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Although it's more a pre-breakfast stroll
than a country, Monaco packs a lot of living into a little land. Most
of the people who live here come from somewhere else, drawn by the sun,
glamourous lifestyle and - most importantly - tax-free income. This
is the playground of Europe's elite, a country where lady luck might
clean you out at the casino one day and put you on the Grimaldi's guest
list the next.
For those whose 'things to pack' list doesn't include a backless ballgown,
Monaco can still be a hoot. Although you won't find cheap digs, native
culture or untouched wilderness, you can snap up a Prince Rainier commemorative
mug, gawk at the limos outside the Casino and surround yourself with
topless wannabe starlets on Monte Carlo's beach. Live it up
Geography
A sovereign and independent state, the Principality of Monaco has
borders on its landward side with several communes of the French Department
of the Alpes-Maritimes; from west to east these are Cap d'Ail, la Turbie,
Beausoleil and Roquebrune Cap Martin. Seawards, Monaco faces the Mediterranean.
The population of the Principality consists of 29,972 inhabitants, 5,070
of whom are Monégasques, 12,047 French and 5,000 Italian (according
to the last official census in 1990).
Its surface area is 485 acres, of which nearly 100 were recovered from
the sea during the course of the last twenty years.
It lies in a narrow coastal strip which sometimes rises vertically upwards
with its highest point at 206 feet. Its width varies between .65 miles
and a mere 382 yards. Its coastline is 2.5 miles long.
The Principality has only one commune, Monaco, whose limits are the
same as those of the state.
Monaco is divided into five areas :
Monaco-Ville on the Rock, the old fortified town, with the Prince's
Palace, the ramparts, the gardens, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic
Museum.
The Condamine, the harbor area.
Monte Carlo, created in 1866, in the reign of Prince Charles III who
gave it its name, with its internationally famous Casino, its great
hotels and leisure facilities, some created recently : Larvotto beach,
the Monte Carlo Sporting Club, the Boulingrins Gardens.
Fontvieille, a great technical achievement with the filling-in with
rock of 40 meters of water to produce a platform of 22 hectares supporting
an urban, tourist and sports complex adjoining a yachting harbor and
a pollution-free industrial zone.
Moneghetti, the Révoires and the Exotic Gardens (on the western
border with Cap d`Ail).
Climate
Situated at the heart of Mediterranean Europe, the Principality of Monaco
enjoys a particularly mild climate, with more than 300 days of sunshine
per year. In winter, temperatures average between 45 to 58 degrees Farenheit
with sunny days and cool nights. In the springtime, "Le Mistral"
wind creates crystal clear skies with temperatures in the 50s-60s. Most
summers are in the 80s with hot spells for a week or so in July and
August. Sea breezes cool down the evenings. One of the loveliest times
to be in Monaco is fall. With temperatures in the 60s to 70s, people
are still sun-tanning on the beach until mid-October.
Currency
You will soon get used to the Euro, which is the tender found in Monaco.
It is quite simple as it is based on the decimal system. There are one
hundred centimes to each Euro. The Euro sign is €.
Currency Exchange
You can change money at the hotel or at the nearest bank. Bank hours
are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Banks are closed
on weekends and national holidays except for "Credit Foncier de
Monaco" near the casino which is open daily from 12:00 noon to
11:00 p.m. including Sundays and holidays.
Language
French is the official language, however, English
is widely spoken and understood.
Postal Information
The main post office, La Scala Palace Beaumarchais Square, is located
across the Hotel Hermitage. It has a full range of services: telephones,
telegrams, fax and calling cards. Open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For additional postal information
call +377-93-251111.
Telephone
Calling home: All major long-distance phone carriers make it easy to
phone home using their calling card codes from any pay phone or hotel.
To use one's calling card from a pay phone does require having one franc
for the initial tone to access the system. This may also require the
purchase of a French prepaid calling card known as the telecarte as
coin-operated phone booths are hard to find. You can buy a telecarte
in tobacco shops, newsstands/bookstores, post office and some cafes.
These prepaid calling cards can be used for either local or long-distance
calls, each call subtracts a certain number of units from the card.
Time Zone
Monaco is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
Access
By air : The Nice - Côte d'Azur International Airport is located
13.7 miles away from Monaco. Helicopter and bus services, taxis and
hire cars provide permanent links between the airport and the Principality.
