Nice isn’t just a Belle Époque postcard. Behind the polished image of the French Riviera lies an intense, dynamic and inclusive street art scene, driven by local artists who are transforming the city into an open-air gallery. From free expression walls to monumental murals, Nice has been asserting its urban identity for about a decade, offering curious travelers, couples, friend, creative spirits of all kinds, an unexpected and contemporary face of Nissa la Bella. Ready to swap the Promenade des Anglais for a street art trail? Follow the guide.
Nice street art tour with Andy: your passport to Nice’s urban art
Before setting off on your adventure, why not let yourself be guided by someone who knows every corner of Nice’s street art scene? Andy Dewet, a true French Riviera local and urban art enthusiast, created Nice Street Art Tour after discovering graffiti during his stays in the US, Barcelona and Paris. Jovial, curious and spontaneous, Andy offers 2-hour (Nice Centre Ville Tour) or 3-hour (Nice Grand Tour) visits to discover over thirty murals, many created by local artists.
What makes his tours unique? Andy doesn’t just show you the works, he tells the stories, shares anecdotes and reveals the behind-the-scenes of the local scene. He takes you to neighborhoods you might not have explored on your own, like the renovated eastern districts, and shows you Nice through a completely fresh perspective.
Practical information:
- 📍 Departure at Le 109 – 89 Route de Turin, 06300 Nice
- 💰 From €26
- 🌐 nicestreetarttour.fr
- 📱 Instagram : @nicestreetarttour
- 🚌 Accessible by bus from Nice-Ville station (2 min from Maison Durante)
Why we recommend it: it’s the best way to understand the evolution of street art in Nice, discover key artists and not miss any hidden gems. Andy is a true enthusiast who shares his love for his city and urban art with contagious energy.
Le 109: epicenter of Nice’s urban culture
Le 109: Epicenter of Nice’s Urban Culture
Located in the rehabilitated former slaughterhouses of Nice East, Le 109 has become the headquarters of Nice’s alternative culture. This is where the heart of an artistic and engaged movement beats, driven by the Whole Street association that brings together the local scene in all its diversity.
What you’ll find there:
- Free expression walls constantly renewed by local and international artists
- The N.U.M.A Festival (Nice Urban Music & Arts), Nice’s first urban culture festival, held every October
- Graffiti workshops, live paintings, and a resolutely creative and open atmosphere
Key artists to watch: Otom, Brian Caddy, César Malfi, Faben, Jennifer Miller, Artmor1—names that have left their colorful and creative mark on Nice’s walls.
Spotlight on Brian Caddy: originally from Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Brian Caddy has undoubtedly the most recognizable style on the Nice scene. Born in 1988 and steeped in the musical culture of the 80s-90s (soul, funk, hip-hop), he developed a colorful and geometric universe that oscillates between old school graffiti and contemporary art. His deceptively naive line and vivid colors give a positive vibration to each of his creations. An active member of Whole Street, Brian reinvents the codes of academic art with vibrant still lifes and engaged portraits, like that of Cédric Herrou created on the free expression wall on Avenue du XVe Corps.
Why we love it: the venue’s energy attracts an eclectic community, artists, musicians, urban culture enthusiasts, in a welcoming atmosphere where everyone finds their place and inspiration.
Practical information:
- 📍 Le 109 – 89 Route de Turin, 06300 Nice
- 🚌 Accessible by bus from Nice-Ville station (2 min from Maison Durante)
The free expression wall on avenue du XVe Corps
This wall located in the city center marked a historic turning point for urban art in Nice. Over 70 meters long, it constantly changes with graffiti artists’ interventions—a symbol of freedom of expression in the heart of the city. For its inauguration in 2021, eleven artists collaborated to create a collective mural mixing styles and influences. Today, the wall evolves constantly: each visit brings its share of surprises. Some works celebrate diversity, others challenge us on societal issues—one day featuring Amy Winehouse, another day Ben. This wall follows the course of what moves and surrounds us. It’s the very soul of street art.
Insider tip: pass by several times during your stay—the work you see on Monday might have disappeared by Friday, replaced by a new creation.
Practical information:
- 📍 Avenue du XVe Corps, face au Palais des Expositions
- 🚶 15 min walk from Maison Durante
The station tunnel: everyday art
Passing under Nice-Ville station? Look up. This tunnel connecting rue de Villeneuve to Avenue Durante houses twelve portraits of Nice locals created by Otom, transforming an ordinary passage into a gallery. Faces of all origins and ages,a snapshot of Nice’s diversity.
Why we love it: it’s the perfect example of street art that integrates into residents’ daily lives. No need to search, art comes to you and becomes accessible.
Practical information:
- 📍 Tunnel under Nice-Ville station
- 🚶 1 min walk from Maison Durante (right across!)
Gaïa and her butterflies: the Icon of Nice street art
Facing the exit of Voie Mathis, in the Fabron neighborhood, stands “Gaïa and Her Butterflies,” one of the first official street art murals in Nice. Created by Otom in 2017, this representation of the Greek goddess surrounded by butterflies and crowned with flowers has become a symbol of rebirth and freedom.
What it tells: a reflection on the environment and nature’s fragility, a theme dear to the artist and to Nice, which regularly hosts events on ocean protection. But also, symbolically, an ode to transformation and self-acceptance. Universal values that particularly resonate on the Riviera.
