Castle Hill Waterfall

In front of you tumbles the Castle Hill waterfall, the finale of the walk. It looks like a whim of nature, but it is man-made: it was built in 1885 over the ruins of the old keep.

1From fortress to garden

For centuries this 93-metre hill was the citadel of Nice, until Louis XIV ordered it blown up in 1706. The ruins lay abandoned until 1822, when the King of Sardinia granted the land for a public park. Pines, cypresses and holm oaks were planted, paths and viewpoints laid out, and in 1858 the park passed to the city.

The waterfall, planned since 1826, arrived with Nice's first major water supply: as well as decorating the hill, it served as an overflow for surplus water.

2The noon cannon

Every day at twelve o'clock, a bang echoes across the city from this hill. According to tradition, an Englishman, Sir Thomas Coventry, started it in the 19th century to remind his wife, who liked to linger on her walks, that it was time to come home for lunch.

The cannon shot is real and part of daily life in Nice; the tale of the unpunctual wife is an anecdote that cannot be verified.

From the viewpoints you will see Port Lympia on one side and, on the other, the whole sweep of the Promenade des Anglais. To go down, you can take the steps or the lift that comes out by Bellanda Tower.

3What to look for

• The curtain of water and the rock face behind it.
• Port Lympia, from the eastern viewpoint.
• The Bay of Angels, from the western viewpoint.