Nestled between sea and mountains close to the Italian border in the south-east corner of France, Nice boasts a broad range of charms to delight both locals and tourists alike. The coastal city is the economic and cultural capital of the Cote d'Azur, and a bastion of commerce and tourism, which has boomed as an industry since the second half of the 20th century.

Italian before it became part of France in 1860, Nice bears the influence of both countries in its culture and architecture. The old town is typical of a fortified Italian city with its narrow, sinuous streets, while the neighbourhoods built after the French annexation are more geometrically regimented in the style of Baron Haussmann.

Above all, Nice's 344,000 inhabitants are proud of the Promenade des Anglais, the symbol of a town teeming with monuments and museums that are always hugely popular with sightseers. Nice's two casinos are another major draw, while visitors also flock every winter for the world-renowned Nice Carnival.

Football Nice is home to one of the oldest football clubs in France: Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Cote d'Azur, or OGC Nice as it is more commonly known. Founded in 1904, and nicknamed Le Gym by supporters, Nice have won the French title on four occasions, all of them in the 1950s, while also lifting the French Cup in 1952, 1954 and 1997.