About this place
The Colline du Château, or Castle Hill, rises about ninety two meters above the sea at the eastern edge of the old town and is the very birthplace of Nice. From the eleventh to the eighteenth century a formidable citadel crowned the summit, guarding the frontier between France and Italy and surviving repeated sieges. After French troops captured it, Louis the Fourteenth ordered the castle demolished in 1706, leaving only the sixteenth century Bellanda tower. Today the hill is Nice's most beloved park, planted with pines and Mediterranean shrubs and graced by an artificial waterfall, and its terraces offer a sweeping panorama over the Baie des Anges, the harbor, and the red roofs of Vieux Nice.
Key facts
- 1543 year — The citadel withstood a famous siege by Franco-Ottoman forces, the setting of the Catherine Ségurane legend
- 1706 year — Louis the Fourteenth ordered the castle demolished after French troops captured it
- 92 meters — The summit rises above the sea, giving a sweeping panorama over the bay and old town
📍 Ascenseurs, 06300, Nice