Page 508 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

EXPERIENCE Provence and the Côte d’Azur

5
family, the Grimaldis, founded
MONACO where Europe’s oldest ruling
their principality in the 13th
century. Today, in contrast to
warren of narrow medieval
! G6 k Nice, 15 km (9 miles) SW of Monaco £ Monaco- the flashy modern city, it is a
Monte Carlo, pl Ste-Dévote @ Pl ace des Moulins n 2A blvd lanes set around the Palais
des Moulins; www.visitmonaco.com Princier, where the Grimaldis
still live, which has wonderful
The mega-yachts of the world’s richest men and frescoes and a dramatically
women weigh anchor at Port de Monaco, and world- opulent throne room.
famous sports stars and their consorts hog the VIP
tables in the exclusive nightspots of the world’s Palais Princier
second smallest country. An ambitious €2 billion " Place du Palais # Mar–Oct:
project to create a new millionaire’s enclave on sand 10am–6pm daily ∑ palais.mc
dredged from the seabed began in 2016 and is
expected to take ten years to complete.
3 "
gilded bas-reliefs. The slot Monaco Top
1 " machines now in the Salle Cars Collection
Casino de Monte Carlo des Amériques and Salle
Renaissance have made this ⌂ Les Terrasses de
⌂ Place du Casino # 2pm– Fontvieille # 10am–
4am daily ∑ casinomonte once-exclusive venue more 6pm daily ∑ mtcc.mc
egalitarian, and full evening
carlo.com
dress is no longer de rigueur, This petrolheads’ paradise
Monaco owes much of its fame but the casino still strives to began as the personal col lec-
to this glorious monument, maintain a certain decorum. tion of Prince Rainier III. It is
which harkens back to the late one of the world’s greatest
19th century, when this tiny collections of classic cars,
principality came to be seen 2 from a quaint 1903 De Dion
as the place to frolic, flirt and Bouton to sleek thoroughbreds
play games of chance for high Le Rocher bear ing the hood ornaments
stakes. Renovated in 1878 by Set on the Rock, a sheer-sided, and badges of Maserati,
Charles Garnier, architect of flat-topped finger of land Rolls Royce and the like.
the Paris Opéra (p111), the extending 792 m (2,600 ft) There are also important race
dazzling interior is decorated into the sea, Le Rocher (also and rally contenders from
with glittering chandeliers, called Monaco-Ville) is the historic Monaco Grand Prix
ostentatious frescoes and historic quarter of Monaco and Monte Carlo Rally events.
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