Monaco

The Grimaldi Family Has Ruled Monaco Since 1297 – Longer Than Most European Nations Have Existed

As of 2026, that is 729 years of unbroken dynastic rule over 2 square kilometres of cliff-face territory between the French Alps and the Mediterranean. Monaco packs a Grand Prix circuit, a royal palace, two major casinos, an opera house, a deepwater marina with several hundred superyachts, and some of the most expensive real estate on earth into that footprint. No income tax. No airport. Population around 38,000, barely a quarter of whom are actually Monegasque citizens.

Most visitors arrive expecting Monaco to be absurd – an elaborate stage set for the conspicuously wealthy – and leave with a more complicated opinion. The absurdity is real. So is the beauty.

Understanding the Districts

Monaco-Ville (Le Rocher) is the historic old town on a fortified promontory: the Prince’s Palace, cathedral, and Oceanographic Museum. La Condamine is the port district below, centred on Port Hercule and the morning produce market at Place d’Armes. Monte Carlo to the east holds the casino, grand hotels, designer shopping, and the Salle Garnier opera house. Larvotto is the beach district, recently expanded by the Mareterra land-reclamation project that added 3 new hectares to Monaco’s total territory – worth noting because Monaco is literally growing.

What to See

The Oceanographic Museum was founded by Prince Albert I in 1910 and later directed by Jacques Cousteau from 1957 to 1988. It clings to a cliff on Monaco-Ville’s seaward edge; the building’s position hanging over the sea is remarkable even from the water below. The aquariums and historical deep-sea exploration exhibition make this one of the best museums on the Riviera, and it is consistently underrated by visitors who come only for the casino.

The Casino de Monte-Carlo was designed by Charles Garnier – the same architect who designed the Paris Opera – and opened in 1863. It funded the modern principality. The ornate atrium is accessible for a small fee; gaming rooms require higher admission and appropriate dress.

The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate holds the tombs of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly. The visit is free and brief.

Walking the Grand Prix circuit costs nothing and takes 30 minutes: Casino Square, through the tunnel, along Port Hercule, back up through La Rascasse corner. The same street circuit has run since 1929, making it the oldest and slowest Formula 1 track in the calendar – genuinely impressive that modern cars still race here.

Eating

Cafe de Paris Monte-Carlo on Casino Square serves steak tartare and sole meuniere in a Belle Epoque brasserie that is genuinely good rather than just conveniently located. U Cavagnetu in Monaco-Ville does Monegasque specialties including barbajuan – fried herb-and-chard pastries that are the principality’s most specific food – and is one of the few genuinely unpretentious places in the principality.

Getting There

Train from Nice: 20 to 30 minutes. Helicopter from Nice Airport: 7 minutes, and the price is not as unreasonable as you might expect if split between two or three people. Book accommodation months ahead for the Monaco Grand Prix in late May – which roughly triples prices and makes driving essentially impossible – or for the Yacht Show in September.