Cascade de Gairault, Artificial waterfall in Gairaut, Nice, France

The Cascade de Gairaut is an artificial waterfall on the Gairaut hill in Nice, built in 1883 at the end of the Vésubie canal. Water spills over a tan stone wall in about a dozen streams into a dark pond, with a cream building with dark wood trim and a carved balcony set back on the left. A second cascade steps down a rough, mossy rock face beside a paved path.

The site was completed in 1883 and marks the endpoint of the Vésubie canal, which transported water from mountain sources into Nice. This 32-kilometer waterway was a major infrastructure achievement for the growing city.

The site's name comes from the Gairaut hill where it stands, in Nice's Gairaut district. At the start of the 20th century it was a regular stop on excursion routes through the Pays niçois, and tourist guides and the local press of the day recommended it to readers for its decor and its panorama. The pools, falls, rockwork grottoes and chalet have been listed as a monument historique since 28 November 2001.

Visitors can reach the waterfall by following Avenue de Gairaut and explore the grotto chamber with its cave-like features. The ground is relatively level and easy to navigate at a leisurely pace.

The rockwork grottoes and their false stalactites are made of reinforced cement shaped to imitate wooden branches, not natural stone. The whole ensemble of basins, cascades, grottoes and the chalet was inscribed as a monument historique on 28 November 2001.