What to do in Nice when it rains
It is raining. Hu. You paid for the Côte d’Azur and the sky has ignored your booking. What a cagade.
Yes, it rains in Nice. Do not look so betrayed, pichoun. Dégun sold you 365 days of blue sky. The city has had centuries to prepare, and several of its best museums can save the day without you sulking in a shopping centre.
Matisse or Chagall in the morning, lunch in town, Lascaris or photography in the afternoon, then a drink. There. Three drops of rain are not going to ruin your holiday.
1. Matisse Museum
In Cimiez, in a Genoese villa surrounded by olive trees. The exhibition Henri Matisse - Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty, Fashion and Happiness runs until 28 September 2026. The museum opens 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October, closed Tuesdays. Mèfi: discovering that last detail at the locked door while looking like a niocou does not improve the weather.
2. Marc Chagall National Museum
Built around Chagall’s Biblical Message cycle and an exceptional collection of his work. In 2026 it opens 10 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 6 pm from May to October, closed Tuesdays.
3. Palais Lascaris
A 17th-century Baroque palace in Old Nice with decorated salons and a historic musical instrument collection. Compact enough to be useful when the rain becomes ambitious.
4. Charles Nègre Photography Museum
Beside Cours Saleya. Small enough to combine with lunch, serious enough to justify the visit. The Mathieu Forget exhibition runs until 27 September 2026. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
5. Villa Masséna
On the Promenade des Anglais, covering the history of Nice and the Riviera inside a Belle Époque mansion. Open 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October, closed Tuesdays.
6. Jules Chéret Fine Arts Museum
A little away from the obvious centre, in a 19th-century villa with collections spanning the 16th to 20th centuries. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October 2026.
And MAMAC?
Closed since January 2024 for major renovation connected with the Promenade du Paillon extension. The work will take several years. If an old blog sends you there, mèfi. The paillassou who wrote it may also have excellent advice on fax machines.