Attractions

Menton is situated on the Golfe de la Paix (Gulf of Peace) on a rocky promontory that divides the bay in two. The fishing town, the older part with its narrow streets, is in the east; the tourist zone and residential belt are in the west.

The filmmaker, writer, and artist Jean Cocteau liked this resort, and in the Musée Jean-Cocteau, Bastion du Port, quai Napoléon-III (tel. 04-93-57-72-30), you can see his death portrait, sketched by MacAvoy. Some of the artist's memorabilia is here -- stunning charcoals and watercolors, brightly colored pastels, ceramics, and signed letters. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm. Admission is 3€.

At La Salle des Mariages, in the Hôtel de Ville (town hall), rue de la République (tel. 04-92-10-50-00), Cocteau painted frescoes depicting the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, also the subject of his film Orphée. A tape in English helps explain them. The room, with its red-leather seats and leopard-skin rugs, is used for civil marriage ceremonies. It's open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5pm. Admission is 1.50€. Advance reservations are necessary.

Musée de Préhistoire Régionale, rue Lorédan-Larchey (tel. 33-93-35-84-64), presents human evolution on the Côte d'Azur for the past million years. It contains the 25,000-year-old head of the Nouvel Homme de Menton (sometimes known as "Grimaldi Man"), found in 1884 in the Baousse-Rousse caves. Audiovisual aids, dioramas, and videocassettes enhance the exhibition. The museum is open Wednesday to Monday 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm. Admission is free.

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Palais Carnoles, 3 av. de la Madone (tel. 04-93-35-49-71), contains 14th-, 16th-, and 17th-century paintings from Italy, Flanders, Holland, and the French schools, as well as modern paintings by Dufy, Valadon, Derain, and Leprin -- all acquired by a British subject, Wakefield-Mori. The museum is open Wednesday to Monday 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm. Admission is free.

A Day at the Beach -- Menton's beaches stretch for 3.2km (2 miles) between the Italian border and the city limits of Roquebrune and are interrupted only by the town's old and new ports. Collectively, they're known as La Plage de la Promenade du Soleil and, with rare exceptions, are public and free. Don't expect soft sands or even any sand at all: The beaches are narrow, are covered with gravel (or, more charitably, big pebbles), and are notoriously uncomfortable to lie on. Don't expect big waves or tides, either. Who goes there? In the words of one nonswimming resident, mostly Parisians or residents of northern France, who are grateful for any escape from their urban milieux. Topless bathing is widespread, but complete nudity is forbidden.

Unlike Cannes, where tens of thousands of chaises pepper the beaches, Menton has few options for renting mattresses and parasols; most people bring their own. Two exceptions are Le Splendid Plage (tel. 04-93-35-60-97) and Les Sablettes (tel. 04-93-35-44-77); both charge around 14€ for use of a mattress. They're immediately to the east of the Vieux Port.