By helicopter (scheduled services or on request), the duration of the
flight is 7 minutes.
By train : The Monaco-Monte Carlo (SNCF) railway station is a stop for
many international trains. The railway is a rapid means of communication
between the Principality and all the localities of the Côte d'Azur
from Cannes to Menton.
By road : The A8 motorway, which connects with the whole of European
motorway system, serves the Principality by means of easy access roads
(an exit A8 - RN7 coming from Nice, la Turbie going to or coming from
Nice, Roquebrune going to or coming from Italy). Local communications
are provided by three major roads : the Low, the Middle and the Great
Corniches.
Service by inter-town coaches : To Nice and Cannes, via the Low and
Middle Corniches, from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. and also in the direction of
Menton, Italy and the villages of the back country.
Some distances : Cannes 31 miles : Genoa 174 km : Geneva 323 miles :
Marseille 127 miles : Menton 4.3 miles : Nice 10.5 miles : Paris 595
miles : San Remo 22 miles : Turin 124 miles
By sea : The two harbors of the Principality, the Condamine (Hercule
harbor) and Fontvieille, are equipped to handle yachts of all tonnages
while intercontinental liners are able to anchor in the bay of Monaco.
When to go
The shoulder seasons - April/May and September/October - are the
most pleasant times, climatically, to visit Monaco. Summer - June to
August - can be very hot, and you'll be pressing flesh with most of
Europe. Winter is a better bet, as it may be a bit rainy but it's unlikely
to be too cold. Car-racing fans will probably want to be here either
in January for the Motor Rally or May for the Grand Prix.
Events & Festivals
Monaco is a country that thrives on spectacle and glitz. The big
one for the year has to be the Formula One Grand Prix, held in mid-May,
when the world's best drivers hit the city streets and crossing the
road becomes an extreme sport. Those who can't get enough of big, throbbing
engines should also be in town in January for the Monte Carlo Motor
Rally. Dedicated to showing off in all its forms, Monaco also hosts
the International Circus Festival in January, the Great Magic Prize
(an international prestidigitators' playoff) in March and the International
Fireworks Competition (duked out in the natural amphitheatre of Monaco's
harbour) in July.
THE GREAT DATES IN THE ANNUAL CULTURAL CALENDAR
The Monte Carlo International Circus Festival : The first week of
February. Established in 1974 by Prince Rainier III. Three evening performances,
a matinee and a gala evening during which the Gold and Silver Clowns
are awarded. The greatest circuses in the world are represented and
take part in the competitions held here under the eyes of an international
jury of professionals presided over by Prince Rainier III.
The Monte Carlo Television Festival :
The second week of February (its thirtieth anniversary was celebrated
in 1990). Founded by Prince Rainier III, the major event for the world
of television, recognized by the European Broadcasting Union, it functions
on the basis of the great principles which have always guided it since
its creation in 1961 and which have gained it worldwide repute among
professionals. Presided over since 1st June 1988 by Prince Albert, the
Heir to the Throne, the Festival has been able to pursue its objectives
by presenting the most varied and complete facets of modern television
: an international new images forum "IMAGINA", a competition
and an international market for cinema, television and video products.
The Great Magic Prizes :
The second week in March. An event at the summit of the conjurer's art
whose Organizing Committee is presided over by Princess Stéphanie,
orchestrated as a music-hall revue. The Great Magic Prizes were established
in 1985 : their aim is to make quality magic in its various forms better
known and appreciated by way of a competition whose winners are awarded
Gold and Silver Wands.
The Springtime of the Arts (April
and May) :
Has, since its creation in 1984, proved to be a festival of international
renown and one which has been a member since 1986 of the European Association
of Music Festivals.
In accordance with the desire of its President, Princess Caroline of
Monaco, it helps to make the Principality, during a period of nearly
three weeks at Eastertide, a choice location for all those who combine
a taste for art and music. Embracing dancing and all branches of music,
including musical and operatic films, but also the theater, the Springtime
of the Arts offers a selection of events of international fame and seeks
to discover new talents which it tries to encourage by providing them
with the opportunity to perform in Monte Carlo and to make their first
recording. In addition, each edition of the Springtime of the Arts is
marked by some original event, as, for example, the restaging in 1989
of Gluck's opera "Alceste" which had not been performed since
the eighteenth century or the first performance since the eighteenth
century in western Europe of the original version of Handel's baroque
opera "Flavio".
