Musée Matisse, Art museum in Cimiez, Nice, France
The Matisse Museum occupies the Villa des Arènes, a red Italian-style mansion situated among olive groves and Roman ruins in Cimiez district.
The museum opened its doors in 1963 to display the works of Henri Matisse, who lived and worked in Nice from 1917 until 1954.
The permanent collection contains 68 paintings, more than 200 drawings, several hundred photographs, and many personal objects that belonged to Matisse.
The museum provides guided tours in multiple languages, educational workshops for children, and includes a research library dedicated to Matisse studies.
Visitors can observe the evolution of Matisse's artistic techniques through chronologically arranged galleries spanning his entire career.
Location: Nice
Location: Cimiez
Inception: 1963
Official opening: 1963
Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible
Address: 164, Avenue des Arènes
Opening Hours: Monday 10:00-18:00; Wednesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00
Phone: +33493534053
Email: musee.matisse@ville-nice.fr
Website: http://musee-matisse-nice.org
GPS coordinates: 43.71944,7.27611
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:40
The French Riviera offers numerous sites beyond the main tourist routes. Medieval hilltop villages such as Èze and Saint-Paul de Vence perch above the coast, while historic fortifications like Fort Carré in Antibes preserve the region's maritime past. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Château Grimaldi in Cagnes-sur-Mer display architectural styles from different eras. The region extends from the coastline to the backcountry. The Îles de Lérins off Cannes are accessible by ferry, Col de la Bonette reaches 9,193 feet (2,802 meters) elevation, and Vallée des Merveilles in the Mercantour preserves prehistoric rock carvings. Hiking trails cross Parc national du Mercantour and follow the coast at Cap d'Ail. The Gorges du Verdon to the north form one of Europe's deepest canyons. Museums in Nice focus on Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Asian art. The Musée de la Mer on Île Sainte-Marguerite documents the island fortress's history. Smaller towns like Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Le Cannet lie a few miles from the coastal cities. Lac de Saint-Cassien near Montauroux provides water sports in a rural setting.
Nice reveals much more than its beaches and the famous Promenade des Anglais. This collection invites you to discover the treasures that Niçois cherish daily: the Castle Hill Park overlooking ancient ruins, the Matisse and Marc Chagall museums housing exceptional collections, and the Cimiez Monastery surrounded by gardens. These sites narrate the story of a city shaped by diverse influences, from the Orthodox Saint Nicholas Cathedral to the alleys of the Old Town. From the flower market at Cours Saleya, where local accents can be heard, to Fort Mont Alban perched on the heights, each location offers a different experience of Nice. Some places, like the Louis Nucéra Library with its modern architecture, showcase the city's contemporary face. Others, more subtle, allow you to grasp the essence of a Mediterranean city where history and daily life blend effortlessly.
Nice combines museums, parks and coastal areas in a city between hills and the Mediterranean. The Marc Chagall Museum holds the largest public collection of his works, while the Matisse Museum is devoted to the paintings and sculptures of an artist who spent many years here. Castle Hill offers views over the rooftops and the water, and the Promenade des Anglais follows the shoreline. The Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral is the largest of its kind in Western Europe and stands in a quiet neighborhood north of the center. Parc du Mont Boron spreads across wooded slopes with trails for walking. Place Masséna marks the heart of the city with red facades and open squares. Port Lympia lies east of the old town and keeps the feel of a working harbor. These places show different sides of Nice, from art to nature to everyday life by the sea.
Nice naturally lends itself to photography. The Mediterranean light shapes the city from morning to evening, revealing in turn the ochre facades of Old Nice, the palms lining the Promenade des Anglais, or the blue domes of Saint-Nicolas Orthodox Cathedral. From the Château hilltop, at 92 meters high, the view encompasses the entire bay, while below, Place Masséna displays its geometric paving stones and red facades. The flower market at Cours Saleya, established since the 17th century, extends to Lympia Port where yellow facades reflect in the water, each neighborhood forming a different scene. The Negresco Hotel with its pink dome marks the coastline, and the Matisse Museum shares the painter's love for the light of the South. Nice offers a variety of viewpoints, making it a preferred destination for those interested in capturing the architecture, colors, and vitality of a city oriented toward the Mediterranean.
Palais Regina
259 m
Musée Marc-Chagall
1.3 km
Monastère de Cimiez
244 m
Arènes de Cimiez
88 m
Marc Chagall National Museum
1.2 km
Gare du Sud
1.6 km
Château Valrose
821 m
Cemenelum
533 m
Abbey of St Pons
843 m
Sainte Jeanne d'Arc Church
1.3 km
Thermes de Cimiez
48 m
Musée archéologique de Nice-Cimiez
47 m
Le Majestic
1.5 km
Villa Paradiso
1.2 km
Ancien hôtel Alhambra de Nice
855 m
Chapelle Sainte-Anne de Nice
151 m
Église Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice de Nice
1.2 km
Monument à la reine Victoria
299 m
Saint-Roch Church
1.5 km
Villa Nobili
851 m
Ancien groupe épiscopal de Cimiez
54 m
Vieux mur ligure
175 m
Croix séraphique de Cimiez
232 m
Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Cimiez
250 m
Chapelle Bon-Voyage de Nice
1.4 km
Antoinist temple of Nice
1.3 km
Tronçons de la Turbie et du vallon de Laghet de la Via Julia Augusta
57 m
Pont René-Coty
1 kmReviews
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