The best things to do in Menton, France
Menton is located on the border between France and Italy. It is a famous beach resort, a city of mimosas, lemons and hot sun. Also, Menton is home to one of the world's most interesting festivals called the Lemon Festival. It takes place in March and lasts 15 days. During this time the streets of the city are filled by tourists and, of course, lemons. In Menton, the influence of Italian culture is very noticeable. The architectural style of the buildings is similar to Italian, and in local restaurants you can taste delicious pasta and pizza.
It's a pretty quiet town. You won't find a lot of nightclubs and noisy parties here. However, Menton attracts visitors with its beautiful views, crystal clear beaches, coloured house architecture and delicious cuisine. Discover other interesting facts about Menton and its main attractions and tourist sights.
Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts)
The museum is located in the Carnoles Palace, the former summer residence of the Grimaldi family (Prince Albert of Monaco). In addition to works by contemporary artists, the museum displays paintings from the 13th and 20th centuries. The palace is surrounded by lush citrus gardens, which are themselves worthy of attention.
Address: 3, Avenue de la Madone, 06500, Menton.
Botanical Garden
The botanical garden of Jardin Botanique et Exotique Val Rahmeh is a great place to visit for
Musée Jean-Cocteau
The Jean Cocteau museum is housed within the walls of a fortress, an impregnable bastion built in the 17th century. Jean Cocteau, a famous French poet, artist and director, participated in the restoration of the fortress. Later the Bastion became an exhibition hall for his works. In addition to paintings by Cocteau, painted in oil and watercolor, the museum exhibits ceramics, handmade tapestries and mosaic panels.
Museum address: Bastion du Vieux Port Quai Napoléon III 06500 Menton
Cathedral of Saint-Michel
Climb the stone stairs from the Old Port to the Cathedral of Saint-Michel. Built in Baroque style, the Cathedral was consecrated in the 18th century. Inside the cathedral you will find beautiful decoration, expensive icons and valuable works of art. Among them, for example, is a painting by Orazio Ferrari The Adoration of Shepherds.
A chamber music festival is held in the cathedral courtyard every year. Jardin botanique Val Rahmeh The garden was created in the 19th century by Lord Radcliffe's family, an honorary Menton resident. Since 1967, the garden has been part of the National Museum. Now there are several thematic zones in the garden: a pond, a Mediterranean zone, a spice garden, a zone of medicinal plants.
Address of the garden: av. Saint-Jacques, Menton.
The real historical landmark of Menton is the building of the city market, built back in 1898. For more than one hundred years local farmers have been selling their best products in this nice red brick building. The market sells seasonal fruits and vegetables and here you can find the freshest and sweetest oranges and lemons.
Not far from the market is situated the small Anglican Church built in 1868. This church has almost completely preserved its original appearance since its construction. Thus, visitors can see beautiful ancient icons and other religious attributes of the 19th century.
Menton with children
For families travelling with children, there are also things to do in Menton. For example, spend a great day in Koaland Park. It is a small and very cozy amusement park, which has a Ferris wheel, attractions for kids, mini-golf courses and many beautiful places for chilling. Kids will be offered to ride around the park in cars or swim in the pool in a huge inflatable sphere, and a small zoo operates in the amusement park. In this picturesque and cozy park that children would love.
The Mini-golf du Pian Park offers a wide range of mini-golf courses for the whole family to enjoy. The park is very interesting and beautifully decorated, some of its playgrounds are suitable even for children. The park has comfortable seating areas and a café with a huge selection of children's favourite dishes.
During the warm season, Palmes Beach is a favourite holiday destination for tourists with children. It is not just a beautiful beach, where you can enjoy water fun and sunbathing, but a real entertainment center. In summer, travellers can rent a boat or book a sea tour. Older children can order a trip to the most interesting places and also try diving and snorkeling.
There are not many museums in the city, but some of them will be interesting to visit with children. An excellent example is the Carnoles Palace Art Museum, this modern art museum is quite different from the classic ones. Located near the Menton waterfront, it is a picturesque landscape park with many interesting sculptures. Children will also find it interesting to stroll through this original park, where you can admire not only unusual sculptures, but also exotic plants. There is a beautiful historical building situated on the territory of the park, which houses a collection of old paintings and sculptures.
Menton has many beautiful parks and alleys where you can walk with children, the most beautiful is the alley Les Jardins Biovès. A stroll along this alley, which leads to the sea, can turn into a fascinating excursion. It is decorated with a huge number of exotic plants, flowers and fruit trees. The alley is very spacious and in the shade of the trees there are comfortable benches. Near the alley there are many restaurants and cafes, and also a market where you can buy exotic fruits.
Another attraction for children is the Jardin du Palais Carnolès park, which attracts visitors with its variety of citrus trees. Children can see lemons and oranges grow here and visitors can also admire rare exotic plants.
Marineland
In Antibes is situated the famous dolphinarium water park called . Marineland is the only water park in Europe dedicated to the sea and marine wildlife. Amazing performances involving orcas, seals and dolphins are held in one of the largest swimming pools in the world with stands for 3 thousand spectators.
When to visit Menton?
January is considered the coldest month of the year, and July is considered the hottest one. In general, you can travel in Menton at any time, all year round Menton has pleasant, warm weather, and really cold days are rare even in winter.
Budget travelers can visit not only to budget restaurants, but also to numerous bistros, the best of which are located in the historic part of town. They serve excellent high quality dishes at the most attractive prices.
Menton is famous for its calm and safe ambience. You can walk around the city without worrying even late at night. At the same time, travelers should stay vigilant, in crowded places to keep an eye on personal belongings.
Italy has had a strong influence on the culinary traditions of Menton, during a walk through the historic area of the city visitors can find a huge number of cozy bistros. The best of them is considered Le Chaudron, where visitors are offered to taste the most popular national dishes.
