Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera

Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural, inscribed in 2021 (WHS 1635).

Criteria & Perimeter

Inscription criteria

(ii)

Summary

Nice, located on the Mediterranean, at the foot of the Alps, near the Italian border, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, reflects the development of a city devoted to winter tourism, making the most of its mild climate and its coastal situation, between sea and mountains. From the mid-18th century, the site attracted growing numbers of aristocratic and upper-class families, mainly British, who developed the habit of spending their winters there. In 1832, Nice, then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, set up the “Consiglio d’Ornato” which drew up a city planning scheme and architectural requirements designed to make the city attractive to foreigners. Thus, the “Camin dei Ingles”, a modest path which had been created along the coastline by British winter visitors in 1824, subsequently became the prestigious Promenade des Anglais. After the city was ceded to France in 1860, and thanks to its connection to the European rail network, an increasing number of winter visitors from all countries flocked to the city. This led to successive phases of development of new districts beyond the medieval old town. The diverse cultural influences of the winter visitors and the desire to make the most of the weather conditions and the coastal landscape have shaped the urban development and eclectic architectural styles of these districts, contributing to Nice’s reputation as a cosmopolitan winter resort.

Monuments in the Zone

Selection of protected monuments

Maison forte de la Grange Missée — Chaillac
Château de Nitray de Athée-sur-Cher — Athée-sur-Cher
Hôtel du 18e siècle de Tours — Tours
Château de Launay de Sucé-sur-Erdre — Sucé-sur-Erdre
Château d'Eporcé de La Quinte — La Quinte
Motte féodale dénommée La Butte Noire — Bougy-lez-Neuville
Château de Foulletorte — Saint-Georges-sur-Erve
Deux bornes de Betz-le-Château — Betz-le-Château
Parc et maison de la Bizolière — Savennières
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Sulpice — Le Louroux
Domaine de Chenonceau — Chenonceaux
Eglise Saint-Martin de Nouan-le-Fuzelier — Nouan-le-Fuzelier
Eglise paroissiale Sainte-Eulalie — Genillé
Ancienne abbaye du Ronceray — Angers
Eglise Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier — Orléans

Appellations of the Landscape

Most-reviewed Loire appellations

Appellation	Avg score	Reviews	Color
Sancerre	89.3	554	White
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine	88.6	237	White
Pouilly-Fumé	89.6	153	White
Vouvray	88.4	153	White
Touraine	86.3	85	White
Chinon	88.7	72	Red
Menetou-Salon	87.3	69	White
Crémant de Loire	87.5	54	Sparkling
Val de Loire	85.6	41	White
Saumur	88.4	40	White
Anjou	87.6	36	White
Rosé d'Anjou	84	35	Rosé

Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.