Cimiez: A Place Not to Miss in Nice

Because the Franciscan Museum has the most restrictive hours of anything on the itinerary in Cimiez, see it first (before noon) so you can sightsee on your own schedule the rest of the day. The Franciscan Museum is open daily 10-12, and 3-5:30.

To reach the Franciscan Museum, you can either walk uphill on Boulevard Cimiez alongside Cimiez Gardens until you reach the Notre Dame de Cimiez Church parking lot, or you can cut through the Cimez Gardens. If you enter the gardens near the Roman ruins, follow the path (in either direction) around the whole garden until you reach Allee Dizzy Gillespie at the opposite end of where you came into the park. Climb the stairs and cross the small church parking lot. The Franciscan Museum is in the rectangular stone building to the right of Notre Dame Church. Go up to the 3rd floor (2nd French floor) to reach the museum. Just follow the smell of incense...

At the museum, examine the drawings, photos and other works of art from the Franciscan tradition and look at the Shroud of Turin exhibition while listening to the piped-in sounds of monks chanting. (All captions are in French.) There's a small bookshop near the entrance on the right with museum brochures and postcards, and there are also museum catalogs (for 2.50 €) on a rack across the hall from the shop. You will see an offering basket at the end of your self-guided tour. The museum is free, so donate to the monastery if the spirit moves you to do so.

When you exit the building and walk outside, you'll see a signpost in front of you pointing to the mini-cloisters and courtyard to your right. (The sign doesn't say that, exactly, and if it weren't for the fact that I can read French, I'd have missed it.) For whatever reason, they don't point you to the cloisters until after you've come out of the museum -- the sign isn't even visible on the way in. Anyway, turn to the right and head back toward the small courtyard and walk around for a moment. Come back out to the front of the building and head left and down the steps into the Old Monastery Garden.

Notre-Dame de Cimiez Church dates back to the 15th century. The main attractions here are the chapel paintings by Nice-born painter Louis Bréa: "Piéta," "Crucifixion," and "Déposition." Grab a brochure on your way into the church so you can locate them. Note the asterisks on the map, indicating where you can turn on timed, coin-operated light switches (appareils d'eclairage) to light up the works of art. Bring some 50 centimes coins for this. Without illuminating the art, the church itself is dark and dim.

In addition to the Brea paintings, see the relics (bones/remains) of St. Victor from the Roman catacombs. They're in the front of the church on the left, just in front of the small chapel.

For a 50-centime donation, on the honor system, you can buy church postcards at the Press Stand at the end of the entrance vestibule.

You may find that the church, which is also referred to as Notre-Dame Church of Cimiez Monastery, is a difficult place for quiet contemplation, as you can hear the blaring car horns from Boulevard Cimiez.

When you exit the church, head to the right toward the cemetery gates.

See the fancy final resting places in the Cimitiere Attenant au Monastere de Cimiez, aka the Cimiez Cemetery.

I have a habit of comparing every French cemetery I see to Paris' Pere Lechaise. If you've already been there, then just concentrate here on finding Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy's graves -- nothing else here will really blow you away. But if you've never seen a Gothic, over-the-top French cemetery, then spend some time walking among the ornate mausoleums and graves.

Follow the signs to Matisse and Dufy (on opposite ends of the cemetery, each set apart by himself. There's a set of stairs down a hill to Matisse, while Dufy is on the top level, around the back). The cemetery sign says that no photos are allowed, but there's no one on guard in the cemetery, if you really want to take one.

Work your way back to the cemetery gates, and head across the parking lot and down the steps into the Jardins de Cimiez.

Henri Matisse lived in Nice from 1918 to 1954. He lived in Cimiez at the Hotel Regina from 1938-1943, and again from 1949 until his death.

The Matisse Museum houses works donated to the city of Nice by Matisse himself and his heirs.

Some people complain that the Matisse museum is small and isn't worth the time, but I think it's fantastic! And it's FREE! Plus, I like bite-sized doses of art. It beats "museum fatigue," where you're so overwhelmed that you can't remember what you saw. Plus, I actually think the pieces are good. They show Matisse's progression and range. There's stained glass, sculptures, models, and of course, paintings.

There's usually a temporary exhibition on the lower level, and in May 2010, it was Robert De Niro Sr. I must've been the last person on earth to know that Bobby Sr. was an artist!

Visitor Info: The last entry to the museum is at 5:30. Allow yourself 30 minutes, more if you're a Matisse fan. You must check large bags in a locker by the front desk (for free -- you just take a locker key). The gift shop is on the lower level of the museum, and it closes from 1-2 for lunch.

When you exit the museum, head to your right and stroll through the olive grove next to the museum.

The Nice Archaeology Museum boasts some major ruins of Roman baths. Who knew you could tour ancient Rome in France?

Stop and greet the friendly museum staff on your way in. The museum is free, but they'll ask where you're from for record-keeping purposes, and give you some info about what you can find in the museum. There are some sculptures and artifacts inside, which you can explore if you're a true archaeology buff, but the real draw is past the welcome desk and through the doors.

Grab a laminated guide by the door and head outside to the ruins. Follow the path around and use the map to see what structures you're looking at. It'll take about 20-30 minutes to see the ruins. Allow more time if you want to walk through the inside of the museum.

Afterwards, head back to Cimiez Gardens to relax for the rest of the day.