Under the sparkling rays of more than 300 sunny days a year, Monaco glistens with promise. A thriving city on the Mediterranean coastline, just an hour from Nice Airport, this is a place where pleasure is a serious business. It is home to the rich and famous and their fabulous yachts, and a paradise for shoppers and spa-aficionados. The royal family brings a touch of Hollywood glamour to Monaco with the recently opened Princess Grace Promenade, a guided tour through the principality that takes in 25 landmarks loved by the late Princess.
Whether here for a convention at the globally acclaimed Grimaldi Forum, taking in the Formula One race or Tennis Open, catching one of the annual musical festivals or trying your luck at the casino, visitors should schedule in down-time in this recreational haven. Golf, tennis, yachting or other water sports are popular options, while the principality’s Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet and Opera companies are world famous, and there is no shortage of art to be found in the New Museum as well as the Grimaldi Forum.
Held on a narrow course that laps the island, Monaco’s Grand Prix is considered one of the most dangerous Formula One races in the world owing to its narrow roads, steep slopes and tight corners. Try watching the event from a hotel or restaurant terrace, while dining on one of the many special lunch menus created for the occasion.
A stalwart of Monaco’s social scene for some 10 years, Alain Ducasse’s glamorous establishment Bar and Boeuf has had its interior given a bold makeover. Its white floors, black lacquer ceilings, glass expanses and splashes of bougainvillea throughout are as Mediterranean as they are modern, well complementing the menu. For appetisers, expect unusual treats such as crostini with locally grown almonds and olives; for mains, order the signature sea bass or beef dishes, all served with imaginative lashings of meadow mushrooms, sweet marjoram, sundrenched tomatoes and other local flavours.
This year’s Tour de France kicks off in Monaco, which hasn’t seen participants whiz through the principality since 1964. In fact, southern French settings have only hosted the start of the race four times in the last 30 years. Enjoy the crazy buzz of the world’s most famous cycling meet at several events, beginning with a presentation of participants on July 2, a 15km trial race on July 4 and the official ceremony and race start on July 5. Given the enthusiastic support of Monaco’s monarchy, headed by Prince Albert II, visitors can expect glamour and excitement in equal doses.
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Discover Mad Burgundy, celebrating food and wine with for example “la cuisine au vin” or a balloon flight over the chateaux of Burgundy.
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Be Mad in the Riviera, spending a morning skiing and your evening sipping cocktails by the beach and then continue the madness by spending a night in the Hi-Hotel...
Enjoy new dimensions to Paris such as the crazy art of graffiti, new culinary adventures or discover the city’s vibrant events, festivals and exhibitions.
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