Visitor Information — The Direction du Tourisme et des Congrés tourist office is at 2A bd. des Moulins (www.visitmonaco.com; tel. 92-16-61-16).
City Layout — The second-smallest state in Europe (Vatican City is the tiniest), Monaco consists of four parts. The Old Town, Monaco-Ville, on a rocky promontory 60m (197 ft.) high. It’s the seat of the Prince’s Palace and the government building, as well as the Oceanographic Museum. To the west, La Condamine is at the foot of the Old Town, forming its ritzy harbor and port sector. This area also has an open-air daily market. Up from the port (Monaco is seriously steep) is Monte Carlo, the playground of royalty and celebrity, and the setting for the casino, the Tourist Office, and various luxurious hotels. The fourth part, Fontvieille, is a neat industrial suburb housing the Monaco Football club, which was purchased by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Thanks to the Russian’s financial backing, the club was promoted to the French premier league in 2013 and won the title in 2017.
Special Events — Two of the most-watched car-racing events in the world take place here in January (Le Rallye) and May (the Grand Prix); see www.acm.mc and www.formula1monaco.com. The Monte-Carlo Masters ATP tennis tournament (www.monte-carlorolexmasters.com) takes place in April. The Monte-Carlo International Fireworks Festival lasts all summer long. The skies above the harbor are lit up several times a week as millions of euros go up in smoke, courtesy of those who can assuredly afford it.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
