Nice

Why it's a gay destination

Gay districts

• Vieux Nice — Old town, bars and promenade.
• Promenade / Carré d’Or — Hotels, beach and Riviera atmosphere.

What to do

• ✦Pink Parade and IN&OUT film festival.
• ✦Old-town bars, beach and Cote d’Azur trips.

Points of interest

• Promenade des Anglais — The iconic seafront boulevard tracing the Baie des Anges for about 7 km — made for sunset strolls, skating and the best people-watching in the city.
• Vieux Nice (Casco Antiguo) — A honeycomb of narrow lanes, baroque churches and ochre façades, packed with bars, gelato (Fenocchio) and lively nightlife.
• Colline du Château (Castle Hill) — The green hilltop park above the Old Town offers the finest panorama over Nice and the port — reach it by the staircase or the free lift near Tour Bellanda.
• Cours Saleya — The famous market square in the Old Town: flowers and produce (except Mondays, when it turns to antiques), cafés and the home of socca, the local chickpea pancake.
• Musée Matisse — In leafy Cimiez, this ochre villa holds one of the world's largest Matisse collections; the artist lived in Nice until his death in 1954.
• Musée National Marc Chagall — Also in Cimiez, this museum holds the world's largest public Chagall collection, centred on the Biblical Message cycle of 17 large canvases.
• Place Masséna — The central square with red-ochre arcades, a black-and-white checkerboard floor and the glowing seated figures of the 'Conversation à Nice' installation.
• Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas (Catedral ortodoxa rusa) — The largest Russian Orthodox cathedral outside Russia, with colourful onion domes — a legacy of the Russian aristocracy who once wintered here.

Beaches

• Coco BeachGayA rocky cove east of the port, long a hangout for gay (often nude) sunbathers. Not sand but large rocks; nudism is not officially authorised here, so be discreet. Reach it via bus 30 to the 'Villa la Côte' stop.
• Plage d'Èze-sur-MerGayAbout 20 minutes east of Nice, one of the Riviera's best-known gay nudist beaches — essentially 100% gay and mostly nude. Access is notoriously tricky (a steep path), but the cove is secluded and worth it.
• Castel PlageMixedA chic paid beach club at the eastern end of the Promenade, below Castle Hill. A mixed but very gay-popular crowd — the smart, full-service alternative with loungers and a restaurant.

Notable events

• Lou Queernaval27 Feb 2026France's first gay carnival, woven into Nice's world-famous Carnival. A queer night of illuminated floats, drag and dancing on Place Masséna (from 8 pm).
• In&Out – Festival du Film LGBTQ+ de NiceApr 2026Nice's annual LGBTQ+ film festival, held each April, screens a diverse line-up of queer cinema, premieres and meet-the-maker events.
• Pink Parade (Nice Pride)11 Jul 2026Nice's Pride march travels along the Promenade des Anglais and through the city centre, followed by concerts and parties — the high point of the Riviera's queer summer.