With the Monaco Yacht Show coming up this week, Sept 21-24, I thought this article might be of interest. Originally posted on Friday, Sept 9 at thestar.com (http://ow.ly/6x9hn) by Lorianna DeGiorgio, it offers some good information to visitors of the area.
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| The Monte Carlo Casino is probably the most famous gambling establishment in Europe. MONTE CARLO, MONACO—Glamour doesn’t get any bigger than Monaco. Nestled between France and Italy on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the wealthy principality is the second smallest country in the world next to Vatican City. |
If you envision Monaco being all about Ferraris, Chanel handbags and champagne, well, you’re not dreaming. The constitutional principality, which is roughly the size of New York City’s Central Park is home to the world famous Monte Carlo Casino, 13th-century Prince’s Palace, F1 Grand Prix and superb shops and dining.
Monaco’s four main districts — Monaco-Ville, the old town, Monte Carlo, Fontvieille and the port area known as La Condamine — house the wealthy pursuits the country is known for. Throw in breathtaking sea views, a rugged landscape and steep, winding streets and it’s hard not to be caught up in the allure.
Like other French and Italian Riviera destinations, Monaco boasts a warm, dry summer and a mild winter, at roughly 10 C degrees or so.
Monaco is ruled by the House of Grimaldi, which dates to the 13th century when the family seized control of Italy’s House of Genovese.
Over the centuries, France and Italy continued to fight for control of the small country, but the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861 granted full sovereignty to Monaco. French is the country’s official language, followed by the ancient language of Monegasque spoken by its locals.
The Grimaldi family marked 700 years of rule in 1997, and today Prince Albert II acts as its head of state after taking over from his father, Prince Rainier III, who died in 2005.
Once an elusive bachelor, Albert has been in the news lately thanks to his multi-million-euro wedding in July to former South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock. Those nuptials, and the sensational gossip surrounding the couple’s relationship, made headlines around the globe and brought more attention to the prince’s homeland.
The city boasts a number of French and Italian cafés and restaurants for lunchtime. There are pizzerias throughout the city catering to the American tourists. But if gastronomy is what you’re after the country offers several renowned restaurants in La Condamine and Monte Carlo. Dining in any area of Monaco will cost you a pretty penny so eat a light lunch so you can splurge on dinner.
If you’re going to stay in Monaco overnight, then the Fairmont Monte Carlo is probably the best hotel in the principality. The hotel’s rooftop pool overlooks the city, and its series of bars and restaurants offer breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. The fact that the hotel’s entrance is at the well-known “hairpin” turn of the Grand Prix race course only ups the ante.
If shopping is your thing, Monte Carlo’s Le Centre Commercial is home to more than 80 boutiques, while the stories around the Cercle d’Op and the Galerie du Park Palace are home to top designer brands.
If you’re looking for souvenirs, then the small shops in Monaco-Ville are the best, as is the open-air market in La Condamine at Place d’Armes.
But it’s not just shopping and people-watching in Monaco. Some of its top attractions are also some of its oldest and most storied, including the Chapel of Mercy in Monaco-Ville, which dates to the 17th century, the Prince’s Palace atop the “Le Rocher” of Monaco-Ville and on the site of the Genovese fortress, and the grandiose Monaco Cathedral, which dates to the late 1800s and houses the tombs of Rainier III and his wife, Princess Grace Kelly, the Hollywood actress who died tragically in 1982. She is the mother of Albert and his two sisters.
Tourism and gambling are Monaco’s biggest economic bases; Monte Carlo Casino is perhaps Europe’s most well-known casino.
The casino, famed for its appearances in James Bond films, and the adjacent Opera House were built in the late 1870s by architect Charles Garnier, who designed the famous Paris Opera House. Daily tours are available of the casino’s Salon Europe with its roulette and Punto Blanco tables and Salle des Amériques with its Black Jack and Craps tables. Access to the casino is prohibited to anyone 18 or younger or anyone without proper attire — so dress up.
The pristinely cultivated gardens surrounding the casino are also worth a visit.
Gardens run aplenty in the tiny country of 32,000 people. The Roseraie or Rose Garden of Princess Grace with its 150 varieties of roses honour the life of the garden’s namesake. The Jardin Japonais near Larvotto Beach is a zen oasis.
For any soccer lover, the Champions Promenade is a must-see. The boulevard running along the Mediterranean has footprints of some of the greatest soccer players in history.
Monaco’s tiny pebble beaches offer inviting dips in the sea. Monte Carlo Beach and Larvotto Beach are the top two with both locales and tourists swimming, sunbathing and participating in water skiing, windsurfing and jet skiing.
For the nautically minded there is also an Olympic-sized pool facing the harbour, and the nearby Monaco Yacht Club where multi-million-dollar yachts rest in Port Hercule.
Monaco is home to a number of museums for such a small country. The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium on Avenue Saint-Martin offers glimpses into what lurches in the Mediterranean, while the Museum of Napoleonic Souvenirs at the Prince’s Palace and the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology offer peeks into Monaco’s past.
JUST THE FACTS
ARRIVING The closest airport to Monaco is Côte d’Azur International Airport in Nice, France. There is no direct flight from Toronto to Nice, so the best bet is to fly first to Montreal then to Nice.
Monaco is accessible by train with connecting lines to several French and Italian cities. There are daily train rides to Milan and Genoa, overnight trips to Paris and Rome, and several daily trains to the towns on the French and Italian rivieras.
STAYING The Fairmont Monte Carlo (+377 93 50 65 00; www.fairmont.com/montecarlo) offers sea views, a series of cafés and restaurants and an excellent concierge service. The hotel offers over 600 guest rooms and private suites. Prices start at 259 euros a night for a standard room.)
The oldest hotel in Monaco is Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo, which dates to the 19th century and is near the designer shops of Chanel, Prada and Hermes. Prices range from 440 euros a night for a standard room and go up to 2,000 euros for a night in one of the opulent suites. (+377 98 06 30 00; www.hoteldeparismontecarlo.com)
SIGHTSEEING Given its small size you can walk from one district in Monaco to another in no time. The only drawback of strolling around the principality? The steep streets. However, the problem is solved with 24/7 escalators and elevators around the downtown.
SHOPPING Monaco has it all in terms of luxury ware. Don’t expect to score a deal here. The main shopping districts are around the casino in Monte Carlo and in La Condamine.
DINING The majority of the restaurants are located in Monte Carlo and along the harbour overlooking Port Hercule.
The Quai des Artistes (+377 97 97 97 77; www.quaidesartistes.com) overlooks the stunning Port Hercule, and is mirrored after a Parisian bistro. Fresh fish, including oysters and lobster are its top sellers. Diners can expect to hobnob with the glitterati as the restaurant is popular among the VIPS who visit Monaco. A three-course meal with a bottle of wine will cost you at least 350 euros for two.
La Salle Empire in the Hôtel de Paris (+377 98 06 89 89) in Monte Carlo offers a Mediterranean cuisine including Monegasque soup, fresh fish and vitello tonnato, a cold veal served with tuna-flavoured mayonnaise and capers. A three-course meal with wine will cost you roughly 200 euros.
Another people-watching favourite is La Brasserie du Café de Paris at Place du Casino (+377 98 06 76 23, www.montecarloresort.com). A meal for two will run you around 150 euros with wine.
TIPPING Like in other parts of Western Europe, service at restaurants and hotels is already included in your bill, so if the service is exceptional — and trust me it will be — you can add more euros on top of the bill.
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