Day: 30 May 2018

The Nice Observatory is an astronomical observatory, built in 1878 thanks to the support of Raphael-Louis Bischoffsheim, a French banker and a member of the prominent Bischoffsheim family, Nice Observatory later merged with CERGA in 1988 to form the Côte d’Azur Observatory. Charles Garnier was the main Architect and Gustave Eiffel designed the main dome. It was declared a historical monument in 1994.The Côte d’Azur Observatory conducts extensive research on concerning planetology, stellar physics and gravitational waves. The Observatory discovered over 2,000 stars.The Nice Observatory is situated on the summit of Mount Gros in Nice, France at the time of its construction was the highest observatory in the world and the telescope made by Henry and Gautier was the largest telescope in the world at 76 meters in length and the first Observatory to be constructed at the altitude of 1,066 ft above sea level.The Observatory is a complex comprising of eighteen buildings, thirteen of them were built in Beaux Arts style by Charles Garnier. The Observatory covers 35 hectares with beautiful forest parks and an unreal view to the west and to the east you can see Monaco, an independent city-state in France. The Observatory can be seen from downtown Nice.The Nice Observatory was featured in the title scene in the 2014 woody Allen flick magic in the moonlight and was also featured in 1999 film Simon Sez.Nice Observatory Credited Flickr: DevfaulterNice Observatory Contact InformationTelephone: +33 4 92 00 30 11 | Official Website |How To Get TherePublic Transport: from Nice Riquier train station take the bus service 84, it will take around 15 minutes to travel to Nice Observatory from the train station. Bus service 84 runs roughly every 30 minutes, however, the bus service doesn’t run on Sundays.If Travelling by Car, Free Car Park is available, however, its limited spaces so arrive early.Please take some kind of transport as walking to the Observatory from the train station isn’t recommended could take you over an hours walk.ToursYou can take a Tour around the Observatory, The Tour is only available in French however you can book an English Tour but that has to be arranged in Advanced. The Tour will take around two hours and will mostly be outdoors, so dress appropriately for the weather. The Tour is well worth a visit, the views are just spectacular and you can have a rare experience to get to go inside the observatory and see through the telescope.In Rare occasions, there are tours at night for star-gazing. More Information about rare tours, visit the official website.Opening HoursMondayClosedTuesdayClosedWednesday2:30 PM – 5:00 PMThursdayClosedFridayClosedSaturday2:30 PM – 5:00 PMSundayClosedAdmissionTicket TypePriceGeneral€6Children€3Student€3Group Rate€90School Groups€55If you would like to reserve your tickets please follow the link, it will take you to the official Nice Observatory page: Reserve in advance here.InformationOpened: 1887Architects: Gustave Eiffel and Charles GarnierAltitude 1,220 ftLocation: Mont Gros, Nice, FranceTelescopes: Grande Lunette 77-cm refractorCategory: Exhibitions and ToursTheme: Science & TechnologyInterest: TourismField: Guided tourWHERE TO STAY IN NICENearby places to stay as cheap as possible budget under £100/$100/€100:Villa Otero, 11 minutes walk from the beach. Located in the heart of Nice, in the Musicians district, Villa Otero is a hotel set in a 1920s building. ideal place to stay only 5 minutes walk from Nice Train station and located within 5 miles from Nice Airport. Check Price.Hôtel Le Lausanne, 9 minutes walk from the beach. Located in the heart of Nice, in the musician’s quarter, Hôtel Le Lausanne is only a 10-minute walk from the Promenade des Anglais. Nice-Ville Train Station is 600 yards away and the Albert 1st Gardens are 1.2 from the hotel. Check Price.Hotel de France, 3 minutes walk from the beach. Hotel de France is situated in the heart of Nice, 100 yards from the Promenade des Anglais, The beach and the city centre is a short walk away. Check Price.Nearby places to stay at a budget price of £200 – £400:Hotel Negresco, a 1-minute walk from the beach. The famous Hotel Negresco, dating from the beginning of the 20th century, overlooks the beach and the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Hotel Negresco’s guests can benefit from access to the Neptune private beach area. Check Price.Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée, a one-minute walk from the beach. Set on the Promenade des Anglais, Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée is an art-deco style hotel featuring an on-site casino, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a hammam and a sauna. The terrace offers panoramic views of the Baie des Anges. Regional cuisine and Mediterranean dishes are served in the hotel’s restaurant. Check Price.Visiting Nice, France? We have other posts that you may enjoy that will be helpful on your trip.Palais LascarisRussian Orthodox Cathedral, NiceMatisse Museum15 Interesting Facts About NiceLocationAddress: 96 Boulevard de l’Observatoire, 06300 Nice, France | Coordinations: 43°43′39″N 7°17′57″E[su_button url=”https://isolatedtraveller.com/european-cities/Nice” style=”flat” background=”#000000″ size=”6″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Explore Nice[/su_button]Enjoyed this post? Save it for later on Pinterest! Share the LoveNice ObservatoryNice Observatory