Welcome to Menton

A short guide to La Perle de la France (the Pearl of France).

Sightseeing

Many visitors come to Menton each year and fall in love with the town, particularly the Vieille Ville (Old Town), right where our apartment is. Take in the narrow winding streets, the beautiful photogenic spots on the yellow steps (Rampes Saint-Michel) leading to the Basilique Saint Michel Archange de Menton (les Escaliers) 50 metres from the apartment, and the panoramic view from Point de Vue de Port.

In spring, we have the annual Festival of Lemons (Fête du Citron), centred around Jardins Biovès, but festivities are spread all around the town.

There are a number of museums and galleries in Menton and the local area - the Jean Cocteau Mueseum is in a historical 17th century fort right on our port. There is a modern art museum in Jardins Biovès (Galerie des Musées), and many ancient artifacts are found at the Prehistoric Museum (Musée de Prehistorie Regionale".

There is a stunning botantical garden available in the hillsides of Menton - Jardin Botanique Val Rahmeh is open all year round except from Tuesdays. Château de Sainte-Agnes offers a stunning panoramic view of the Côte d'Azur and the Alpes from an altitude of 800m.

Food and drink

Located so close to the Italian border, Menton offers a varied cuisine with many traditional French and Italian restaurants, as well as amazing local seafood. A local speciality is Crepes - none finer than at La Petit Cave. To celebrate being in the lemon capital of the world, you must enjoy a freshly squeezed Citronade available at many places along Rue Saint-Michel. Tony Restaurant and Côte Bistrot are both excellent options in the Old town, or a little further afield we recommend La Ratonde by the Casino. L'Ambuscade is a short taxi ride from central Menton, but offers excellent grilled options.

For those of you looking for exceptional options, Mauro Colagreco's Three Michelin star rated Mirazur has been voted the best restaurant in the world. We recommend booking very early if you would like to experience this restaurant.

There are plenty of places to enjoy an Apero in Menton - Brasserie De Cap and Le New Pub are two of our favourite local spots.

For a quiet night in, there are plenty of takeaway options - Vulcano pizzaria is fantastic and great value.

Beaches

No visit to the Côte d'Azur would be complete without a visit to the beach. Fortunately, the beautiful Sablettes Beach is a few minutes walk away. Owing to it's secluded location within the bay, the waters are calm and clear and warm enough to swim in well into Autumn. If you head further East (towards Italy), Sablettes turns more sandy and there are chairs available to rent. On the other side of the fort, Plage du Fossan starts a stretch of beaches leading all the way to Roquebrune Cap Martin.

Sports

One of the most celebrated dates on the international sports calendar is the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. During the race weekend, there's an incredible buzz in Menton and the surrounding area. Monaco is a short train ride from Menton or Menton Garavan. There are usually various pop up activities in Menton itself, so keep a lookout for experiences by Formula One teams and sponsors in the town.

We have two local teams in the top division of French Football (Ligue 1). AS Monaco and OGC Nice both have regular matches from August until May. Tickets are available for Monaco and Nice.

At the foot of the Alpes, Menton is an ideal base for a trip to the mountains - Isola 2000 is the closest major ski resort during the winter, and has beautiful hikes and trails in summer.

Other Towns

Menton is ideally located to explore further along the French Riviera. Cap Martin offers wonderful scenery, and a short train ride takes you to Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Villefranche and many other picturesque towns. You can also take a train into Ventimilia in Italy and explore a completely different country, barely 1,5km from Menton.