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Under the sparkling rays of more than 300 sunny days a year, Monaco glistens with promise. A thriving city on the Mediterranean coastline, just an hour from Nice Airport, this is a place where pleasure is a serious business. It is home to the rich and famous and their fabulous yachts, and a paradise for shoppers and spa-aficionados. The royal family brings a touch of Hollywood glamour to Monaco with the recently opened Princess Grace Promenade, a guided tour through the principality that takes in 25 landmarks loved by the late Princess.
Whether here for a convention at the globally acclaimed Grimaldi Forum, taking in the Formula One race or Tennis Open, catching one of the annual musical festivals or trying your luck at the casino, visitors should schedule in down-time in this recreational haven. Golf, tennis, yachting or other water sports are popular options, while the principality’s Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet and Opera companies are world famous, and there is no shortage of art to be found in the New Museum as well as the Grimaldi Forum.
Be Mad !
Tour de France
This year’s Tour de France kicks off in Monaco, which hasn’t seen participants whiz through the principality since 1964. In fact, southern French settings have only hosted the start of the race four times in the last 30 years. Enjoy the crazy buzz of the world’s most famous cycling meet at several events, beginning with a presentation of participants on July 2, a 15km trial race on July 4 and the official ceremony and race start on July 5. Given the enthusiastic support of Monaco’s monarchy, headed by Prince Albert II, visitors can expect glamour and excitement in equal doses.
Crazy dreams !
Famed as the place where the writer Colette spent the last years of her life, the Hôtel de Paris remains one of France’s most magnificent hotels. The hotel's restaurant is headed by Alain Ducasse and is famous for its simple but superb country cooking. Legend has it that Crepes Suzette was invented here in the late 1800s, when a waiter inadvertently set a pancake on fire while England's Prince of Wales was dining here. The dish was reputedly named after his fashionable young companion.
Bon Appétit!
A stalwart of Monaco’s social scene for some 10 years, Alain Ducasse’s glamorous establishment Bar and Boeuf has had its interior given a bold makeover. Its white floors, black lacquer ceilings, glass expanses and splashes of bougainvillea throughout are as Mediterranean as they are modern, well complementing the menu. For appetisers, expect unusual treats such as crostini with locally grown almonds and olives; for mains, order the signature sea bass or beef dishes, all served with imaginative lashings of meadow mushrooms, sweet marjoram, sundrenched tomatoes and other local flavours.
One in a life!
Held on a narrow course that laps the island, Monaco’s Grand Prix is considered one of the most dangerous Formula One races in the world owing to its narrow roads, steep slopes and tight corners. Try watching the event from a hotel or restaurant terrace, while dining on one of the many special lunch menus created for the occasion.
Or splash out and rent a glamorous Monaco residence with a terrace; expect to pay anywhere between 8,000 and 140,000 for the privilege. Alternatively, contact the Automobile Club of Monaco to purchase one of the 3,000 plus spectator seats available, with prices ranging from 90 to 500 Euros.
For even more information on the region Monaco, please click here
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