6 Things You Didn’t Know about Nice, France, Nice, France (B)

Eighteen years ago, when I was but a wee lass in college having her first tour of Europe, I and my then-boyfriend landed in Nice. We visited no museums. We had little money. And yet, the memories of those few days have stayed with me all this time.

Returning to Nice after all this time was educational. Literally. I lucked out in connecting with Caterina Prochilo, the multi-lingual press coordinator for the Nice Côte d’Azur Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, who was kind enough to show me a side of Nice I hadn’t experienced all those years ago. Here’s what I learned this trip.

When Caterina told me we were headed to the castle, I scratched my head. Surely I would have known there was a castle in this town. Actually…there’s not, at least not anymore. Where there was once a “reputedly impregnable citadel,” there is now a lovely park that overlooks the coast and harbor. Apparently, in 1706, the soldiers of the French King Louis XIV found a way to…impregnate? That’s not the word I’m looking for…anyway, they destroyed the castle, but the park still keeps the name: Parc de la Colline du Chateau. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).