How 3 weeks in Nice turned into an unexpected love affair

Now that I have your attention… Yes, I did fall in love in Nice. But not in the way you might think.

No rendezvous with a hot French man… not this time at least (although I did spot plenty of eye-candy) 😉 

But after my recent trip to Nice, I did leave behind a piece of my heart to this pearl of a city on the French Riviera. Which did come as quite a surprise, considering my first date with this city 13 years ago was fairly lukewarm – to the point where I was asking myself: ‘Is Nice worth visiting (again)?’

Let’s rewind.

First time around, Nice didn’t impress

When I first visited the French Riviera with a group of friends in 2012, it was a whirlwind of a trip. As always during my 9 to 5 days, the aim was to maximise the limited time abroad and see and do as much as possible. We were based in Nice, but spent most days daytripping to St Tropez, Monaco and Cannes, as well as visiting a winery in Provence (where the famous Whispering Angel rosé is made).

And somehow, the overall feeling I was left with was that while the Riviera was glorious, both Cannes, Monaco and St Tropez outshined Nice by being more glamorous and more exclusive.

And while that is true… what I learned this time around is that Nice definitely has more soul.

There’s no doubt that St Tropez, Monaco and Cannes win in terms of glitz and glamour (and I definitely love all of that to a certain extent), but looking back, it all seems quite superficial. 

The thing is – I love observing the ultra-rich. I find it deeply fascinating learning about human behaviour, and I also find it very inspiring to stretch my belief of what is possible. But when it is ONLY about money or to be SEEN, it quickly becomes too shallow in my books.

So when the opportunity presented to go back to Nice and stay there for free for 3 weeks (this blog post here explains how I travel the world for FREE and how you can too – opens in a new tab), I immediately jumped on it, but first and foremost to spend a few weeks by the sunny Med and drink copious amounts of rosé, rather than being excited about the city itself.

And I certainly did not expect to fall head over heels for a place that had been recorded in my memory as ‘just okay’.

Discovering Nice with fresh eyes

So what changed this time around?

The number one thing is this: the way I travel these days is very different compared to 13 years ago. Back then my travel style was like ‘a rushed highlight reel’, while now it’s more like ‘slow-paced discovery through tapping into the soul of the place’. 

Hence why I decided to completely brush FOMO aside this time and not try to spread myself thin across the entire Riviera again. Instead, I wanted to stay in Nice and simply soak in the atmosphere.

I didn’t even do any sightseeing. I just wanted to BE, go slowly, observe and FEEL. Like I do with life in general these days.

And in the process, Nice really turned on its charm for me.

And to add to that – I, too, have changed a lot in this time.

I have matured, grown and changed an unrecognisable amount during the course of the past 13 years. I value slightly different things now; I like to FEEL into environments, experiences and people, I like to go to the depths, I enjoy moving in slow motion and being present, and I value quality over quantity. And I’m able to do all of it because I have intentionally designed my life that way.

So perhaps looking at Nice with fresh eyes this time around is not so unexpected after all. 

A picture-perfect postcard from the Mediterranean

What’s so special about Nice then, you might ask. In particular if you haven’t yet been to the South of France.

Well… let me paint you a picture of how a typical day in Nice might unfold.

You wake up to glorious sunshine. It’s already warm outside, but you know the heat will be turned up in a few hours, so you pop outside and hit one of the many patisseries in town. Either to grab a loaf of freshly baked bread and a few croissants to take back home with you… or you sit down with a coffee and a delightful fresh pastry to give your day a fabulous and very French start.

You wander back to your place, pack your bikinis and a beach towel, and head to one of the many beaches in or around Nice. Or if you want to treat yourself – pick one of the beach clubs along Promenade des Anglais and let yourself be looked after for the entire day.

You bask in the sunshine (or the shade, depending on your preference), and take countless dips in the glorious turquoise blue waters of the Med, feeling a sense of relaxation wash over you as the gentle waves sway you back and forth towards the shoreline. The water (around 24°C in August) feels so delightful – refreshing enough to cool you down, but warm enough that you don’t want to come out.

Later, you head for lunch. You are spoilt for choice – there are soooo many restaurants in Nice, catering to any and all tastes and preferences. If wine & dine is your thing (it certainly is mine!), you’ll be doing a literal happy dance.

From day to night, in golden light

In the afternoon, when the heat tends to peak and shade is all that matters, you might wander the narrow streets between the beautiful pastel-coloured houses in the old town, explore the cute shops selling everything from spices, lavender products and hand-made nougat, to cool vintage clothes or fabulous beachwear… or marvel at the beautiful Belle Époque buildings in different parts of the town, pop into art galleries or museums, or just sit in the shade with a gelato.

Later, you make the most of the golden hour and watch the sun paint the sky in pastel hues as you walk along Promenade des Anglais with the gorgeous palm trees forming a beautiful dreamy backdrop to your strolls. Or you wander around the dazzling port that is lined with boats of all shapes and sizes, and marvel at the superyachts, one more impressive than the other, imagining what it would actually feel like to be on one. OR – you sit down for an aperitivo and sip a glorious glass of rosé from one of the many amazing nearby wineries in Provence.

And soon, it’s time for the main meal of the day. Like everywhere in the Mediterranean, it’s around dinner time that the city truly comes to life. All the hundreds of restaurants around town fill up with sun-baked holiday-makers and locals alike. 

