Carré d'Or: Nice's Golden Square

The Croix de Marbre at 27 rue de France is the oldest monument in the district, erected in 1568 to commemorate the Truce of Nice of 1538, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France met here under a truce brokered by Pope Paul III. It stands on the same rue de France that runs three minutes from the apartment and is lined with the restaurant terraces described above.

Villa Masséna at 65 rue de France, on the Promenade des Anglais next to the Hôtel Negresco, was built between 1898 and 1901 by Danish architect Hans-Georg Tersling for Prince Victor d'Essling, grandson of Marshal Masséna, in a neoclassical style with Italianate influence. Donated to the city in 1919 and open as a museum since 1921, it anchors the Belle Époque character that still makes this neighbourhood feel like the most interesting address in Nice today.

We've hosted guests in the Carré d'Or long enough to have a settled opinion on this: it's the best base in Nice. Start with the practical case: almost nothing here needs a car. The tram is five minutes away at Place Masséna, and Gare de Nice-Ville, with direct trains to Monaco, Menton and Cannes, is a twenty-minute walk or one stop further.

Then there's everything we'd choose it for ourselves. The sea: three minutes down rue de France and you're on the Promenade des Anglais, so a swim before breakfast is routine rather than an outing. The shops: rue de la Buffa alone covers your bakery, wine merchant and florist, and rue de France adds the boutiques and restaurant terraces three minutes away. The Old Town: Cours Saleya and Vieux Nice are a twelve-minute walk east, close enough for a dinner out without needing a taxi home. None of these is dramatic on its own. Together, they're why this is the neighbourhood we'd pick ourselves.