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Bucket list experience:

Ornate palace interior with four-poster bed

Photo by dalbera. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Last updated: 04 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

This sumptuous, Baroque-style palace, built in the 17th century by the Counts Lascaris-Vintimille, is dedicated to preserving the art and music of the 17th and 18th centuries. It also offers a rare chance to see how the one percent lived back when Nice was Italian.

Alongside its grand staircase and quadratura (trompe l’oeil) paintings, its interiors are just as lush as you’d expect, bedecked in decorative and fine arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, including frescoed walls, tapestries, sculptures, and gilded picture frames.

The real surprise, though, is the small but fascinating music museum, with a collection of 500 musical instruments. There’s also a 17th-century pharmacy on the ground floor.

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Price from: £9
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Located close to the cathedral, the museum is a few minutes’ walk from Cathedrale-Vieille Ville station. Allow around 90 minutes for your visit.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, Wednesday to Monday. Closed Tuesdays.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel Suisse

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.2 miles]

A charismatic and reasonably-priced boutique on the eastern end of Nice’s iconic Promenade des Anglais. It comes with panoramic sea views, handy parking, and access to a private beach club.

Official star rating:

Palais Saleya

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.3 miles]

Contemporary suites and apartments set in an attractive 18th-century building, in a superb location in Old Nice. A great base for a few days in Nice.

Official star rating:

Hotel La Perouse

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.5 miles]

Peaceful hotel next to Old Nice with to-die-for views over the ‘Bay of Angels’. The Cours Saleya market and Old Town are a few minutes’ walk away. Great for a first visit to the French Riviera.

Official star rating:

Deck Hotel

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1 miles]

This fun, colourful and affordable design hotel channels this area’s beach clubs, just off Nice’s Promenade des Anglais.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

French Riviera

Cote d'Azur, France

Money, glamour and bombshell looks: this beach-trimmed stretch of French coast offers decadent hotels, lounging in beach clubs, fine restaurants and world-class art.

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Nice

Cote d'Azur, France

The buzzing, art-filled, foodie capital of the French Riviera, with a charming, Italian-influenced historic centre. The ideal base for a first-time visit to the Cote d’Azur, and home to the world-renowned Nice Carnival.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

View looking down from above to the busy market of Cours Saleya in the centre of Nice City
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Cours Saleya Food and Flower Market

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[0.3 miles]

Nice’s food and flower market, held along the pedestrianised Cours Saleya esplanade, is packed with all the vibrant, sensuous colours, flavours and scents of the south: lavender, marzipan, sugared almonds, spices, herbal teas, takeaway socca and pissaladiere snacks. Held Tuesday to Sunday, around 6.30am to 1.30pm.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Massena Museum of Art & History

Nice, Cote d'Azur, France[1.5 miles]

One of France’s most splendid Belle Epoque villas, donated to the city of Nice by the aristocratic Massena family, is now home to a compelling collection of art, furniture and artifacts that track Nice’s rich history.

Best for ages: 18+ | £12

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