Two Pleasant Cities in France: Bordeaux and Nice

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is located in southwestern France, and is an important port on the Garonne River. Its greater metropolitan area has a population around 1 million, and there has been a problem of suburban sprawl in the last years. It is a wonderful place to move if you are a wine-drinker, being one of the major wine producers of the world. The area has made wine ever since the eighth century, and today produces about 850 million bottles annually, from very low to very high quality. There is a historical part of the city that is a UNESCO World Heritage sight. The city is divided into the right bank and left bank, on either side of the river. The left bank has historically been the more developed part.

The city has an oceanic climate, where it rains a lot in the summer, and winters are considered mild. The University of Bordeaux is located in the city, which is one of the largest European universities. There are a great deal of museums in Bordeaux, along with shopping districts. It is also a nice location to move for people who like nightlife, as there are a ton of night clubs, concert halls and music venues. It has a decent public transportation system, with 3 tram lines, 75 daytime bus routes and a boat shuttle.

Nice

Nice is the capital of the French Riviera, located in the south of the country on the Mediterranean coast. Nice is the fifth largest city and metropolitan area of France, and the city has a population of about 347,000.

The area of Nice has remanents of one of the oldest human settlements on earth, at Terra Amata, which has primitive evidence of fire usage. Nice used to be part of Italy, but came under France in 1860. Many tourists go to Nice, because it has many scenic areas, shopping, cafes, resorts and a Mediterranean climate. Many famous painters have been inspired by Nice, like Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse, and their work is displayed in the city’s art museums. It is not a place to live if you do not want to be around tourists, as it is the second most visited city in France, after Paris. It is a better place to live if you do not mind that, and just care about the nice weather and scenery. Apart from the tourist scene, there are also business facilities, like a conference center and a few business parks. Nice is also a moderately important port.

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