Car Hire in Monte Carlo, France
Because of its exceptional geographical spot,
Monaco benefits from a moderate Mediterranean weather conditions, with typical annual temperatures of 16.2°C (62.16°F), and 300 days of sunshine per year, that makes it the envy of many other locations.
But the weather isn't the only attraction; a convention or seminar is a good excuse to seek out Monaco's various hidden charms.
Since the 1850's, a number of the world's leading architects have left their mark in Monaco as well as its neighborhood. Charles Garnier designed the Monte-Carlo Casino. Gustave Eiffel created a sumptuous villa in Beaulieu and even led to the design of the renowned winter garden at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monaco. You follow in their footsteps whilst walking all around the Principality and on the Mediterranean coast.
Appreciate the classic - almost baroque - façades. Some have even inherited oriental splendours from the 19th century. Behind most of the multicoloured mosaics, it's possible to view a glance of a bygone age.
Visitors will notice perfectly curved balustrades, sometimes enhanced with ceramics, and the typically Mediterranean terracotta stone railings which border paths leading to doors behind which lies History itself.
Some of the finest names across the world of art and culture have sought inspiration in Monaco plus the vicinity. The tranquility and also the Mediterranean warmth have aroused many of the most vivid visions of modernity. One name that springs in your thoughts is, of course, Le Corbusier.
Several creators have transferred their colourful magic into the bewitching ceilings of the tiniest churches. One thinks firstly of the diminutive quayside chapel decorated by Cocteau in Villefranche-sur-Mer, but Chagall and Matisse also performed their magic nearby.
Our era has witnessed a new desire for garden development, and the Principality of Monaco and also the surrounding areas are filled with fine examples. As being the Principality which desires to preserve its roots amidst the development of urbanization, it has established a group of parks along with gardens policy ;policy; with a total surface of 195 hectares, it has the second largest amount of open space -250.000 m2- of any city in Europe after Vienna. Just about everywhere, tourists can enjoy rare botanical species, as well as flowers and plants symbolizing simplicity and freshness.
Until the 19th century, there was the secret gardens which added onto the charm of the Principality's monasteries. But these Palace gardens were worthy of such a name. Prince Honoré II (1604-1662) didn't hesitate to demolish some of the Palace walls so as to make room for fountains, paths and also flower borders planted with citrus fruit trees.
The first indications of exoticism appeared in 1760 when the priest at the Church of Saint Nicholas introduced just a few "strange exotic plants". Princess Marie-Catherine, a keen botanist, became very involved in growing pineapples, aloes, Mexican beans, as well as tea imported from India and China.
Pharmacopoeia and landscape soon merged. In 1816, Prince Honoré V developed the very first gardens (the Saint Martin Gardens) on the Rock. Myrtle and pistachio trees soon became part of the local botanical scenery.
The "green revolution" happened in 1863 with the production of the gardens throughout the Casino, still in existence today. Edouard André combined a variety of styles: classic French pathways in the Boulingrins Gardens, and exotic nooks within the Little Africa Gardens.
All of this, developed with all the best care, blended in marvellously with the tradition of the French Riviera's remarkable gardens.
Lovers of fine gardens shall be enticed not merely by the landscapes at the Villa Hanbury, located just over the nearby Italian border, but also by still relatively secret gardens hidden in Monaco and around the Corniches.
The new Monaco railway station is now being constructed in an underground site; the Principality plans landscaping at least half of the land presently taken on by the old station.
The Italian border is a mere 10 kilometers away from the Principality. Italy and Monaco share a unique luminosity which enticed the great experts of art overall and painting essentially.
Yes, the Riviera brought Europe together before all the others did. The palm trees along its coastline know no frontiers. The azure blue Mediterranean lapping along its sea-shore has become a link. From Monaco to San Remo, people indulge in the gentle way of living as well as the happiness of falling under its charm.
When one thinks about the little ports, you'll find fishermen and holidaymakers alike. However, not so distant, high up in the Southern Alps, almost hidden among the valleys and waterfalls, visitors will see enchanting little Italian mountain villages. This is the Ligurian cradle of Monégasque culture.
Towers, castles, fortified places; stones, hewn piled up by men determined to defend their kingdoms, have remained proud traces everywhere in the Principality. Such objectives of History are legion here.
In the village of
La Turbie - the location of the white stone used to develop the Palace of Monaco - situated high across the Principality, one can enjoy the monument constructed in memory of Emperor Augustus. The Roman Empire constructed much here and along the Via Julia Augusta. La Turbie then became on the list of hill-top villages where men defended not only their independence but, also, their safety throughout the trials and tribulations of history. The Phoenicians, Romans and Saracens all passed with the nearby village of Eze, perched atop the mountains, so usual for the location. All have left a trace in the collective memory. All have contributed to these places which defy time.
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