Getting lost among the dark, narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now packed with delis, restaurants, boutiques and bars, but the centrepiece remains cours Saleya: a massive market square that’s permanently thronging in summer. The food market is perfect for fresh produce and foodie souvenirs, while the flower market is worth visiting just for the colours and fragrances. A flea market is held on Monday.

　　Baroque aficionados will adore architectural gems Cathédrale Ste-Réparate, honouring the city’s patron saint; exuberant 16th-century Chapelle de la Miséricorde; and 17th-century Palais Lascaris, a frescoed riot of Flemish tapestries, faience (tin-glazed earthenware), gloomy religious paintings and 18th-century pharmacy.

　　There’s also a lively – and very smelly – fish market on place St-François.