Sights in Monaco
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Monaco Formula One Grand Prix
The scent of singed tyres fills the air at May's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix . If there's one trophy a Formula One driver would like to have on the mantelpiece, it would have to be from the most glamorous race of the season, the Monaco Grand Prix. This race has everything.
Its spectators are the most sensational: the merely wealthy survey the spectacle from Hôtel Hermitage, the really rich watch from their luxury yachts moored in the harbour, while the Grimaldis see the start and finish from the royal box at the port.
Then there's the setting: the cars scream around the very centre of the city, racing uphill from the start/finish line to place du Casino, then downhill a…
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Palais du Prince
Monaco's royal palace has been around since the 13th century. Every Grimaldi since has found it necessary to leave their mark on the place, and as a result this is not one of Europe's most elegant castles. It is worth taking a look inside though - 15 rooms, including the Throne Room, are open to the public.
If you've already blown your cash and can't afford the entrance fee, the changing of the guard won't cost you a cent. It starts just before noon and is over within two minutes, so be on time. Dressed in spiffy white uniform in summer, black in winter, the guards appear apparently resigned to the comic-opera nature of their duties.
In the south wing of the palace, the M…
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Musée Océanographique
Stuck dramatically to the edge of a cliff since 1910, the world-renowned Musée Océanographique - a Prince Albert I (1848-1922) creation - is a stunner. Its centrepiece is the 7.5m-long coral reef, with vivid tropical fish on one side and deep-sea predators on the other. Ninety smaller tanks contain a dazzling 450 Mediterranean and tropical species, sustained by 250,000L of freshly pumped sea water per day.
The Whale Room, filled with cetacean skeletons and pickled embryos, and fanciful seabird-covered chandeliers, mosaic floors and oak doorframes carved into marine shapes at every turn complete the mesmerising ensemble. Kids will love the tactile basin; tickets for the …
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Jardin Exotique
Who would've thought cacti could be so much fun? With 7000 varieties of cacti and succulents, the Jardin Exotique is paradise for prickle-lovers. If 7000 cacti is about 6998 too many, the garden is still worth a visit for its spectacular views.
Your ticket also gets you a 35-minute guided tour round the Grottes de l'Observatoire, a prehistoric cave network stuffed with stalactites and stalagmites. Admission to the Musée d'Anthropologie Préhistorique (Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology) is also included.
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Grottes de l'Observatoire
Take a 35-minute guided tour round the Grottes de l'Observatoire, a prehistoric cave network stuffed with stalactites and stalagmites, 279 steps down inside the hillside; strangely, it's the only cave in Europe where the temperature rises as you descend. Admission to the cactus collection and Musée d'Anthropologie Préhistorique is also included.
From the tourist office, take bus 2 to the Jardin Exotique stop.
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Cathédrale de Monaco
Visitors flood to this Romanesque-Byzantine Cathédrale de Monaco, built in 1875, to view the flower-covered graves of fairy-tale couple, Princess Grace (1929-82) and Prince Rainier III.
September to June, Sunday Mass is sung by Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco, Monaco's boys' choir, although tours in July and August can take the choir out of town. Organ recitals are at held on alternate Saturdays, July to September.
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Digue de l'Avant Port
Take a nautical stroll around the port and up the stairs next to Yacht Club de Monaco onto the Digue de l'Avant Port, a record-breaking floating dike, 28m wide, 352m long and weighing 163,000 tonnes, that doubled Monaco port's capacity overnight when it was unveiled in 2004. From its southern end a path winds along the coast and up through the shady Jardins St-Martin to Monaco Ville.
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Parc Fontvieille
The lush gardens of Parc Fontvieille are pleasant for a summer stroll; more than 4000 rose bushes and a small swan-filled lake adorn the Roseraie Princesse Grace (Princess Grace Rose Garden), planted in her memory in 1984. Contemporary sculptures, including works by César and Arman, line the length of the park's Chemin des Sculptures.
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Collection de Voitures Anciennes
Highlights of the 100-odd classic cars displayed in the Palace's regal Collection de Voitures Anciennes include a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, a wedding present from local shopkeepers to Rainier III; a black London cab (Austin 1952) fitted out for Grace Kelly; and the first F1 racing car to win the Monaco Grand Prix - the Bugatti 1929.
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Grimaldi Forum
Monaco's congress and conference centre, the Grimaldi Forum, is worth a peak for its architecture - think glass crystal, two-thirds submerged in the sea - and designer dining and drinking spaces. Otherwise, contemporary art exhibitions and cultural happenings add spice to daily Monagésque life.
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Musée des Souvenirs Napoléoniens et Archives Historiques du Palais
In the Palais Princier's southern wing princely collections of bric-a-brac (medals, coins, uniforms and swords), Napoleon's socks and other fascinating objects of day-to-day life form the Musée des Souvenirs Napoléoniens et Archives Historiques du Palais.
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Musée d'Anthropologie Préhistorique
This museum displays human artefacts. Also included in the admission are the Grottes de l'Observatoire and the cactus collection. Note that the museum closes 15 minutes before the gardens.
From the tourist office, take bus 2 to the Jardin Exotique stop.
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Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco Choir
September to June, Sunday Mass at 10:00 is sung by Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco Choir, Monaco's boys' choir, although tours in July and August can take the choir out of town. Organ recitals are at held at 18:00 on alternate Saturdays, July to September.
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Palais Princier State Apartments
If the Grimaldi standard is flying from the palace tower, it means the Prince is at home. Sneak a peak at royal life with an audioguide tour of the Palais Princier State Apartments; in summer queue for up to 45 minutes to get in.
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Jardin Japonais
Sandwiched between built-up Monte Carlo, Larvotto and the Mediterranean, the Jardin Japonais is intended as a piece of paradise. It was blessed by a Shinto high priest and quiet contemplation and meditation is encouraged.
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Stade Louis II
The stadium is home to the AS Monaco football team. Buy match tickets from the ticket office inside or view the stadium as part of a 20-minute guided tour; just turn up at the respective time and buy a ticket.
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Musée de la Chapelle de la Visitation
Religious artworks by some big-hitters, including Rubens, Zurbaran and Ribera, are displayed in the enchanting Musée de la Chapelle de la Visitation, a 17th-century baroque chapel.
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Monte Carlo Story
Ticky-tacky but busy is Monte Carlo Story, a 35-minute film about the Grimaldi dynasty accessed via the escalator in front of the Musée Océanographique.
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Musée National
Monaco's Musée National is a Garnier-designed villa filled with dolls and mechanical toys (with demonstrations in the afternoons at half past the hour).
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Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies
The Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies contains Monégasque stamps dating from 1885 and numismatic wonders from 1640.
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Rampe Major
The 16th-century red-brick Rampe Major provides a steep pedestrian link from the port area of La Condamine to the palace.
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Jardins St-Martin
The steep-sided, statue-studded Jardins St-Martin runs round the coast outside the Musée Océanographique.
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Musée Naval
An impressive collection of 200-plus model ships fills the Musée Naval.
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