Menton

Located not far from the Italian border, the lemon town of Menton is the most Italian of the French resorts on the Côte d'Azur. Menton is known as the favourite town for retirees because it has the mildest climate on the Mediterranean coast. Menton is so warm that it is one of the few places in France where even lemon trees can grow.

Every year in February there is a large-scale lemon festival, the Fète du citron, where all the giant figures in the parade are made up of 900,000 lemons and 300,000 oranges. It's a marvellous spectacle, which is why Menton receives around 400,000 visitors every year during this period.

Menton is full of old buildings, beautifully restored. A good example of this are the colourful buildings around Place Ardoino, including the town hall, Hotel de Ville. The old town, Vieux Menton, has a very attractive pedestrian area - full of shops and cafés and with a wealth of small narrow streets and very colourful buildings.

If you get tired of walking around looking at old buildings in Vieux Menton, there are plenty of other things to do including museums, parks and gardens as well as special recurring events (such as the aforementioned Lemon Festival). There is also a large casino along the waterfront and near the centre.

Menton is a city that has so much to offer that you really should set aside two days or more to get the most out of it. With easy access to several picturesque mountain villages, this is a great base for a longer stay in the area.

Menton has fine beaches on both sides of the city. The majority are located west of the city towards Cap Martin. The most easily accessible is the small Plage des sablettes at the foot of the old town. There are also several private beaches in and around Menton where you can rent sun loungers and get bar service. Despite the many private beaches, there are many public beaches.

Inspiration for your holiday:

Attractions:

The old town - guided tours organised by the Service du Patrimoine

L'eglise St Michel with main altar by Manchello (1569)

Les Chapelles des pénitents Noirs et des Pénitents Blancs

Musée des Beaux Arts: The city's main art museum is housed in an 18th-century palace, former summer residence of the Princes of Monaco. It features paintings by Graham Sutherland (1903-80), honorary citizen of Menton, as well as Italian and French art from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Galerie d'Art Moderne in the Palais de l'Europe: changing exhibitions by a wide variety of artists (sculptures, paintings, photographs and engravings).

Musée Jean Cocteau: Cocteau was responsible for the transformation of the former 17th century fort into a museum of his own works. He designed the salamander mosaic on the ground floor and donated his first tapestry to the museum.

Salles des mariages décorée par Jean Cocteau: Jean Cocteau decorated this room in 1957 with colourful images of a fisherman and his bride, the sad story of Orpheus and Eurydice and Provencal motifs such as a fish instead of a fisherman's eye.

The Musée de préhistoire régionale is a new prehistoric museum where you can see how people lived in the south of France 400,000 years ago. The museum also contains collections of fossilised parts of human skeletons as well as tools, jewellery and much more found during excavations around Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Prehistoric man, homo erectus, appeared quite early on European soil, especially in the area of the French Riviera, which is why the most important prehistoric finds have been made here.

Eco-museum of La Forge

Palais Carnoles and its garden

Jardin Bioves

Jardin des Colombières: designed by painter and writer Ferdinand Bac (1859-1952). It is said to have the oldest carob tree in France.

Serre de la Madone: Stunning garden - Classified as a historical monument

Activities in Menton

Fète du citron: the large-scale lemon festival celebrated every year in February

Golf - There is a wealth of golf courses in the Alpes Maritimes department. The French Golf Union has a website where most courses are presented. Unfortunately, the website is in French. Go to Guide de golfs and search here under the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region: http://www.ffgolf.org/

Ski resorts within a reasonable distance: http://www.skifrance.fr/default-a.htm.http://www.skifrance.fr/default-a.htm

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