We spent a week based in Menton in the Cote d’Azur (read the blog post here ) in the corner that buts up to Italy in the maritime Alps region of France in May. We were right on the train line so decided to take a side trip to Èze and another to Monte Carlo in Monaco, both only about 15-20 mins and a few stops from Menton. Whilst we’re glad we visited both, we found they’d both been hyped up by people looking for something we were not – that perfect Insta shot, expensive terrace lunch or bucket list tick. You can watch our video of the triple towns of Menton, Eze and Monte Carlo here.
Not so easy Èze
Eze is one of those medieval hilltop towns that might have been charming once (or might still be in winter) but it has been ruined by its own reputation. Influencers posts and travel blogs saturate this town with praise (in the hope of attracting more $$ ) which has driven this town to be added to every bucket list and cruise ship tour. From 9 am on any day the narrow steps and terraces are jammed which took away the joy for me.
There are two ways up – take the bus or walk the Niettsche path. I love a walk so we chose the later, but if I had of known how hot and steep it was I would have taken the bus ( it wasn’t until after we scrambled, slipped and sweated our way up, for 1.5 hours that I found a google summary that said: the ascent climbs about 365 meters over roughly 2 kilometers of steep, rocky switchbacks, taking about 1 to 1.5 – 2 hours to hike.) If like us, you want to take the bus down – look for #82 bus sign on the road at the foot of the town near the market. It costs 2 Euro cash or you can tap on with a credit card – the machine wasn’t working when we rode the bus so we got the ride for free.
We staggered off the Nietsche path (named after the famous 19th century german philosopher, Friedrich Nietsche, who apparently walked the path each day up to Eze to stimulate his mind and improve his health) at the base of the splendid Château de La Chèvre d’Or – a 5-star hotel and restaurant built in the former residence of Prince William of Sweden. We dried off by standing on the staircase above the villa where there was a nice breeze then headed up with the throng to the terraces above. This village is small and charming with lots of tiny cobblestone streets and dates back to the middle ages. It clings impressively to the mountainside above the Mediterranean Sea, between Menton and Monaco. The shops are mainly candied fruit and nougat, gelato, souvenirs and art. Nestled on the top of the cliffs of Èze is the Jardin Exotique with terraced landscapes of plants (cactus, local flowers and international plants). We didn’t visit the gardens as the queue was long and the prices high and we had visited a much larger Jardin Exotique in Menton and were a little underwhelmed.
At the very top of the village is the ruins of the original chateau which dates back to the 12th century (however the local Èzasques have occupied this area since 220BC). At the base of the town near the bus stop there’s a parfumerie, a gelato store and a few market stalls daily offering food and wares- on Sundays this expands to about 20 stallss on Place de la Colette. If you’d like something larger, head down to Èze-sur-Mer on Fridays for the coastal market, where seafood, Provençal specialities and artisan products are set against the Mediterranean backdrop.
Right royal Monaco and Monte Carlo
Monaco is the second smallest sovereign state in the world after the Vatican City and with a population of 38,423 living in an area of 2.08 km2 – it is also the most densley populated. Only 10,000 Monegasque locals are amongst the population with the rest made up of temporary residents seeking to avoid paying tax. Monaco has no personal tax and very low business tax which means cost of living is high with the state paying for very little. It is favoured by those who enjoy gambling, car racing and mega yachts!
We visited as they were setting up for the Grand Prix in May and the main epicenter of Monte Carlo was caged off making it impossible to explore the high-end boutiques and to get around. We took the train to Monaco from Menton and arrived in the Monte-Carlo district of Monaco which has all the glamorous high-end shopping and glitzy casinos, We found the La Condamine area with its picturesque pedestrian streets and enjoyed coffees and juice as we plotted our ascent up to Le Roche.
Authentic, quaint Monaco-Ville- Le Rocher
We earnt our visit up to the old town (La Rocher) by climbing up a lot of stairs from Port Hercule. The stairs begin at the southwestern end of the harbour, near Place d’Armes. Look for the historic, winding brick pathway called the Rampe de la Major (or Rampe Major). The stairs wind up through pretty gardens and fountains, we arrived at the top of the cliffs to find the charming historic original medieval heart of the principality of Monaco.
We walked around (but not in) the Prince’s Palace of Monaco (home to the Grimaldi family), and still inhabited by the current princely family. Built from 1215 onwards on the remains of a Genoese fortress, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco has survived the centuries by undergoing many transformations.
We also discovered some of the famous Belle Epoque architecture in the apartment buildings and villas and the the neo-Romanesque Monaco Cathedral, as well as the world-renowned Oceanographic Museum. We didn’t go inside any of these due to costs but enjoyed them from afar.
We walked back down to the port via the fisherman’s walk which follows the old castle walls. It was a little hard to find but if you follow the signs to the car park and then go out the back where the busses park you will find a path that hugs the coast. There were a couple of sets of steps down to rocky coves with impossibly clear water and nearer the port a concrete tiered swimming area. There are not a lot of beach or coastal options for Monaco as it has the world’s shortest national coastline (3.83 km) of any non-landlocked nation,
