Cimiez Monastery Nice: Church, Museum & Gardens

Practical information for visiting the Cimiez Monastery area and nearby heritage sites.

updated on 5 March 2026

The Monastery of Nice Cimiez includes several places to visit:

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
The Franciscan Museum
The Monastery and its garden

The architecture of the site and its small museum are well worth a visit when exploring the Cimiez neighbourhood.

A word of advice: take the bus rather than your car, as there are few parking spaces in the neighbourhood (it is located a few metres from Nice University Hospital). The monastery car park is too small to rely on.

Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Dating from the 15th century, the building is colourful and has a very distinctive style, which contrasts sharply with the rest of the neighbourhood. The building is really pretty and is worth a visit in its own right.
Inside, you will discover interesting paintings and a superb carved wooden altarpiece.

Opening hours: all week, from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.

Franciscan Museum

The Franciscan Museum displays frescoes and works depicting Franciscan life in Nice in the 13th century.

Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (except public holidays). Open all week except Sundays.

The Monastery of Cimiez

In our opinion, this is the most interesting place to visit. Occupied by Franciscans since the mid-16th century, the monastery was classified as a Historic Monument in 1993. It is surrounded by a small but very pleasant garden. Formerly a vegetable garden, it has now been converted into a place for walking and is decorated with numerous flowers and other fragrant plants.
From the end of the monastery garden, you can enjoy a panoramic view of eastern Nice (unfortunately an industrial area) and the sea, with a direct view of the hill where Nice Castle stands.

The painter Henri Matisse is buried in the monastery cemetery, which is located a few metres from the Matisse Museum.

Official practical information (reminder)

Address: Place du Monastère, 06000 Nice — Tel. 04 93 81 00 04 — Opening hours: 10:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:00 — Closed: Sundays and certain public holidays.