Monaco
A day wandering the streets and visiting the sights of the world's second smallest country
I have always loved the French Riviera, especially the part of the coastline from Cannes to the Italian border. Travelling along this coast, just before hitting Italy, is the tiny independent city-state of Monaco. It is really, really small – measuring a mighty 2 km² (or 0.78 sq mi), making it the world’s second-smallest country after Vatican City. Its population, which are mainly extremely wealthy, numbers around 38,400 making Monaco the most densely populated country in the world.
This bite-sized country is known for its upscale casinos, yacht-filled harbour and Grand Prix motor race. Monte-Carlo is the major district, hosting the casino and grand opera house. Up above Monte-Carlo, on an imposing headland overlooking the harbour, is the old town of Monaco, where the royal palace is located. Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as its head of state.
We were lucky enough to spend a day exploring Monaco and were fortunate enough to have spectacular weather.
1. MONTE CARLO – OR BUST
Monte-Carlo is the main district and home to many of the apartment buildings that are home to the rich and famous. Wandering the streets is a pleasant experience and you can spend many hours perusing the windows of the numerous over-priced stores that line the streets of Monte-Carlo. We had neither have the patience or frankly the interest to do this for long, so we settled for a coffee in a cafe and a few minutes of fascinating people watching.
One of the most recognized features of Monte-Carlo, for anyone who has watched the Monaco Grand Prix, is the marina which is stacked with an armada of very expensive yachts. You can stand on the water’s edge and look at the moored floating palaces. More interesting is to find a spot above the marina and stare down across the berths.
Whilst most of the buildings in Monte-Carlo are modern there are a couple of very ornate buildings that are iconic to this part of Monaco; the Casino Monte-Carlo and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. The casino is world-famous and as spectacular as the baroque façade was, I was equally impressed by the array of very, very expensive cars that were parked outside the front of the casino.
2. MONACO OLD TOWN
Up above Monte-Carlo, set on a headland protected by steep cliffs is the old town of Monaco. This part of town is typified by narrow, winding streets full of bars, restaurants and gaudy gift shops. We loved walking around this part of the town, which despite its obvious sacrifice to tourism was still a place full of character and charm.
As you reach the edge of the old town there are some great places to get panoramic views out across the marina and the meditteranean sea.
Among the narrow streets of the town are two outstanding buildings; the cathedral and royal palace.
The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate, sometimes called Saint Nicholas Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco in Monaco-Ville, Monaco, where many of the Grimaldis are buried, including Grace Kelly and—more recently—Rainier III.
The construction of this cathedral started in 1875 and took 25 years to complete, finally being consecrated in 1911. Today, this much visited Roman-Byzantine influenced landmark is a center of Monegasque life. The land on which the cathedral stands was originally the location of the chapel which dated back to the 13th century. The 16th-century altarpiece of the cathedral is a survivor of the original chapel.
The white stones used in the construction of the cathedral come from La Turbie, a hilltop village northwest of Monaco that overlooks the principality. The white stones have the unusual feature that results in them becoming naturally whiter when it rains.
3. THE PRINCES PALACE
The Prince’s Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers.
Today, things at the Palace are much more peaceful. During the summer month’s the Prince’s Palace is open for visits to the State Apartments – unfortunately during our time in Monaco we didn’t really have time to join these tours. Instead we settled for watching the changing of the guard ceremony outside the palace gates which take place at 11:55 am daily.
| Palace Tours: | Part of the year only |
| Website: | palais.mc/en/index.html |
| Hours: | 10 am to 6 pm (closed some days so check the website before visiting.) |
| Fee: | Adults: 10 euros Children (6-17 years old), Students: 5 euros Adults groups (from 20 persons) : on request |
4. MUSÉE OCÉANOGRAPHIQUE DE MONACO
There are a number of museums to visit in Monaco, but we really only had time to go to the Musée océanographique de Monaco located in an attractive building which is set splendidly on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Mediterranaen.
| Location | Av. Saint-Martin, 98000 Monaco |
| Website: | https://www.oceano.mc/en |
| Hours: | JAN | FEB| MAR 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM APRIL | MAY | JUNE 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM JULY | AUGUST 9:30AM TO 8:00PM SEPTEMBER 10:00AM TO 7:00PM OCT | NOV | DEC 10:00AM TO 6:00PM |
| Fee: | Adults: 10 euros Children (6-17 years old), Students: 5 euros Adults groups (from 20 persons) : on request |
We love visiting aquariums and the Musée océanographique de Monaco was one of the better we have had the pleasure of visiting. There are four different aquariums, two dedicated to the marine life of the Mediterranean and the tropical seas, a shark lagoon (always a favourite with the children) and lastly, an aquarium dedicated to sea turtles. The sea turtle exhibit is operated by the Monegasque Rescue Center for Marine Species (CMSEM), who recover injured or trapped creatures (not only turtles) and help them return to good health, with the eventual aim of releasing back them back to the sea.
Beyond the aquariums, there are several exhibition halls with a fascinating array of exhibits and some less than alive marine creatures, including the skeletons of whales.
We had a great time exploring the aquariums and exhibits and would recommend this museum to anyone who is visiting Monaco.
Planning your visit to Monaco
Flying to Monaco
Nice International Airport is 30km from the centre of Monaco so if you are flying this should be your arrival airport. Taxis are plentiful for your onward travel to Monaco (around a 30-minute journey. Nice Cote d’Azur Airport is serviced by a number of major airlines. This wide choice of airlines means that prices are often competitive.
Driving to Monaco
The main advantage to having a car is flexibility and driving around the winding roads used by the Monte-Carlo rally can be a real pleasure. Having a car allows you to visit some of the many beautiful resorts, towns and villages in the area. Nevertheless, the roads around Monaco and along the Cote d’Azur are prone to traffic jams, so travel off-peak if you can.
Trains to Monaco
Monaco is connected to France via the SNCF train network. The TGV, France’s intercity high-speed rail service, runs direct from Paris to Monaco and takes approximately 6 hours 45 minutes. Monaco’s train station is called Gare de Monaco and it is conveniently situated close to the centre of Monaco. Advance reservation for TGV trains is necessary.
The Italian Trenitalia train service connects Monaco to Italian cities like Milan, Genoa, Rome and Venice.
Best time to visit Monaco
The best time to visit Monaco is in the spring or fall. April and October are both ideal months for a vacation: the weather is balmy and the room rates are reduced. This lavish getaway loses some of its luster between November and March, but you will save money on accommodations if you visit in this cooler winter offseason. Visit in the summer, and yes, the beaches will be packed, the weather will be hot, and the restaurants will have long waits, but you’ll also experience Monaco at its liveliest.
Where to stay near Monaco
1. HÔTEL DE PARIS MONTE-CARLO
Set in a building dating from 1864 in Monte Carlo, Hôtel de Paris has a wine cellar and is located next to the Casino de Monaco. It features an American-style piano bar and 2 restaurants with views of the famous Place du Casino.
The restaurant “Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris” has 3 Michelin stars.
2. HÔTEL COLUMBUS MONTE-CARLO
3. HÔTEL DE FRANCE
Looking for some simpler, budget-friendly accommodation for your stay in Monte-Carlo then check out the Hôtel de France.
Hôtel de France is located less than a 10-minute walk from both the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and Port Hercules. It is entirely air-conditioned and offers modern rooms equipped with a flat-screen TV.
You will find a choice of cafés, bars and restaurants within a 5-minute walk from the hotel.