During and after dinner is prime people-watching time, something that is one of my absolute favorite past-times. For me, it allows for the observation of homo sapiens in its natural habitat, while I contemplate the big and deep questions of life. 

All around, the atmosphere is friendly, welcoming and joyful. And you can’t help but feel that life is smiling at you… and you smile back.

Sooo… is Nice worth visiting?

I bet Nice is very touristy though, you might say.

For sure. In fact, Nice attracts around 90,000 visitors A DAY (!) during the peak season of August. And if you’ve read all the way to this point, it’s easy to understand why.

But the tourists here seem to be mostly civilised and mature – predominantly couples of all ages, and families. No rowdy and tacky Brits in sight (to be clear – I love the Brits, just not of this kind 😀 ).

The whole vibe in Nice is elegant and refined, without the pretentiousness of Cannes, St Tropez or Monaco. A lot of people dress up for dinner time, but it feels relaxed rather than showing off. There is this buzzy hum of everyone dining al fresco and enjoying the wonderful balmy evenings, the food, the wine and the company – without any of the flashiness.

Staying classy despite the crowds

And – I personally don’t mind that it is busy and packed. I’m a city girl at heart anyway – as long the vibe is tasteful and civilised. And it definitely is in Nice.

In fact, the locals here have taken the desire to keep things elegant to a whole other level. So much so that if you think you can parade from the beach to the streets by wearing your beach attire, you might be in for a (costly) shock. Apparently, since July 2025, one of the seaside towns on the West coast of France – Les Sables-d’Olonne – got so fed up with tourist walking in shops and cafes in their bikinis that they started fining people who didn’t cover up as they transitioned from the beach to the streets. And it quickly spread to other holiday hot-spots.

So one morning in a patisserie, I overheard the shop assistant politely warning the guy behind me to button his shirt because the police were standing outside. And while this rule has technically been in place in Nice since 2024, lately, the enforcement has been stepped up. I absolutely loved that – it’s like the city has standards, a quiet way of saying: ‘We do class here, not sloppy.’ And I’m sooooo here for it. That refined energy is part of what makes Nice feel so different from your average seaside spot.

The friendliness and the vibes

Another one of nice surprises for me was how friendly the French appeared to be. The reputation of the French being very arrogant seems to be based on the typical behaviour of the Parisians rather than the entire population of this nation. 

And there is also another side to this equation. Which is the openness, energy and receptivity you meet a place with from your end. I have experienced time and time again that the energy YOU bring to any place in the world, is reflected back to you through the people in that place. So if you come with a positive attitude and an open-hearted energy, that’s how you will experience the place, too. Exactly as I did in Nice.

Oh and speaking of which… I’m not sure whether this applies to France in general or Nice in particular, but while in town, I experienced this old-school charm of people still noticing each other, in real life. In a world where dating apps have replaced organic encounters, I was surprised at how much attention I got (from the opposite sex) just wandering about solo. Men actually gave me looks and flattering comments in broad daylight, in cafés, in the streets – something that almost feels forgotten in most places these days. It gave me that delicious, feminine feeling of being seen, desired, and alive. Maybe that’s part of why Nice seduced me without even trying.

The essence of my Nice love affair

The male attention aside though… what exactly did I fall in love with in Nice?

Well, all of the above – and more. 

Truly, for me, it is the overall elegance of the city. The beautiful architecture, the cute nearby towns like Villefrance-sur-Mer, where beautiful pastel and terracotta villas are scattered across the side of the cliffs, overlooking the beautiful sea… accentuated by the white boats and yachts moored near the shore.

And the elegance of residents and visitors alike, who all know how to appreciate this deep-rooted culture of wine & dine, slow living and the enjoyment of life in all the wonderful ways.

Wherever you look in and around Nice, there is so much beauty and style… All of which bring so much pleasure to both my inner aesthete, and to my inner hedonist.

It’s also the prime location at the Mediterranean sea, with miles of glorious coastline and being spoilt for beautiful beaches, plus a variety of places to uncover nearby, ranging from glitzy to rustic. It’s the mild climate with more than 2,700 hours of sunshine a year. It’s the size of the city (population of around 350,000) that keeps it interesting and happening year-round, and its significant expat community allowing connections with like-minded souls. 

The realisation I didn’t see coming

And just like that, half-way through my stay, I had a major realisation – I could actually see this gem of a city on Côte d’Azur become my semi-permanent base. 

Yep, I could literally see myself living in Nice a bit more permanently. Not necessarily like a forever-home, but a place to call my base and to land between my travels near and far.

And that for me is HUGE.

So far, London has been my biggest love (and still is), but due to Brexit, settling down there with a European passport is challenging to say the least. While in France, the doors are wide open. And even though Ibiza has been high up on my list too, the White Isle is kinda impractical for many reasons… Which leaves Nice as the strongest contender as my put-my-bags-down-and-unpack kind of place.

This discovery was the most unexpected part of this trip. Especially considering my impression of Nice based on my first visit 13 years ago. Not in a million years did I expect to feel such a strong pull towards the sunshine capital of France.

But here we are.

It’s incredible how life can surprise you when you keep your heart and mind open, and allow yourself to experience it intentionally and at a slower pace, letting your feelings – not your mind – guide you.

Although I have now left Nice, I have a feeling that this might not be the end of our love story… And perhaps an even more significant chapter is waiting to unfold. 

And this, right there, is the kind of magic that makes a DELIGHTFUL LIFE.

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