The Bouquet Competition :
Organized by the Garden Club under the presidency of Princess Caroline
takes place at the end of April in the Fontvieille Area. It has two
juries, one made up of professional specialists in floral decoration,
the other of well-known people with recognized artistic senses. The
major award is the Grand Princess Grace of Monaco Prize.
The International Firework Festival (July and August) : Organized
since 1966 by the Municipal Festival Department, it has acquired a worthy
international reputation.
The Concerts in the Prince's Palace
(July and August) :
During these summer months, the Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys the pleasure
of giving its concerts in the wonderful setting of the Court of Honor
of the Palace which is specially adapted for these occasions.
The International Amateur Theater Festival (every four years in August)
:
Created in 1957. The only official event recognized by the International
Amateur Theater Association. Its last edition, in 1989, welcomed troupes
from 27 countries plus, for the first time, a seminar of young critics,
under the auspices of the International Theater Critics Association.
The Baroque Music Week (October)
Organized since 1983 by the Cultural Affairs Service in collaboration
with the Oiseau Lyre ("Lyre Bird") Publishing Company. France
Musique regularly records the concerts.
Getting Around
Monaco's urban bus system has six lines, and will take you to all
the tourist spots. If you want to get back to your hotel after 9pm, though,
you'll need to catch a taxi.
Taxis
Two main ranks in operation round the clock (tel: 93.50.56.28 and
radio telephone 93.15.01.01) at the Avenue de Monte-Carlo (near the Casino)
and the railway station. Four supplementary ranks: Place des Moulins,
Avenue de la Costa, Fontvieille, Beach Plaza.
Car Parks
The Chemin des Pêcheurs car park, built to serve Monaco Ville,
is located under the Oceanographic Museum; it can hold 55 coaches and
750 private cars.
With the permanent development of the new area of Fontvieille, more than
2,700 places for private cars and 180 places for camping cars are also
available. The other main car parks are located in the Condamine in the
Place St. Dévote, in Monte-Carlo under the Boulingrins gardens,
Avenue Princesse Grace (Larvotto and Portier), Boulevard de Belgique,
Avenue St. Charles, Avenue des Spélugues (the Metropole gallery),
Boulevard Louis II, Avenue de la Costa and Place des Moulins.
The construction on the site of the old Louis II Stadium in Fontvieille,
the reconstruction of the area of the Variétés in the Condamine
and the building of the future Cultural and Exhibition Centre on the Avenue
Princesse Grace will increase the car-parking facilities of the Principality
to a considerable extent
Monaco Attractions
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 at 11:55am precisely and is over within two minutes, so be on time.
In the south wing of the palace, the Musée des Souvenirs Napoléoniens
has a collection of Napoleon's personal knickknacks, including one sock,
a handkerchief and a bunch of medals, coins, uniforms and swords.
Musée Océanographique
If you've got a thing for fishies, it's worth making the trip to Monaco
just to come here. The Musée is probably the best aquarium in Europe,
with 90 seawater tanks and a display of living coral. There's also a display
on the work of the late, great Jacques Cousteau, as well as other ocean
explorers. If you're unlucky enough to hit Monaco on one of those 65 rainy
days, this is the perfect place to console yourself.
Monte Carlo Casino
If it weren't for the Casino, Monaco would be just another little
town on the Côte d'Azure, somewhere for Parisian public servants
to take their secretaries for a dirty weekend. Instead, Monaco is a fairytale
land built on luck, where the glitterati advertise the fact that they've
got so much they're throwing it away. You may not have two francs to rub
together, but you can soak up the atmosphere and use the toilets for free,
provided you can disguise yourself as a highroller with money to burn.
However, if your ambitions go beyond one-armed bandits and hanging out
with other impoverished backpackers, you'll have to fork out - 50FF to
get into the Salon Ordinaire and 100FF for the Salons Privés -
a snap when you consider the minimum bet in the inner sanctum is US$5000.
It's almost worth it just to view the over-the-top baroque splendour of
the Casino's architecture.
