Monaco is one of the most interesting European destinations, mainly thanks to the reputation of a luxurious place that it has and that can be seen in every monument, street or shop you see. It is a city-state that ranks second on the list of the world’s smallest independent regions, after the Vatican. It is located in a luxurious location, between the Mediterranean and the French Côte d’Azur.
Despite not being large, there are many interesting places, all of them spectacular. If you plan to travel to Monaco , here is a small guide with the most interesting things you can find there:
Palais du Prince
It is the official residence of the Monegasque royal family , which was built in 1191. At 11:55 am, every day, the Changing of the Guard takes place, which is very interesting to admire. You can visit various areas of the palace. In the south wing is the Museum of Napoleonic Memories and Collections of the Historical Archives of the Palace, in which there are many portraits and objects that belonged to Napoleon.
Cathedrale of Monaco
Monaco Cathedral is the most important religious building, a 19th century cathedral that is in the Roman-Byzantine style. There are the graves of various members of the Monegasque royal family, most notably those of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Visiting hours are 8 am-6pm in winter and 8 am-7pm in summer.
Museums
– Oceanographic Museum : it is a marine science museum that was built in 1910 to preserve and investigate tropical and Mediterranean marine fauna. Its exhibition has numerous objects related to the sea, such as ships, skeletons of marine animals, weapons or tools, among others.
– National Museum : a very interesting museum that has collections of robots, metal toys and dolls from the 18th and 19th centuries.
– Museum of the Chapel of the Visitation : it is in the Chapel of the Visitation, a baroque style chapel dating from the seventeenth century. It houses very important art collections, especially the sacred art of Barbara Piasecka Johnson. It also has works by great artists such as Rubens, Vermeer or Zurbarán.
– Antique Car Collection : it is a museum that exhibits a spectacular collection of classic cars that belonged to Prince Rainier, counting for example a De Dion Bouton or a Lamborghini Countach.
Natural places
– Zoological Park : it was founded in 1954 and has more than 50 animal species from different parts of the world, especially from the tropics and Africa.
– Exotic Garden : it is a botanical garden that is on the side of the cliff and that houses more than 1,000 species of fleshy plants and cacti, as well as other less common species from places like Mexico or Africa. Inside it is also the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, which has archaeological remains that were found in the surroundings of Monaco.