A DISTRICT OF Nice
Gairaut
The northern hills, and the waterfall that announced the arrival of Vésubie water in Nice in 1883.
The Gairaut waterfall is not natural: it was built in 1883 to celebrate the arrival in Nice of water from the Vésubie, drawn from some fifty kilometres away. The structure and its chalet overlook the city and remain the quarter's landmark.
This is the northern heights, above Cimiez, in a fabric of villas and terraced plots. Slope is the governing fact: land is terraced, access is by hairpin, and a car is necessary for daily life.
The altitude brings a wide view over the Baie des Anges and, in exchange, a few degrees less than by the sea. It is a quarter of residence rather than passage: one does not come here without reason, which is what makes it quiet.
