Right out by the airport is a vast tourist attraction, the Phoenix Parc Floral de Nice , 405 promenade des Anglais (daily: mid-March to mid-Oct 9am-7pm; rest of year 9am-5pm; 40F/¬6.10; exit St-Augustin from the motorway or bus #9, #10, or #23 from Nice). It's a cross between botanical gardens, a bird and insect zoo and a tacky theme park: automated dinosaurs and mock Mayan temples along with alpine streams, ginkgo trees, butterflies and cockatoos. The greenhouse full of butterflies fluttering around is wonderful, but the assumption that the world's fauna and flora is yours to admire may make you feel a bit uneasy.

The best reason to make the trip out to the park is Nice's newest museum, the Musée Départemental des Artes Asiatiques (daily except Tues: May-Sept 10am-6pm; rest of year 10am-5pm; 35F/¬5.34), designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. It houses a collection of ethnographic artefacts, including silk goods and pottery, as well as traditional and contemporary art. The highlight is a pavilion designed to convey the peaceful philosophy of Zen.