Introduction to Monaco

Hemmed in by France and fronting the Mediterranean, sparkling Monaco staunchly maintains its independence and a tax-free policy that has attracted international glitterati for more than a century. Its capital, Monte Carlo, is an international symbol of glamour, with a grand casino, luxury shops and chandeliered palace hotels. But there's history here, too: Beyond the sleek yachts bobbing in the port, the Grimadi's Palais Princier, on "The Rock," watches over the principality like a wise old patriarch -- a stone-clad reminder that the Grimaldi clan has controlled Monaco since 1297.

Things to Do

Watch the perfectly synchronized changing of the guards at 11:55am outside the Palais Princier; then head inside to admire the State Apartments, dripping in opulent furnishings. Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848-1922) was an avid explorer and promoter of science and founder of the nearby Musée Océanographique in 1906. The museum's downstairs aquarium is one of the best in the world, pioneering marine preservation techniques; upstairs are the world's first submarine and 100-year-old marine curiosities from Albert's travels.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Put on your glad rags for a night at the glorious Charles Garnier-designed Opera de Monaco. When the last note has sounded, head next door to raise the stakes in the Belle Epoque Casino de Monte-Carlo, where tuxedoed international types play blackjack beneath 19th-century frescoed ceilings. For a Monégasque-style boogie, mini skirts lead the way to the chic nightclubs along Avenue Princess Grace. Or head to Quai Jean-Charle Rey on the other side of The Rock to down ice-cold bière in English-style pubs.

Restaurants and Dining

Michelin stars abound in Monte Carlo -- especially at chef Alain Ducasse's Louis XV restaurant, and in Joël Robuchon's Japanese and French eateries. But you can eat well on a lower budget, too: Beach babes and business folk devour anything from gourmet burgers to fresh sushi at Avenue 31 on Avenue Princess Grace; just behind, on rue du Portier, Mozza serves more than 15 types of creamy mozzarella to crowds of in-the-know aficionados.

Relaxation

When the tall towers and designer labels get to be too much, find solace in the turquoise seas ringing Avenue Princess Grace's pristine sandy beaches. Or breathe in the perfume of some 400 roses in Fontvieille's Princess Grace Rose Garden You'll find flora of a more prickly kind amid the desert-like scenery in the Exotic Gardens, which teeter precipitously over the principality, cliffsides studded with cacti and succulents. Or wind down over a deep, essential-oil-infused massage at the Metropole spa.