Wandering the outdoor markets along the Cours Saleya is one of Nice’s great joys. Blooms of every hue and shape bloom. Rows upon rows of spices beckon. Grapes the size of golf balls and olives gleam in the sunlight. Even on the hottest summer day, stalls give shade, and you’re surrounded by the streets of ancient Nice. Don’t just take my word for it; the Cours Saleya has been named one of the country’s exceptional markets by the National Council for the Culinary Arts.
Aside from the sellers, the sides are lined with shops, boutiques, and cafes. Purchase hats, crockery, and gaudy souvenirs, or sit on a pavement deck and sip a café au lait.
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There’s something for everyone in the numerous markets, including an antique market, arts and crafts market, discount retailers, a seafood market, and even a used and antique book market and an antique postcard market. When you visit Nice, you can discover a market to shop every day.
The Cours Selaya, located between Place Massena and Vieux Nice (Old Town), is the most famous market area and should be included on your itinerary. This one can’t be missed any day of the week. It is a flower and produce market every day except Mondays, when it transforms into an antique market. There is an arts and crafts fair on summer evenings.
Here are the hours:
- Flower Market, Cours Saleya, runs 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays and holidays.
- Fruit & Vegetable Market, Cours Saleya, runs 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every day but Monday.
- Antiques Market, Cours Saleya, runs 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays (unless they are holidays or the eve of holidays).
- Flea Market (Marche au Puces), Port, Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.p.
- Arts & Crafts Market, Cours Saleya, from June 1 to Sept. 30, every day from 6 p.m. to midnight.
- Fish Market, Place Saint-Francois, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day but Monday.
- Used & Antique Book Market, La Place du Palais de Justice, every Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Arts & Crafts Market, Place de Palais, second Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Antique Postcard Market, Place de Palais, fourth Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Evening Artisan Market, Cours Saleya, during the high season from mid-May to mid-September 6 p.m. to midnight.
If you want a more in-depth experience of the market, you should walk around the Cours Saleya, but you’ll need to start early.
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If that doesn’t fulfill your need for markets, here is a list of other markets in Nice. Every day except Monday, from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- La Libération, haut Malausséna, near the Tramway
- Ray, place Fontaine du Temple
- Saint-Roch, boulevard Virgile Barel
- Ariane, place de l’Ariane
- Pasteur, avenue Antonia-Augusta
- Cimiez, place du Commandant Jérôme
- St Augustin, bd Paul Montel
- Caucade, place de Caucade