Practical information:
- 📍 Fabron neighborhood, Voie Mathis exit
- 🚋 Tram line 2, Magnan stop
Jen Miller’s pixelated Mariannes: street art meets pixel art
Jen Miller, a Nice-born artist from 1985, brings a unique touch to the local street art scene with her colorful and resolutely contemporary pixel art style. With over 25 walls to her credit, she transforms urban space into pixelated creations that challenge viewers and make them active participants in the work. Her murals, graphic and abstract at first glance, reveal their subject through the digital prism or by stepping back.
As part of Côte d’Azur Habitat’s centenary, Jen Miller created a monumental 11-meter-high pixelated Marianne in the Bon Voyage neighborhood, an impressive performance that demonstrates her technical mastery and ability to create large-scale interactive works. Her creations, focused on plant and animal themes, are also visible in several Nice neighborhoods and at Polygone Riviera (Shopping Promenade Riviera).
Why we love it: Jen Miller’s pixel art creates a fascinating dialogue between digital culture and street art, between tradition and modernity. Her works invite you to slow down, step back, and observe differently.
Where to find her: Bon Voyage neighborhood, various neighborhoods in Nice East, and Shopping Promenade Riviera in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Old Nice: street art in the alleyways
Old Nice hides some gems: a mailbox decorated by C215 with three portraits of Simone Veil in the town hall courtyard, shutters adorned by Otom on Cours Saleya, and several Space Invaders to flash for urban hunters.
The challenge: go hunting with the Space Invader app and find the hidden mosaics in the alleyways. An artistic treasure hunt between two socca, perfect for a fun outing as a couple or with friends.
Our tip: take advantage to discover the bars and restaurants of the old town.
Practical information:
- 📍 Old Nice
- 🚶 20 min walk from Maison Durante
Ernest Pignon-Ernest: the Nice pioneer
Impossible to talk about street art in Nice without mentioning Ernest Pignon-Ernest, a local son and considered one of the founders of world street art. His work engages, challenges, questions the history and memory of places. A humanist and rebellious artist, he paved the way for a generation of free artists.
At the Garibaldi tram station, his sculpture “Pepin, la déesse et la mer” dialogues with urban space, reminding us that street art can be as political as it is poetic. A message of openness that still resonates today.
Practical information:
- 📍 Garibaldi tram station
- 🚋 Tram line 1
The city of Nice’s official street art routes
The Nice municipality has developed several itineraries to make urban art accessible to everyone, whether on foot or by bike.
Artmor1’s Works on the Ocean Theme
- 🚶 Walking tour: 45 min
On the occasion of the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025, the City commissioned stencil artist Romain Renaud, aka Artmor1, to create colorful stencils on the ocean theme. On ten electrical meter covers scattered throughout the city, the artist highlights marine animals to raise awareness about ocean and sea protection.
Discovering street art
- 🚴 Bike tour: 2h45
A complete route that crosses the entire city, from the Allianz Riviera stadium through Nice West to Nice East. The ideal itinerary to get an overview of Nice’s street art scene and discover how urban art is reshaping neighborhoods.
Discovering street art in Nice east
- 🚴 Bike tour: 2h
This route starts at Le 109 where you’ll discover eight monumental works created by Speedy Graphito, Ox, Lady M, Astro, Rero, Ernesto Novo and artists from the Whole Street collective (Jen Miller, Faben, Brian Caddy). The ride continues with the six monumental Mariannes created for Côte d’Azur Habitat’s 100th anniversary, then ends at the Port of Nice with the flea market murals.
Good to know: all these itineraries are available on the Nic
Practical information:
- 📱 Instagram : @streetartanice
- 💙 Facebook : streetartanice
Bonus: street art events not to miss
N.U.M.A Festival (October) Nice’s first urban culture festival, with 40 international artists, workshops, urban music, and performances around Le 109. A festive, inclusive atmosphere where all generations and identities come together.
Whole Street: Occasional Projects The association regularly organizes live paintings, graffiti jams, and collaborations with the city to beautify new spaces. Follow their social media to not miss anything!
Why discover Nice street art from Maison Durante?
Our location steps away from the station places you at the heart of the action. Otom’s portrait tunnel? Right across. The eastern districts buzzing with creative energy? A few bus stops away. The XVe Corps wall? A stroll after breakfast. Andy and his Nice Street Art Tour? Departure at Le 109, easily accessible from our place.
Nice is reinventing itself, adding color, daring. An open and welcoming city, it celebrates diversity in all its forms, in its streets, on its walls, in its bars and on its beaches. From our Mediterranean garden, you’re in the front row to capture this creative energy that makes the city vibrate differently.
Whether you come as a couple, with friends, or solo, Maison Durante is your ideal base camp to explore this hidden face of Nice: authentic, free, and resolutely modern.
Want to extend the adventure? Book your stay at Maison Durante and let yourself be surprised by Nice from another angle—that of the street and free creation.
And to discover how art also invites itself into Nice hospitality, visit our sister property Maison Lamartine, where the LamARTine approach transforms the residence into a living gallery with local artists, poetic works and ephemeral exhibitions. Here, art isn’t just decoration but an integral part of the soul of the place, creating a unique experience where hospitality meets inspiration.