THE FAVORED PLACES OF CULTURE
Monte Carlo Opera
Since 1892 the Monte Carlo Opera has occupied the Garnier Hall, named
after its architect who also designed the Paris Opera House. A hall with
a wonderful past, where many works were produced for the first time, such
as Richard Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde", in the French version,
in 1893 and Maurice Ravel's "The Child and the Spells" in 1925.
In all, forty-five lyrical works were first produced in Monte Carlo where
the greatest artists came to sing in that golden age : Melba, Caruso,
Chaliapin, Tito Schipa, Georges Thil and in our own day Ruggero Raimondi,
Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
It was also in the Garnier Hall that Monaco lived through the greatest
hours in the history of the dance. Serge de Diaghilev, Nijinski, Serge
Lifar and Ludmilla Tcherina are part of its history. They performed in
décors, outstanding in themselves, created by Picasso, Derain and
Dufy. "The Spectre of the Rose" was first produced in Monte
Carlo in 1911 starring Nijinski.
Every year John Mordler, the Director of the Monte Carlo Opera House,
presents a season of a rare quality consisting of four works, very often
new productions. The productions of the Monte Carlo Opera House have always
reached the greatest artistic heights, where 524 privileged people make
up an audience in an extraordinary atmosphere and intimacy possessed by
no other theater of international fame.
Here too, Jean-Marc Genestié and Jean-Christophe Maillot present
in like manner the various performance of the Company which begin during
the Christmas - New Year period, continue in March and April during the
Springtime of the Arts festival, in mid-August and finish at the time
of the National Holiday in November.
Between these fixed periods, the dancers go on tour abroad as before,
to Japan, Italy, the United States and to Russia where their performances
are warmly welcomed.
The Princess Grace Theater : This, the former Beaux-Arts theater
first opened in 1936, had its hours of glory with Sacha Guitry, Elvire
Popesco, Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. Princess Grace designed the
whole of the decoration of this hall which was inaugurated on 17th December
1981 with Edwige Feuillre, Valentina Cortese and Dirk Bogarde. Run
by a committee whose president is H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie, under
the direction of Patrick Hourdequin, the theater is now extremely popular
with a very varied program where everyone can find something to satisfy
him.
The Fontvieille Area : The site used to stage the International
Circus Festival. Each year astonishing acts from the world of the circus
are to be seen here. A circular structure made of canvas, the Fontvieille
Area can, due its internal flexibility, house events of very different
types. It provides 4000 seats in the round without any obstacle spoiling
the spectator's range of vision apart from the four supporting masts.
In the show format, there is a huge 12 x 12 meters stage, 1.2 meters high,
for all sorts of musical or variety shows.
In the "various events" format, it provides various options
: organization of banquets, buffets, auction sales, conferences and television
recordings.
The Congress Centre - Auditorium : The flowering point of Art and
Culture. With its terrace-roof of enameled lava created by Vasarely and
the fitting in the Troparium of a Folon-designed carpet, "The Metamorphosis",
woven at Aubusson in a single piece of 70 square meters, usable in many
ways, the Congress Centre - Auditorium, facilitated the recording of symphony
concerts, televised shows ... It is one of the finest halls in Europe
where the Philharmonic Orchestra practices and gives its regular concerts
from January to December with a move from mid-July to mid-August to the
Court of Honor of the Prince's Palace. Capacity : 1100 people with an
astonishing range of lighting and acoustics.
The Monégasque Government is preparing an extraordinary extension
of its reception facilities with the Cultural and Exhibition Center on
the site of the old Centenary Hall. This Center will include an exhibition
hall of about 4,700 square meters in area, an auditorium with 1,200 places,
equipped as a show hall with exits at the sides and an orchestra pit (13
meters below the level of the sea), a recording studio and seven meeting
rooms of varying capacities with the most up to date technical equipment.
The Fort Antoine Theater : Built between 1709 and 1713 - during
the War of the Spanish Succession - on the headland of the Rock. Later,
in the reign of Prince Charles III, it was surrounded by gardens.
Rebuilt in 1954 at the behest of Prince Rainier III, as it had been partly
destroyed in 1944, the old bastion is today an open-air cultural and artistic
venue with a central stage, gardens facing the sea and capacity for 350
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