7 Reasons to visit Monaco
Ahh, Monaco. A name that whispers a world of glamour, hedonism and beauty. It speaks of mornings spent zipping to secret coves aboard a yacht, afternoons whiled away beneath swaying palm trees and sunset cocktails enjoyed alongside a lapping Mediterranean. Best of all? It’s less than three hours from London, and a shrewd booking with British Airways Holidays’ customer promise, which includes full ATOL protection alongside other flexibility clauses. And now, when you book with British Airways Holidays, customers can have a smart arrival with this exclusive Passport to Monte-Carlo offer: a complimentary helicopter transfer and entrance to museums and attractions in the principality of Monaco.
Life in Monaco is a languid affair; every scene seemingly shot through the lens of Slim Aarons. It’s little wonder that Grace Kelly fell under the spell of the world’s second smallest country, a sun-kissed stretch of coastline sandwiched between France and Italy, and its charismatic sovereign, Prince Rainier III, in the 1950s. With its opulent palace, exotic gardens, splendid Belle Epoque architecture and legendary Grand Prix, the statelet was worthy of the silver-screen starlet. Just as Kelly’s elegance came to personify Monaco, so the endeavours of her son and reigning sovereign, HSH Prince Albert II, are defining a new era. The eco-inclined prince is cultivating a Monaco that’s as green as it is glamorous, encouraging sustainable living in many forms, from roof-top gardens and beehives to electric superyachts. With progressive forces in motion, an illustrious heritage to discover and glorious weather to relish, here are seven reasons to visit Monaco.
1/7- To explore its dynastic past
To cut a long story short, Monaco became the domain of the House of Grimaldi in 1297, a dynasty that has largely maintained independence ever since. The Grimaldi family adopted a Genoese fortress set on the Rocher de Monaco as their stronghold, developing it over the centuries into a lavish Prince’s Palace, with Carrara marble floors, flamboyant frescoes, towering Murano chandeliers and an eye-popping art collection. When you visit (for you must), arrive no later than 11.50am to catch the changing of the guard at 11.55am. Not that you’d guess it from the palace but the Grimaldis were running low on funds come the mid-19th century and rolled the dice with the audacious launch of a casino. The gamble paid off: set in a flamboyant Belle Epoque building, the Casino de Monte-Carlo sealed Monaco’s position as one of the world’s most legendary destinations.
The Grimaldi dynasty includes a number of rulers who wrote important pages in the principality’s history. Charles III founded Monte-Carlo and paved the way for the country’s future prosperity; Albert I, an explorer scientist and reformer, devoted most of his life to the study of the seas and oceans; and Rainier III became known as the builder prince – it was during his reign that the principality acquired its modern look and reclaimed the Fontvieille district from the sea.
2/7- To experience its unique culture
True Monégasques represent a minority in their homeland yet with the most cosmopolitan population in the world, the micro-state has a strong cultural identity that blends linguistic, cultural and culinary influences from neighbouring France and Italy. This is reflected in the festivals (notably parade-abundant National Day on 19 November), food and architecture, the latter negotiating Monaco’s steep, rocky hills and narrow coastline using local stone and terracotta, alongside more modern high-rise buildings.
Make like a local by enjoying a morning stroll in the zen-inducing Japanese Garden, with bridges set across ponds, lanterns and a traditional tea house; stock up on artisanal souvenirs in the city’s old town (don’t miss La Chocolaterie de Monaco’s chocolate truffles and loose tea); and after a thrilling performance by the Monte-Carlo Ballet in the Salle Garnier, head to the Casino’s Bar Salle Blanche, where you can sip Negronis among Europe’s beau monde, chandeliers and sparkling mosaics. As Monégasques will proudly tell you, Monaco also has a peerless history of safety, born out of a century spent protecting Europe’s high-flyers, which has been extended in recent times to cover the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors in its rarefied bubble.
3/7- For its evolving architecture
Spanning less than a square mile, Monaco is smaller than London’s Soho yet packs a mighty architectural punch. The varied building styles run the gamut from the Prince’s Palace, a Genoese fortress dating from 1191, and the Roman-Byzantine Saint Nicholas Cathedral to Belle Epoque glories such as the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the Hôtel de Paris, with contemporary additions from acclaimed architects including Norman Foster and Renzo Piano. Marvel at the jewel-box magnificence of the Salle Garnier opera house, take tea beneath the mesmerising glass dome created by Gustave Eiffel for the Hôtel Hermitage, and admire the towering Musée Océanographique de Monaco, seemingly a natural extension of the waves that crash at its feet.
