Video:Walking Tour of the Cours Saleya Market

Transcript:Walking Tour of the Cours Saleya Market

Hi, I'm Valerie Jeanne Alvord with About.com and today I'm going to be your guide for visiting the Cours Saleya flower market in Nice.

Cours Saleya is one of the most famous open air markets in the south of France. You can spend half a day strolling through the booths, picking a bloom here or a stem there. The beauty and fragrance of the flowers is overwhelming.

What to Find at the Cours Saleya Flower Market

Besides flowers, you'll find all kinds of fresh produce, olives, spices, fruits, pastries and a good helping of local joie de vivre. The market is spread over several blocks in a pedestrian square lined with ornately trimmed buildings that are hundreds of years old.

You can come here to sample the wares, but also to soak in the festive Niçoise culture that's evolved from the sun and the sea. It's a lightness that has drawn artists and the European elite to Nice over many centuries.

Buying and selling has been happening continuously here on this spot since the time of the ancient Romans. The markets stalls are sandwiched between rows of shops and restaurants whose menus are rich with local recipes -- specialties from maestro chefs, like bouillabaisse, a delicately-flavored fish stew that originated here in the south of France.

How to Get to the Cours Saleya Flower Market

The Cours Saleya flower market is open every day except Monday. It starts at 6 a.m. and runs until late afternoon. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the market closes at 1:30 p.m. To reach Cours Saleya walk along the Promenade des Anglais until you reach Place Massena, then turn east and angle into the narrow streets that lead to Vieux Nice, the old city.

You may feel compelled to linger a moment at the spectacular Fountain of the Sun. Or if you're starting at the port, walk west along the Quai des E'tats-Unis -- the market is a block behind the soaring fountains of the Albert the First Park.

The Cours Saleya flower market is beloved by the Niçoise as a place to browse and socialize and nurture their very French love of food and all things beautiful. In the south of France, flowers are as much a part of the history and culture of this land as food, wine and the sparkling Mediterranean sea.

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