Monaco

The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297, when Francois Grimaldi entered the fortress disguised as a Franciscan monk and seized control. The disguised monk is still on the coat of arms, which is the kind of self-aware institutional joke that takes centuries to appreciate fully. The principality has grown around 20% through land reclamation from the sea since then – the newest district, Mareterra, completed in 2024 and adding 6 hectares east of Larvotto – and is now a sovereign city-state of 2 square kilometres with roughly 38,000 residents, the most densely populated country in the world. The Grimaldis are still in charge, which is an unusual continuity in European governance.

Monaco sits between the French Riviera and the Mediterranean, 15 km from the Italian border, and within its footprint contains a Grand Prix circuit, a Belle Epoque casino, a world-class oceanographic museum, a deepwater superyacht marina, an opera house, and some of the most expensive real estate on earth. It works beautifully as a day trip from Nice or as a short stay of its own.

Getting Oriented

Monaco divides into distinct neighbourhoods. Monaco-Ville (Le Rocher) is the fortified old town on a limestone promontory with the Prince’s Palace, Cathedral, and Oceanographic Museum. La Condamine is the port district below, centred on Port Hercule. Monte Carlo is the glittering eastern district of the casino, grand hotels, and the Salle Garnier opera house. Monaco is small enough to walk across in under an hour, but it climbs steeply from the sea; public lifts and escalators link the levels.

What to See

The Prince’s Palace, parts of which date to a 12th-century Genoese fortress, has state apartments open to visitors in summer. The Changing of the Guard at 11:55 outside the main gate is a brief, free daily spectacle.

The Oceanographic Museum, founded by Prince Albert I in 1910 and later directed by Jacques Cousteau, has a shark lagoon, Mediterranean aquaria, and upper-floor galleries on ocean exploration in a dramatic cliffside Beaux-Arts building. It is one of the better small natural history museums in Europe and consistently underrated.

The Monte Carlo Casino, designed by Charles Garnier and opened in 1863, has an ornate atrium accessible to non-gamblers for a modest fee. The Salle Garnier opera house adjoins it.

Walk the 3.3-km Grand Prix circuit – it is public road outside race weekend. Start at Casino Square, descend through the Fairmont hairpin, plunge into the tunnel, follow the harbourfront, and climb back up.

Where to Eat

Le Louis XV (Alain Ducasse at Hotel de Paris) has three Michelin stars and Provencal-French cuisine. It is expensive and it is earned.

U Cavagnetu in Monaco-Ville serves actual Monegasque specialties at non-palace prices: barbajuan (fried herb-and-chard pastries), stocafi (stockfish stew), and fougasse Monegasque (anise-flavored flatbread). This is the correct lunch.

Marche de la Condamine at Place d’Armes is a morning market with a food hall popular with locals for pizza-a-la-planche, socca, and fresh pasta at prices that remind you the city-state does not run entirely on gold.

Where to Stay

Hotel de Paris, opened in 1864 and fully refurbished in 2019, is the grande dame overlooking Casino Square. Both it and Hotel Hermitage (with a stained-glass dome from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop) are genuinely excellent and priced accordingly. Many travellers sensibly stay in Nice (20 to 30 minutes by train) and day-trip to Monaco.

Practical Notes

A coffee at a sidewalk cafe costs double what you pay elsewhere on the Riviera. Smart casual for most restaurants; jackets expected at casino gaming rooms and palace-hotel dining. The coastal train from Nice is scenic, fast, and cheap.