Discount Hotels Nice
Historical interest: Nice
    
In the 1st century BC, the Romans built Cemenelum (Cimiez), near the present day
town centre, making it the provincial capital. Between the 3rd and 10th centuries,
invasions by Germanic tribes and Muslim warriors (Saracens) pushed much of the
population towards the sea, and Cemenelum's importance dwindled in favour of Nikaia
(Nice).
In 974 AD, William, Count of Provence, chased the Saracens out of eastern Provence
and united the region. Provence joined the Holy Roman Empire in 1032. In the
14th century, the county passed to the house of Anjou but was later incorporated
into the lands of Italy's House of Savoy.
During the next 400 years, there were only two brief periods of French rule:
1706-13, when Louis XIV occupied the city, and 1792-1814, when the new French
Republic took control. After Napoleon, Nice was ceded to the king of Sardinia,
where it remained until 1860. The French repossessed Savoy and the Nice area
after assisting the Italians with the removal of the Austrians from northern
Italy.
During the 19th century, Nice took off as a beach resort, and was one of the
first cities in Europe to develop a purely tourist-based economy. The seaside
destination was particularly popular with the English aristocracy, who followed
Queen Victoria's example of wintering in the mild climate, which also attracted
the likes of Van Gogh and Hemingway.
New rail links and roads opened it up to the rest of the continent, and Nice
became the fastest-growing city in Europe. The city received an exotic facelift,
with luxuriant palms and stunning belle époque buildings like the Nice
Opera House and neoclassical Justice Palace.
Occupied by the Italians in WWII and liberated in 1944 by the allies, Nice
soon lured back the Bohemian jet-setters. Dodgy politics and municipal shenanigans
blighted the 1980s and '90s, but today Nice's economy is very healthy and it
is one of the most sought-after destinations on the Cote d'Azur.
http://www.nice-coteazur.org/
Selection of hotels in this region:
Park Inn Nice | | Boscolo Hotel Plaza | | Boscolo Hotel Park | | Boscolo Hotel Atlantic | | Le Meridien Nice | | New York Hotel | | Aston Hotel | | West End Hotel | | Dante Hotel | | Quality Hotel Acropole | | Radisson SAS Hotel Nice | | Mercure Centre Notre Dame | | Comfort Hotel Azur Riviera | | Holiday Inn Nice | | Four Points Sheraton Hotel Elysee Palace | | Sofitel Centre | | Kyriad Le Lausanne | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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