 06100 Nice
Parc du mont Boron
East of the port, 57 hectares of Mediterranean forest criss-crossed by 11 kilometres of waymarked paths. Pines, garrigue and viewpoints over the bay of Villefranche on one side and the Baie des Anges on the other. A proper nature walk a few minutes from the centre, so bring good shoes.
4 boulevard Maurice Maeterlinck, 06300 Nice
Jardin botanique de Nice
High up in the west of Nice, 3.5 hectares and more than 3,000 species spread across some forty habitats, mostly Mediterranean, with a view over the mouth of the Var and the Baie des Anges thrown in. A garden for the botanically curious and for families in search of calm, with a play corner for the little ones.
78 corniche Fleurie, 06200 Nice
Parc Phoenix
A 7-hectare botanical and animal park near the airport, with a huge tropical glasshouse, birds, reptiles, an insectarium and a small farm. Unlike the other gardens on this list, you pay to get in, but children get their money’s worth. The entrance is on the tram side.
405 promenade des Anglais, 06200 Nice
Updated 10 November 2026.