Sights in Menton
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Cimetière du Vieux Château
What a shame the occupiers of prime real estate Cimetière du Vieux Château can't appreciate the immense views. Walk up montée du Souvenir to reach the main gates of the ornate 19th-century cemetery. Rugby inventor, Reverend William Webb Ellis (1805-72), is buried in the southwest corner. For more grave musing and marvellous vistas, continue north along steep chemin du Trabuquet to Cimetière du Trabuquet.
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Clos du Peyronnet
British artist and garden landscaper Humphry Waterfield's green-fingered triumph, designed around his Italianate villa. These terraced gardens with cypress-tree tunnels, wisteria-shaded porticoes and an incredible series of water pools tumbling down to the Med are exceptional. Pots and pots of rare South African bulbs are a horticultural highlight.
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La Citronneraie
Cultivated by Mentonnais farmers several centuries ago, the Lemon Grove is just that - and more. The 350 citrus trees - think lemons, oranges, clementines, grapefruit - date to the 1950s, but the olive grove is at least 600 years old. Find it hugging Mas Flofaro on a hill above Menton. The tourist office arranges visits.
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Jardin Fontana Rosa
Created by Spanish novelist Vicente Blasco Ibañez in the 1920s and dedicated to writers, its vivid colours are meant to conjure up Spain, but with fanciful benches, pergolas, pools and ceramics the effect is more of a delightful fairyland. Advance reservations at the Service de Patrimoine.
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Jardins des Colombières
Olive trees, cypresses, lavender and other non-exotic plants feature here, inspired by different figures in Greek mythology. They were designed in 1919 by Ferdinand Bac (1859-1952), comic writer and the illegitimate son of Napoleon III. Advance reservations at the Service de Patrimoine.
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Jardin Botanique Exotique du Val Rahmeh
This wonderful garden was laid out in 1905 for Lord Radcliffe, then governor of Malta. The terraces overflow with exotic fruit-tree collections and subtropical plants, including the only European specimen of the Easter Island tree Sophora toromiro, now extinct on the island.
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Musée Jean Cocteau
Displays drawings, tapestries and mosaics by the multitalented poet, dramatist, artist and film director. In 2005, avid Cocteau collector Séverin Wunderman donated some 1500 Cocteau works to Menton, which will be displayed in a new museum scheduled to open in 2011.
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Jardin de la Villa Maria Serena
France's most temperate garden - known for its palm, olive and citrus trees - framing the white Villa Maria Serena, designed in a grandiose Second Empire style by Charles Garnier in 1866. Advance reservations at the Service de Patrimoine.
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Villa Isola Bella
Between 1920 and 1921 novelist Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) stayed in the Villa Isola Bella, in the upmarket neighbourhood of Garavan, to attempt to ease her worsening tuberculosis. A plaque on the villa wall marks her stay.
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Jardin de la Serre de la Madone
It was American gardener Lawrence Johnston who planted dozens of rare plants here, picked up from his travels around the world. Abandoned for decades, it is slowly being restored. Take bus 7 to the 'Serre de la Madone' stop.
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Jardin de l'Esquinade
Alongside the predictable mimosa, palm and lemon tree grows a rich bounty of vegetables and 120 different types of fruit tree, pomegranate, fig, pistachio and jujube included. Visits arranged directly through the owner.
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Basilique St-Michel Archange
From place du Cap a ramp leads to Southern France's grandest baroque church, the Italianate Basilique St-Michel Archange with creamy façade is flanked by a 35m-tall clock tower and 53m-tall steeple (1701-03).
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
Along the coast, Monaco's royal family summered at 18th-century Palais Carnolès, today the Musée des Beaux-Arts, surrounded by a fabulous lemon and orange grove studded with sculptures.
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Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs
Up the steps from the Basilique St-Michel Archange is apricot-coloured Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs, built in 1689, which has an ornate trompe l'œil cupola inside.
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Salles des Mariages
In 1957 Jean Cocteau decorated Menton's Salles des Mariages, inside the town hall, with scenes of Orpheus' and Eurydice's wedding, galloping horses and starry local lovers.
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Jardin d'Agrumes du Palais Carnolès
Menton's most famous citrus garden in the grounds of Palais Carnolès; 60 different varieties, 400 plants, sprinkled with contemporary sculptures .
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Parc du Pian
Near to Jardin Fontana Rosa, Parc du Pian has a 1000-year-old grove of 530 olive trees.
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Plage de Menton
With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, it's very likely you'll want to spend some time on Menton's free pebble beaches or private sandy ones.
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