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Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Top Attractions
Casino Monte-Carlo.
Place du Casino is the center of Monte Carlo and a must-see, even if you don’t like to bet. Into the gold-leaf splendor of the casino, the hopeful descend from tour buses to tempt fate beneath the gilt-edge rococo ceiling—and some spend much more than planned here, as did the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who lost once 100,000 francs. Jackets are required after 8 pm in the private back rooms, which open at 4 pm. Bring your passport (under-18s not admitted) and note the €10 admission to get into any of the period gaming rooms (open from 2 pm). For €10 you can also visit the casino daily in the off-hours (9–noon), with access to all rooms. | Pl. du Casino, | Monte Carlo | 377/98–06–21–21 | www.casinomontecarlo.com | Tours daily 9–noon.
Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Tropical Garden).
Six hundred varieties of cacti and succulents cling to a sheer rock face at Monaco’s magnificent Tropical Garden, a brisk half-hour walk west from the palace. The garden traces its roots to days when Monaco’s near-tropical climate nurtured unheard-of exotica, amazing visitors from the northlands as much as any zoo. The plants are of less interest today, especially to Americans familiar with southwestern flora. The views over the Rock and coastline, however, are spectacular. Also on the grounds, or actually under them, are the Grottes de l’Observatoire—spectacular grottoes and caves adrip with stalagmites and spotlit with fairy lights. The Musée d’Anthropologie showcases two rooms: “Albert I” covers general prehistory, while “Ranier III” unearths regional Paleolithic discoveries. TIP Steps away from the garden, stop for a cocktail or meal at La Chaumière and take in one of the only public overviews of the palace. | 62 bd. du Jardin Exotique | www.jardin-exotique.mc | €7.20 | Nov.–Jan., daily 9–5; Feb.–Apr. and Oct., daily 9–6; May–Sept., daily 9–7.
Les Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo (Sea Baths of Monte-Carlo).
Added to the city in the 1990s, this seawater-therapy treatment center stretches between the landmark Hôtel de Paris and its sister, the Hermitage, and can be accessed directly from either hotel. Within its sleek, multilevel complex you can pursue every creature comfort, from underwater massage and seaweed body wraps to a 50-minute Monte-Carlo Foot Cocooning Massage (€160) in one of the 37 treatment rooms—almost all with views over the port. This is also the only spot in Europe offering crotherapy, a treatment where you spend a couple of minutes in two cold chambers at -60°C and then -110°C, and is said to help with jetlag, sleep disorders, and anti-aging. You’ll definitely want to indulge in the outdoor hot tub afterward and enjoy an elegant spa lunch at L’Hirondelle as you dethaw. | 2 av. de Monte-Carlo | 377/98–06–69–00 | www.thermesmarinsmontecarlo.com | Daily 8–8.
Monaco Cathedral.
Follow the crowds down the last remaining streets of medieval Monaco to the 19th-century Cathédrale de l’Immaculée-Conception, which contains the tomb of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III, as well as a magnificent altarpiece, painted in 1500 by Louis Bréa. | Av. St-Martin | 377/93–30–87–70 | www.cathedrale.mc | Oct.–Apr., daily 8:30–6; May–Sept., daily 8–7.
Fodor’s Choice | Musée Océanographique (Oceanography Museum).
Perched dramatically on a cliff, this museum is a splendid Edwardian structure, built under Prince Albert I to house specimens collected on amateur explorations, including Jacques Cousteau–led missions from 1957 to 1988. The main floor exhibits the skeletons and taxidermy of enormous sea creatures, early submarines and diving gear dating to the Middle Ages, and a few interactive science displays. The main draw is the famous aquarium, a vast complex of backlighted tanks containing more than 6,000 species of fish, crab, and eel in pools running 100–450,000 liters. | Av. St-Martin | 377/93–15–36–00 | www.oceano.mc | €14; €19 combined ticket, includes Palais Princier | Apr.–June and Sept., daily 10–7; July and Aug., daily 9:30–8; Oct.–Mar., daily 10–6.
Palais Princier.
The famous Rock, crowned by the palace where the royal family resides, stands west of Monte Carlo. An audio guide leading you through this sumptuous chunk of history, first built in the 13th century and expanded and enhanced over the centuries, reveals an extravagance of 16th- and 17th-century frescoes, as well as tapestries, gilt furniture, and paintings on a grand scale. Note that the Relève de la Garde (Changing of the Guard) is held outside the front entrance of the palace most days promptly at 11:55 am. Les Grands Appartements are open to the public from early April through October, and you can buy a joint ticket with the Muséé Océanographique. Beginning in mid-July, a summer concert series can be enjoyed at 9:30 pm in the palace’s glorious courtyard. Tickets can be purchased through the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo (www.opmc.com). | Pl. du Palais | 377/93–25–18–31 | www.palais.mc | €8, €19 combined ticket includes Musée Océanographique | Apr.–Oct., daily 10–6.
Port.
It’s a blissful hike down from Monte Carlo to the port along Boulevard Albert Ier, where pleasure boats of every shape flash white and blue. You can catch a glimpse of the spectacular yachting club, one of the world’s most prestigious and a staple in the local social circuit, where the day’s dress code changes with the season (white skirts or trousers May–September or grey October–April). It’s here that they erect the stands for fans of the Grand Prix while the far corner of the port is where the Institut Océanographique launches research boats to study aquatic life in the Mediterranean, as its late director Jacques Cousteau did for some 30 years.
The Rock.
On the broad plateau known as Le Rocher, or the Rock, the majority of Monaco’s touristic sights are concentrated with tidy, self-conscious charm. This is the medieval heart of Monaco, and where its cathedral, palace, and Musée Océanographique can be found. Only vehicles with Monaco license plates can drive through the gate, so you can either climb up the 42 long steps of the Rampe Majeur from Place d’Armes, behind the right corner of the port, or approach it by elevator from the seafront at the port’s farthest end.
Worth Noting
Collection des Voitures Anciennes (Collection of Vintage Cars).
In this impressive assemblage of Prince Rainier’s vintage cars, you’ll find everything from a De Dion Bouton to a Lamborghini Countach. Also on the Terrasses de Fontvieille is the Jardin Animalier (Animal Garden), a mini-zoo housing the Grimaldi family’s animal collection—an astonishing array of wild beasts that includes monkeys and exotic birds. | Terrasses de Fontvieille | 377/92–05–28–56 | €6.50, animal garden €5 | Daily 10–6.
Nouveau Musée National de Monaco.
Take the elevator down from Place des Moulins to the NMNM, which houses two museums, each of which hosts two exhibitions a year. One of the surviving buildings from the Belle Époque, Villa Sauber, with its rose garden, is in the Larvotto Beach complex, which has been artfully created with imported sand. The Villa Paloma (next door to the Jardin Exotique) was recently restored with fabulous stained-glass windows. | Villa Sauber, 17 av. Princesse Grace | 377/98–98–91–26 | www.nmnm.mc | €6 | June–Sept., daily 11–7; Oct.–May, daily 10–6.