OVERVIEW
Sections
- 5 ACTIVITIES
- 4 STROLLS
- 1 FOOD MARKET
- 4 GARDENS
- 4 BEACHES
- 3 CHURCHES
- 4 MUSEUMS
- 3 VIEWPOINTS
- CARNIVAL
Map
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ACTIVITIES
STROLLS
| Name | Appeal | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Menton | ✦✦✦✦✦ | Old Town |
| 2 | Quai Bonaparte | ✦✦✦✦✧ | Seafront |
| 3 | Promenade du Soleil | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Seafront |
| 4 | Quai Napoléon III | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Jetty |
1. Old Menton
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✦
Type Old Town
Full Names
Vieille Ville
Vieux Menton
Old Menton, known as the pearl of the French Riviera, is one of the prettiest little mazes of streets you’ll find along the coast. It’s built on a small hill, and as you wander through the narrow pedestrian lanes, there’s always something waiting around the corner: a quiet little square, a staircase lined with flowers, an old stone archway framing a view of the sea or the mountains.
Everything in the old town seems to lead you toward the square in front of the Basilica of Saint-Michel with its beautiful baroque design looking out over the sea. From the seafront, there’s one main way up, a wide, dramatic stone staircase that makes the whole place feel even more majestic.
The colors have this warm, Italian feel, and the whole place is peaceful all year round. If you’re after a town with real charm and a laid-back vibe, full of light and character, Menton really stands out as one of the most beautiful spots on the Riviera.
2. Quai Bonaparte
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✧
Type Seafront
Full Names
Quai Bonaparte
Porte de France
Quai Bonaparte is one of Menton’s most iconic waterfront spots. It’s this long stretch lined with palm trees where you can take a super chill walk facing the Mediterranean. On one side you’ve got the sea, and on the other, the colorful houses of the old town. The view is stunning, especially at sunrise or sunset, when the buildings start glowing in gold and pink tones.
3. Promenade du Soleil
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Seafront
Full Name
Promenade du Soleil
The Promenade du Soleil takes you west along the seafront. It’s perfect for a relaxed stroll by the beach, with a wide-open view of the sea.
4. Quai Napoléon III
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Jetty
Full Name
Quai Napoléon III
This jetty from the old harbor takes you right up to the foot of the lighthouse, with the open sea on one side and a view of the old town on the other.
FOOD MARKET
| Name | Appeal | Opening | Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halles de Menton | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Every Morning | Covered |
1. Halles de Menton
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Opening Every Morning
Setting Covered
Full Names
Marché Couvert
Halles de Menton
The Menton market hall is full of life and food products every morning. You’ll find all kinds of fresh local produce, and sometimes there’s a little outdoor part set up right outside.
GARDENS
| Name | Appeal | Type | € | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Val Rahmeh | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Botanical Garden | €8 |
| 2 | Serre de la Madone | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Landscape Garden | €10 |
| 3 | Carnolès | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Citrus Garden | 0 |
| 4 | Biovès | ✦✧✧✧✧ | City Park | 0 |
| 5 | Pian | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Park | 0 |
1. Val Rahmeh
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Botanical Garden
Price €8
Full Name
Jardin Botanique du Val Rahmeh
The exotic botanical garden of Val Rahmeh is a peaceful little haven tucked into the hillside. It was created in the early 1900s by an English plant lover. It spreads over terraced land with everything from tropical rainforest plants to medicinal herbs, citrus trees and palms.
You’ve got over 1,700 species here, some rare or endangered. Water lily ponds, fountains and shaded paths give the whole place a dreamy feel. It’s the perfect spot if you want to wander around surrounded by nature, calm and a bit of science.
2. Serre de la Madone
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Landscape Garden
Price €10
Full Name
Serre de la Madone
The Serre de la Madone was designed during the 1920’s and 1930’s by an Englishman who brought back rare plants from his travels in Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond. It’s a great example of an English-style garden, intimate and full of surprises, with ponds, statues, fountains and shifting moods as you walk through.
You can totally lose yourself here, going from a tropical vibe to a Mediterranean corner. It feels almost like a quiet, magical place far from the city.
3. Carnolès
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Citrus Garden
Price Free
Full Name
Jardin d’Agrumes du Palais Carnolès
Carnolès Palace, once the summer home of the Princes of Monaco, is home to one of the richest citrus collections in Europe. Around 400 trees, covering about fifty different species, grow in its gardens.
More
4. Biovès
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type City Park
Price Free
Full Name
Jardins Biovès
Every winter, the Biovès gardens host the giant citrus sculptures of Menton’s famous lemon carnival during two weeks.
The rest of the year, it’s a peaceful place to walk.
5. Pian
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Park
Price Free
Full Name
Parc du Pian
Right next to Val Rahmeh, the Pian park is a great place for a picnic under the shade of centuries-old olive trees, in a calm green setting.
BEACHES
| Name | Appeal | Type | Length | € | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sablettes | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Coarse Sand | 350m (1150ft) | Public |
| 2 | Fossan-Marché-Casino-Borrigo | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Pebbles | 1km (3300ft) | Public |
| 3 | Rondelli | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Fine Gravel | 250m (800ft) | Mostly Private |
| 4 | Garavan | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Pebbles | 40m (130ft) | Public |
1. Sablettes
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Coarse Sand
Lenght 350m (1150ft)
Ownership Public
Full Names
Plage des Sablettes
Plage des Sablettes Ouest
2. Fossan-Marché-Casino-Borrigo
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Pebbles
Lenght 1km (3300ft)
Ownership Public
Full Names
Plage de Fossan
Plage du Marché
Plage du Casino
Plage du Borrigo
These 4 beaches sit right next to each other and form one long, continuous stretch of sand.
