- On foot and on wheels
- How to plan your excursions in Monaco?
- Guided tours of Monte Carlo
- Old cars and other attractions in the Fontvieille area
- Down the avenue Saint-Martin
- Eclectic style
Not far from the French border, the principality of Monaco is located - the place where princes live and has everything that can be offered to a lover of luxury rest. For example, luxury yachts moored along the coast, the world famous casino and, of course, the annual Grand Prix motor rally in Monaco. Excursions to Monaco will help you to enjoy this luxurious city to the fullest.
On foot and on wheels
Monaco is the smallest European state in terms of area, apart from the Vatican. This piece of paradise covers an area of 1.91 square kilometers. Due to the short distances, the main tourist routes are walking and bus routes.
Monaco enters the French Riviera like a wedge and practically merges with it with a single bus service. Therefore, you can get to Monte Carlo, the capital of the Principality of Monaco, at any time from anywhere around by a comfortable air-conditioned bus for only 1.5 euros. However, not only to Monte Carlo, but also to other cities on the coast, there is one tariff, regardless of the distance. So for a small, even a nominal fee, you can get to Monaco with a breeze, getting excellent views from the bus window as a pleasant bonus. The guides recommend that when leaving Nice to Monaco, sit on the right side of the cabin, and back 051 on the other side. The road runs parallel to the coastline all the way.
How to plan your excursions in Monaco?
When planning sightseeing tours of Monaco, you need to know the peculiarities of the territorial division of the principality. In Monaco there are three communes that divide Monaco into unequal parts: La Condamine - an area that stretches along the port; Monaco is the historical territory of the principality; Monte Carlo is a resort area with numerous entertainment venues and prestigious hotels.
Guided tours of Monte Carlo
This route is not very long and is designed for a couple of hours. There are not many attractions in the entertainment center of Monaco. The first of them will show tourists a fountain-plate with an inscription saying that the route of the Formula 1 automobile race runs here. The Monte Carlo race runs directly through residential areas of the city, so residents can watch it directly from their apartment windows.
The next point of the excursion will be a trip to the casino - a magnificent building, built a second time after the fire that destroyed the first casino in Monaco, and became the prototype of the famous French Opera. It was from here that the financial well-being of this tiny state began, by the will and idea of King Charles III, which became the center of the gambling industry of the Cote d'Azur. A kind of European Las Vegas. The casino can be delayed for several hours, even if you don't have the money to play the real game. It consists of several buildings that house restaurants, luxury hotels and, of course, a theater.
If you turn to the sea from the walls of the casino, you will find many sunny terraces and a variety of flower beds. And if you leave the casino on the other side, you will see wonderful gardens with garden sculptures.
The Japanese Garden is another attraction of Monte Carlo. Here is a heavenly place filled with ponds, fountains, luxurious greenery. Everything is done in Japanese style, hence the name.
Finally, Monte Carlo roads lead to the embankment, where there is another local attraction - the football players' alley. Such a peculiar alley of stars, on which many football celebrities left their dear footprints. Perhaps, except for the beach and many entertainment venues with attractions, that's all.
Old cars and other attractions in the Fontvieille area
This set of vintage cars belongs to the Prince of Monaco, but the collection is open to everyone. Hundreds of vintage cars, six carriages are located on one of the terraces in the Fontvieille area, where you can get there by paying 6 euros for an adult ticket, and 3 euros for a child. Military vehicles and horse-drawn carriages must be photographed, there are truly valuable exhibits.
A guided tour of Fontvieille will take you to the Naval Museum, which houses collections of boats and ships, boats and yachts, from ancient times to the present day.
Down the avenue Saint-Martin
There is an interesting ocean museum built right in the rock in 1889. It houses an operating institute of oceanography, and the museum itself was headed in 1957 by the Frenchman Jacques-Yves Cousteau, familiar to all Russians from the "Travelers Club". Here you can see exotic fish, see corals, and all this will cost 14 and 7 euros, respectively, for adults and children.
Then the avenue will lead you to the gardens of St. Martin - a public park with a good view of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to various sculptures, there is a good pond and a lot of shady alleys.
You cannot pass by the cathedral, which is located right there, not far from Avenue Saint-Martin. Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, who died in a car accident, and her husband, Prince Rainier III, are buried here.
Eclectic style
And, of course, one cannot fail to visit the famous palace of Charles Garnier, built on the top of a cliff in the eclectic style and is the epitome of luxury. At different times, Anna Pavlova and Chaliapin, Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt performed here on the stage of the opera hall. Accordingly, the audience of these artists was just as significant.
