Car Rental in Monte Carlo

Tourist information - Monte Carlo

Due to its exceptional geographical location, Monaco benefits from a mild Mediterranean climate, with average annual temperatures of 16.2°C (62.16°F), and 300 days of sunshine per year, which makes it the envy of many other destinations.

But the climate is not the only attraction ; a convention or seminar is an excellent excuse to discover Monaco's many hidden charms.

Since the 1850's, some of the world's greatest architects have left their mark in Monaco and the surrounding area. Charles Garnier designed the Monte-Carlo Casino. Gustave Eiffel built a sumptuous villa in Beaulieu and also contributed to the design of the famous winter garden at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monaco. You follow in their footsteps whilst strolling around the Principality and along the Mediterranean coast.

Admire the classic - almost baroque - façades. Some have even inherited oriental splendours from the nineteenth century. Behind some of the multicoloured mosaics, one can catch a glimpse of a bygone age.

Visitors will notice perfectly curved balustrades, sometimes enhanced with ceramics, and the typically Mediterranean terracotta stone railings which border paths leading to doors behind which lies History itself.

Some of the greatest names in the world of art and culture have sought inspiration in Monaco and the surrounding area. The peacefulness and the Mediterranean warmth have aroused some of the most daring visions of modernity. One name that springs to mind is, of course, Le Corbusier.

Certain creators have transferred their colourful magic to the bewitching ceilings of the tiniest churches. One thinks firstly of the diminutive quayside chapel decorated by Cocteau in Villefranche-sur-Mer, but Chagall and Matisse also performed their magic nearby.

Our era has seen a new passion for garden develop, and the Principality of Monaco and the surrounding areas are overflowing with fine examples. As the Principality wishes to preserve its roots amidst the advance of urbanisation, it has established a parks and gardens policy ; with a total surface of 195 hectares, it has the second largest amount of open space -250.000 m2- of any city in Europe after Vienna. Everywhere visitors can admire rare botanical species, as well as flowers and plants symbolising simplicity and freshness.

Until the 19th century, there were the secret gardens which added to the charm of the Principality's monasteries. Apart from these, only the Palace gardens were worthy of such a name. Prince Honoré II (1604-1662) did not hesitate to demolish some of the Palace walls in order to make room for fountains, paths and flower borders planted with citrus fruit trees.

The first signs of exoticism appeared in 1760 when the priest at the Church of Saint Nicholas introduced a few "strange exotic plants". Princess Marie-Catherine, a keen botanist, became very interested in growing pineapples, aloes, Mexican beans, and tea imported from India and China.

Pharmacopoeia and landscape soon merged. In 1816, Prince Honoré V created the very first gardens (the Saint Martin Gardens) on the Rock. Myrtle and pistachio trees soon became part of the local botanical scenery.

The "green revolution" happened in 1863 with the creation of the gardens around the Casino, still in existence today. Edouard André combined many different styles: classic French pathways in the Boulingrins Gardens, and exotic nooks in the Little Africa Gardens.

All of this, developped with the greatest care, blended in marvellously with the tradition of the French Riviera's remarkable gardens.

Lovers of fine gardens will be seduced not only by the scenery at the Villa Hanbury, situated just over the nearby Italian border, but also by still relatively secret gardens tucked away in Monaco and around the Corniches.

The new Monaco railway station is being built in an underground site; the Principality plans landscaping at least half of the land presently taken up by the old station.

The Italian border is a mere 10 kilometers away from the Principality. Italy and Monaco share a special luminosity which enticed the great masters of art in general, and painting in particular.

Yes, the Riviera brought Europe together before everyone else did. The palm trees along its coastline know no frontiers. The azure blue Mediterranean lapping along its sea-shore has always been a link. From Monaco to San Remo, people savour the gentle way of life and the pleasure of falling under its charm.

One thinks of the little ports, home to fishermen and holidaymakers alike. However, not so far away, high up in the southern Alps, almost hidden amongst the valleys and waterfalls, visitors will discover charming little Italian mountain villages. This is the Ligurian cradle of Monégasque culture.

Towers, castles, fortified places; stones, hewn piled up by men determined to protect their kingdoms, have left proud traces all around the Principality. Such milestones of History are legion here.

In the village of La Turbie - home to the white stone used to construct the Palace of Monaco - situated high above the Principality, one can admire the monument built in memory of Emperor Augustus. The Roman Empire built much here and along the Via Julia Augusta. La Turbie then became one of the hill-top villages where men defended not only their independence but, also, their safety during the trials and tribulations of history. The Phoenicians, Romans and Saracens all passed through the nearby village of Eze, perched atop the mountains, so typical of the area. All have left a trace in the collective memory. All have contributed to these places which defy time.