3. Rondelli
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Fine Gravel
Lenght 250m (800ft)
Ownership Mostly Private
Full Names
Plage Rondelli
Plage des Sablettes Est
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4. Garavan
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Pebbles
Lenght 40m (130ft)
Ownership Public
Full Names
Plage de Garavan
Plage Hawaï
CHURCHES
| Name | Appeal | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Michel | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Basilica |
| 2 | Sacré-Coeur | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Church |
| 3 | St. Roch | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Chapel |
1. St. Michel
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Basilica
Full Name
Basilique Saint-Michel Archange
The Basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange, Menton’s baroque gem, proudly overlooks the old town from its cobbled esplanade paved in black and white pebbles. Built in the mid-17th century, it forms a stunning ensemble with the façade of the neighboring Pénitents-Blancs chapel (not open to visitors) and Saint-Michel square. One of the most beautiful Italian-style settings you’ll see in France.
Its two-level façade with twin bell towers catches your eye right away with its warm colors. Step inside and you’ll find a decor inspired by the Church of the Annunziata in Genoa, with frescoes showing scenes from the lives of saints and a magnificent 17th-century organ.
It’s not just a place of worship, it’s also a major heritage site that reflects all the elegance and devotion of Mediterranean religious art.
More
2. Sacré-Coeur
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Church
Full Name
Église du Sacré-Coeur
Built in the 1910s, this church features a simple, modern design with neo-Romanesque style.
3. St. Roch
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Type Chapel
Full Name
Chapelle Saint-Roch
A very small 18th-century stone chapel.
MUSEUMS
| Name | Appeal | Theme | € | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean Cocteau | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Modern Art | €5 |
| 2 | Regional Prehistory | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Prehistory | €3 |
| 3 | Jean Cocteau Hall | ✦✧✧✧✧ | Frescoes | €2 |
1. Jean Cocteau
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Theme Modern Art
Price €5
Full Names
Musée Jean Cocteau
Le Bastion
The Bastion is a small fort built in the first half of the 17th century, right by the harbor. The French artist Jean Cocteau fell in love with the spot and took on the full restoration in the 1950s. He designed the mosaics, set up the display cases, imagined the whole layout, even the pebble floors, all with his free, poetic style. It’s a unique, lively space that matched his idea of an “anti-museum,” full of movement and creativity.
Cocteau never got to see its opening, but the Bastion still feels like a personal and touching glimpse into his world.
⚙️ Hours & Prices (Official Website – Fr)
A bit further along is the Jean Cocteau Museum – Severin Wunderman Collection, a large modern building dedicated to his work.
But it’s been closed since 2018 due to flood damage.
2. Regional Prehistory
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Theme Prehistory
Price €3
Full Name
Musée de Préhistoire Régionale
Housed in a former mansion, this museum features prehistoric animal fossils, reconstructions, and everyday objects that give you a feel for how people once lived in the region.
There’s also a room focused on regional antiquity and the Middle Ages, and another one dedicated to underwater explorations.
3. Jean Cocteau Hall
Appeal ✦✧✧✧✧
Theme Frescoes
Price €2
Full Name
Salle des Mariages Jean Cocteau
In 1958, Jean Cocteau turned the city hall’s wedding room into a full-blown work of art. He filled it with mythological frescoes: Orpheus, Marianne, a gypsy wedding, and baroque angels. The result is dreamy, theatrical, and tender, showing off all the poetry and boldness of his style.
VIEWPOINTS
| Name | Appeal | Type | € | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Observation Deck | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Observation Deck | 0 |
| 2 | Cimetière du Château | ✦✦✦✧✧ | Cemetery | 0 |
| 3 | Quais | ✦✦✦✧✧ | 3 Jetties | 0 |
| 4 | Jardin Simone Veil | ✦✦✧✧✧ | Park | 0 |
1. Observation Deck
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Observation Deck
Price Free
Up on the heights of the old town, right by the entrance to the cemetery, there’s a viewing deck where you get a view of the old town and Menton’s bay.
2. Cimetière du Château
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type Cemetery
Price Free
Full Name
Cimetière du Vieux-Château
From the edge of the cemetery, you can look out over the rooftops of the old town and along the Menton coastline.
3. Quais
Appeal ✦✦✦✧✧
Type 3 Jetties
Price Free
From the middle or end of each of the three jetties, you get a view of the old town’s colorful facades rising above the sea.
4. Jardin Simone Veil
Appeal ✦✦✧✧✧
Type Park
Price Free
Full Name
Jardin de la Paix Simone Veil
At the far end of the Pian park, there’s another viewing spot that gives you a different, more distant angle over the city and the coastline.
CARNIVAL
1. Fête du Citron
Appeal ✦✦✦✦✧
When 3rd and 4th weeks of February (each year)
Every year in February, for two weeks, Menton transforms to celebrate its signature fruit during the world-famous Lemon Festival. This one-of-a-kind event draws thousands of visitors who come to see the incredible citrus parades: giant floats covered entirely in lemons and oranges roll through the streets in a festive, colorful atmosphere. At the same time, the Biovès park turns into an open-air gallery filled with massive citrus sculptures, all lit up beautifully at night.
There are also nighttime parades, where the floats pass by under the lights, with live music, performers, and fireworks lighting up the Menton sky.
The festival is also big on sustainability, the citrus fruits used are resold as much as possible once it’s all over.
It’s a magical winter moment on the French Riviera, blending tradition, artistic flair, and love for local nature, all in a sunny Italian-style setting.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN FRENCH RIVIERA
Things to Do in Bormes-les-Mimosas Village
Things to Do in Gassin Village
Things to Do in Grimaud Village
Things to Do in Port Grimaud Village
Things to Do in Monaco Principality
Things to Do in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Village
Things to Do in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Headland
Things to Do in Saint-Paul-de-Vence Village