4/7- To stay in legendary hotels and spas
Monaco’s Hôtel de Paris is the stuff of hotel legend, long graced by stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Rita Hayworth, and host to many historical banquets and parties, including Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly’s wedding breakfast. A night in the hotel’s two-storey Princess Grace suite, with a private infinity pool, is as lavish as it is expensive. The Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo, with its Lagerfeld-designed rooftop pool and restaurant, Givenchy spa and pillared interiors, also warrants a place in the principality’s top-rung hotels. For a slightly more affordable option (by Monaco’s standards), head for the quirky, Brit-influenced Columbus Monte-Carlo, whose proximity to the Princess Grace Rose Garden makes for fragrant mornings. And you can’t beat the Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo for sea-view spa indulgence. It’s located between, and linked to, the Hôtel de Paris and its sister property, Hôtel Hermitage, so bring your best swimsuit or trunks to look the part.
MONTE-CARLO Société des Bains de Mer5/7- To sample the dynamic food scene
World-renowned French-born chef Alain Ducasse officially became a Monégasque in 2008 after spending several decades at the helm of the Hôtel de Paris’s kitchen. Ducasse is justly proud of his adopted nation’s food scene, whether he’s sampling artisanal ravioli in the Condamine market or exquisite concoctions served in Monaco’s Michelin-star restaurants. The latter range from Ducasse’s own three-star Le Louis XV and one-Star Restaurant La Table d’Antonio Salvatore at Rampoldi to Elsa, the world’s first all-organic restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star. But don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy simpler dishes such as fresh octopus at the harbour-front U Luvassu, herbed socca (chickpea pancakes) at Chez Roger’s market stall and calamari served with palace views at Le Castelroc. Platters of local cheese and pizza at low-key suntrap, Brasserie de Monaco on Port Hercule, are best enjoyed with its beer, brewed on-site, and while oysters may not qualify as simple, Fontvieille’s Les Perles de Monte-Carlo’s are as rustic as they come, washed down with a glass of organic wine.
6/7- For its world-class boutiques
Many retail connoisseurs usher in each fashion season with a visit to Monaco’s glittering One Monte-Carlo district, where Chanel, Prada and Balenciaga sit. Pick up designer classics from Valentino, Stella McCartney and Jacquemus at the chichi three-storey McMarket or head to the hip LULL Boutique for a curation of harder-to-find pieces including Maison Noir coats, Borsalino fedoras and vintage Levi’s. For all the design spectacle, the heart and soul of Monaco is found at the Condamine market where, beneath red and yellow parasols that billow in the sea breeze, you’ll discover local cheeses, fruits, seafood and delicacies such as barbagiuan (a fritter stuffed with ingredients including Swiss chard and ricotta), pissaladière (a thick-dough pizza originating from Liguria topped with caramelised onions, black olives and anchovies), and more socca.
7/77. To learn from its increasingly green ethos
HSH Prince Albert II launched his eponymous foundation to help protect the environment and promote sustainable development in 2006 following a trip to the Arctic in his great- great-grandfather’s footsteps. Struck by the extent of glacial retreat in the century between their visits, the sovereign committed himself to encouraging sustainable living in Monaco and far beyond. The state’s substantial effort to make transport greener is evidenced in its hybrid and fully-electric public transport system including e-bikes (Monabikes), as well as a series of free electric charging points and grants offered to citizens for electric cars. New buildings need to meet strict environmental regulations, local hotels grow vegetables, herbs and edible flowers in organic rooftop gardens and at the base of the Odéon skyscraper there's a huge urban plot with beehives and chickens to provide honey and eggs. Even Monaco’s boutique distillery, L’Orangerie (which offers private tours), crafts its delicious citrus liqueur from bitter oranges picked from trees lining the city’s boulevards, which historically went to waste.
Find your perfect Monaco holiday at ba.com/monaco
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Return helicopter transfers operated by Monacair are available from Nice Airport to Monaco for stays between Monday 18 October 2021 to Thursday 30 December 2021. A one-way helicopter transfer is also available upon arrival when you travel between Saturday 1 January 2022 to Thursday 31 March 2022 for a minimum two-night stay. Book your trip to Monaco – complete with helicopter arrival – with British Airways Holidays. Subject to availability.