WHAT TO SEE & DO
Overview Table
| Name | Appeal | Type | Visit | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seafront | ✦✦✦✦✦ | Seafront | Self | Free |
| 2 | Old Town | ✦✦✦✦✦ | Old Town | Self | Free |
| 3 | Food Tour | ✦✦✦✦✦ | Food Tour | Tour | Paid € |
| 4 | Garavan Viewpoint | ✦✦✦✦✦ | Panorama | Self | Free |
| 5 | Main Marina & Dikes | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Marina & Dikes | Self | Free |
| 6 | Beaches | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Beaches | Self | Free |
| 7 | St. Michel Basilica | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Basilica | Self | Free |
| 8 | Val Rahmeh Garden | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Garden | Self | Paid € |
| 9 | Carnolès Garden | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Garden | Self | Free |
| 10 | Viewpoint | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Panorama | Self | Free |
| 11 | Cemetery | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Panorama | Self | Free |
| 12 | Food Market | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Food Market | Self | Free |
| 13 | Garavan Marina | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Marina | Self | Free |
| 14 | Serre de la Madone Garden | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Garden | Self | Paid € |
| 15 | Sacré-Coeur Church | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Church | Self | Free |
| 16 | Carnolès Palace | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Museum - Fine Arts | Closed | Paid € |
| 17 | Regional Prehistory Museum | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Museum - Prehistory | Self | Paid € |
| 18 | Tourist Train | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Tourist Train | Tour | Paid € |
| 19 | Pian Park | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Park | Self | Free |
| 20 | Jean Cocteau Hall | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Frescoes | Self | Paid € |
| 21 | Jean Cocteau Museum | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Museum - Art | Self | Paid € |
| 22 | St. Roch Chapel | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Chapel | Self | Free |
1. Seafront
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✦
Type Seafront
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
The seafront in Menton is a picturesque promenade offering stunning views of the colorful architecture of the town, the Mediterranean sea and the distant hills.
2. Old Town
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✦
Type Old Town
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Vieille Ville
Menton’s Old Town is a maze of winding streets, with stair-stepped alleyways forming a labyrinth, all framed by rows of colorful buildings.
3. Food Tour
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✦
Type Food Tour
Visit Guided Tour
Cost Paid
A food tour in Menton offers a journey through the unique flavors of the region, with a focus on local produce and Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
4. Garavan Viewpoint
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✦
Type Panorama
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
This spot, perched on the heights just minutes from the Italian border, offers breathtaking panoramas of the French Riviera, with sweeping views of Menton, the Mediterranean Sea, and the lush mountains that surround the town.
5. Main Marina & Dikes
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Marina & Dikes + Panoramas
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Vieux Port de Menton
The town’s main port, also known as the old port, is medium-sized and enclosed by two dikes and a lighthouse.
Marina
Dikes + Several Viewpoints
There are several viewpoints along the dikes, offering different angles to admire the town’s colorful façade.
6. Beaches
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Beaches
Visit Self
Cost Free
Menton’s beaches feature a mix of pebbled and sandy stretches, perfect for a leisurely walk, sunbathing, or swimming.
7. St. Michel Basilica
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Basilica
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Basilique Saint-Michel Archange
St. Michel Basilica, located in the Old Town a bit elevated from the sea, dates back to the 17th century and is built in the Baroque style.
Its interior is richly decorated, including notable frescoes on the ceiling.
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Exterior
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Interior
8. Val Rahmeh Garden
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Garden
Visit Self-guided
Cost Paid
French Name
Jardin Botanique du Val Rahmeh
This botanical garden, situated on a slight elevation, dates back to the 19th century and features exotic trees, lily ponds, and fountains.
9. Carnolès Garden
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Garden
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Jardin d’Agrumes du Palais Carnolès
A historic garden notable for its extensive collection of citrus trees, also featuring several statues throughout its grounds.
10. Viewpoint
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Panorama
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
Another viewpoint, situated on the heights above the Old Town, which offers pleasant views over the town, beaches, and coastline.
11. Cemetery
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Panorama
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Cimetière du Vieux-Château
Perched on a hill above the Old Town, the cemetery offers a serene place with sweeping views over the town and the sea.
12. Food Market
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Covered Food Market
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Names
Marché Couvert
Halles de Menton
The food market in Menton takes place every morning.
It is held indoors in the city’s covered halls, with some stalls occasionally set up in in front of it.
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Exterior
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Interior
13. Marina Garavan
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Marina
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Port de Menton Garavan
Menton has another marina, slightly out of the center, which is twice as large as the main one but quieter and more residential.
The seafront extends to this area, providing views of the marina.
14. Serre de la Madone Garden
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Garden
Visit Self-guided
Cost Paid
French Name
Serre de la Madone
A terraced garden created in the 1920s, featuring rare plants and charming garden design, along with statues, ponds, and fountains.
15. Sacré-Coeur Church
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Church
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Église du Sacré-Coeur
The church was built during the 1910s and is in the Neo-Romanesque style.
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Exterior
16. Carnolès Palace
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Fine Arts Museum
Visit Closed
Cost Paid
French Names
Palais Carnolès
Musée des Beaux-Arts
The museum is closed for renovation work.
This 18th-century mansion now houses the Fine Arts Museum.
It is located in the garden of the same name (n°9 on this page).
17. Regional Prehistory Museum
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Prehistory Museum
Visit Self-guided
Cost Paid
French Name
Musée de Préhistoire Régionale
A small museum focusing on prehistoric artifacts from the Menton region.
It also features a room dedicated to regional antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Another room is dedicated to underwater explorations.
18. Tourist Train
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Tourist Train
Visit Tour
Cost Paid
French Name
Petit Train Touristique
The tourist train provides a convenient and enjoyable way to explore the city, offering an audio-guided tour of the town’s highlights.
19. Pian Park
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Park
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Parc du Pian
A rather large city park filled with a lot of olive trees, featuring a panoramic view of the sea at the end.
20. Jean Cocteau Hall
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Frescoes
Visit Self-guided
Cost Paid
French Name
Salle des Mariages Jean Cocteau
The wedding hall at the town hall is open to visitors and has been uniquely decorated by the 20th-century French artist Jean Cocteau.
21. Jean Cocteau Museum
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Art Museum + Exhibitions
Visit Self-guided
Cost Paid
French Names
Musée Jean Cocteau
Le Bastion
This small museum is dedicated to the artist Jean Cocteau.
It is located in a 17th-century bastion that the artist himself had restored, including its interior decoration.
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Exterior
🏞️ Google Images Overview – Interior
⚙️ Visitor Info (Official Website – Fr)
A bit further away is the Jean Cocteau Museum – Severin Wunderman Collection, a large modern building that houses works by the artist.
However, this building has been closed since 2018 due to flooding.
22. St. Roch Chapel
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Chapel
Visit Self-guided
Cost Free
French Name
Chapelle Saint-Roch
A very small 18th-century stone chapel.
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