AZURE COAST OBSERVATORY

Nice

The Mont-Gros site in Nice is a perfect place for a nice walk, on a slightly steep 2 km route with a difference in level of about 80 m. You can see some of the 18 buildings, some of them ornate and in the Belle Époque style, that make up the Côte d'Azur observatory, 14 of them by Charles Garnier.

Visit

The main building is monumental, it shelters the big telescope, one of the biggest in the world. It allowed many discoveries on the speed of light in particular.
Please note that this site can only be visited by reservation.
Many buildings designed by Charles Garnier, classified as historical monuments, make the interest of the site of Mont-Gros. The observatory of Nice is also a research center in activity, housing researchers in Sciences of the Planet and the Universe.
Various guided tours punctuate the year for children and adults (storytelling tours during school vacations for children over 6 years old).

Culture side

The history of this place is mythical, Charles Garnier, great architect of the Paris Opera and the Monte Carlo Opera, accompanied by Gustave Eiffel, will change the use of astronomy by an exceptional hydraulic system that opens the huge dome of 100 tons housing the main telescope. The architecture of the building, in the Belle Époque style, is inspired by the Egyptian Mastabas. The stones come from La Turbie not far from there. The entrance is marked by large columns and the majestic statue of Apollo emerging from the zodiac.

The most

- a large parking lot
- a guided tour
- animations and visits dedicated to children (occasionally)