Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera

Nice turned its mild climate and its perch between sea and mountains into an industry, drawing aristocratic winter visitors — many of them British — from the mid-18th century onward. The seafront path they laid out in 1824 grew into the grand Promenade des Anglais, and a planning council founded in 1832 shaped districts of eclectic villas and hotels beyond the old town to charm foreign guests. This cosmopolitan winter resort earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2021.