Parc du Château

​A castle, two cemetaries and a lush waterfall overlooking the sea
Word to the wise: If you want to save yourself the climb up Colline du Château, take the elevator hidden at the end of Rue des Ponchettes for around EUR 1.

Looming over the bay of Nice and the old town, the Parc du Château offers some of the most astounding views in the whole city from its perch atop the Colline du Château, a 92m-high rock face. Sadly, little remains of the eponymous castle which was destroyed by King Louis XIV's soldiers in 1706 beyond a solitary tower known as the Tour Bellanda, but the park provides ample space for peaceful, shady walks and if you're lucky - a very welcome sea breeze.
The Parc du Château is also home to two cemeteries (one Jewish, the other Christian) filled with beautifully-carved white headstones - look out for the one belonging to Matisse. The 'pièce de résistance' however, is the Cascade Donjon, a man-made waterfall which is illuminated at night and is particularly striking when observed from Vieux Nice.