Introduction
954km (593 miles) S of Paris; 18km (11 miles) E of Nice
The outspoken Katharine Hepburn once called Monaco "a pimple on the chin of the south of France." She wasn't referring to the principality's lack of beauty, but rather to the preposterous idea of having a little country, a feudal anomaly, taking up some of the Riviera's best coastline. Hemmed in by France on three sides and facing the Mediterranean, tiny Monaco staunchly maintains its independence. Even Charles de Gaulle couldn't force the late Prince Rainier to do away with his tax-free policy. As almost everybody in an overburdened world knows by now, the Monégasques do not pay taxes. Nearly all their country's revenue comes from tourism and gambling.
Monaco -- or rather, its capital of Monte Carlo -- has for a century been a symbol of glamour. Its legend was further enhanced by the 1956 marriage of the man who was at that time the world's most eligible bachelor, Prince Rainier III, to the American actress Grace Kelly....
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Jardin Exotique
Built on the side of a rock, these gardens are known for their cactus collection. They were begun by Prince Albert I, who was a naturalist and...
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- Picnics, Parks & Gardens
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Musée Océanographique de Monaco
Albert I, great-grandfather of the present prince, founded this museum in 1910. In the main rotunda is a statue of Albert in his favorite costume:...
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- Museums
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Musée National de Monaco
In a villa designed in a style similar to that of Charles Garnier (architect of Paris's Opéra Garnier), this museum houses a magnificent collection...
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- Museums
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