Monaco
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The world’s second-smallest country has a coastline dotted with world-class shops, casinos, and cultural institutions, such as the Monte-Carlo Ballet and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The addition of an art fair to the scene in recent years is turMonaco
The world’s second-smallest country has a coastline dotted with world-class shops, casinos, and cultural institutions, such as the Monte-Carlo Ballet and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The addition of an art fair to the scene in recent years is turning Monaco, already a magnet for European aristocracy, into a destination for art world royalty as well. The curators behind Art Monaco aim to mirror the elegance and beauty of their surroundings. Now in its seventh edition and set to run April 28 through May 1, the event is a curated showcase for esteemed artists and dealers, featuring more than 4,000 works of art on display, and serving as a sophisticated social gathering place for the art world’s most influential figures.ESPACE FONTVIEILLE 5 AVENUE DES LIGURES +33 4 8306 6230 artemonaco.comSEE The history of Monaco is tightly bound to the Prince’s Palace, home of the ruling Grimaldi family for more than 700 years, and built as a Genoese fortress to protect the small nation. By the 19th century, the royal family had shifted its focus from defense to decadence and glamor, which the palace now represents. Hollywood star Grace Kelly gave this image a boost when she married Prince Rainier III in 1956. From March through October, visitors can enter the State Apartments and view gallery walls decorated with frescoes of mythological figures created by Francesco Mazzucchelli and Orazio de Ferrari in the 16th and 17th centuries. 98015, MONACO +377 93 25 18 31 palais.mcIn 1910 Monaco’s modernist reformer Prince Albert I inaugurated the Oceanographic Museum, which was constructed on the mythical Rock of Monaco. The museum counts among its past directors the renowned ocean explorer and conservationist Jacques Cousteau, who served for more than three decades. Behind its Baroque Revival façade is a collection of natural artifacts and an aquarium, which includes marine life from starfish and sea cucumbers to stonefish and sharks. In recent years it has started to attract artists as well; Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn, and Huang Yong Ping have all exhibited there. AVENUE SAINT-MARTIN +377 93 15 36 00 oceano.mcWith an arid climate, Monaco began importing succulent plants in the mid 19th century. It was Prince Albert I who, after acquiring the land in 1912, decided to formalize the Exotic Garden of Monaco as an accessible public space with footbridges and walking paths, which opened in 1933. Guests can find cacti and flowering plants from South Africa, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. In 1916, gardeners discovered a grotto used by prehistoric humans,which is open to guided tours. 62 BOULEVARD DU JARDIN EXOTIQUE +377 93 15 29 80 jardin-exotique.mcSTAY A showcase of Belle Epoque splendor with a cream-colored façade, wrought-iron balconies, and a harbor view, the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo is a local icon. Gustave Eiffel designed its Art Nouveau glass-and-steel cupola, and the 280 rooms are richly decorated in shades of beige and red, green, or blue. Be sure to try the Michelin-starred Le Vistamar, which specializes in local seafood, and pamper yourself in the 75,000-square-foot Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo spa, one of Europe’s finest. SQUARE BEAUMARCHAIS +377 98 06 40 00 hotelhermitagemonte carlo.comConveniently located next to Casino Square and Monte Carlo’s luxury boutiques, the Hôtel Métropole was built in 1886 and redesigned in 2004 in a modern Mediterranean style that has lent it a fresh atmosphere. It’s also a gastronomic destination, with three restaurants led by the world’s most Michelin-starred chef, Joël Robuchon. Exploring the Karl Lagerfeld–designed Odyssey—a garden, bar, and enclosed, heated seawater pool—is a must. 4 AVENUE DE LA MADONE +377 93 15 15 15 metropole.comArchitects Jean Ginsberg, Jean and José Notari, and Herbert Weisskamp designed the eye-catching Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel in the early 1970s. The bold creation was built into the coast and set atop the old Monégasque railway station, on piles driven into the seabed. Famously, Formula 1 cars race through the Fairmont’s tunnel, using it as part of the annual Grand Prix of Monaco circuit. With 602 rooms, an in-house casino, and a shopping arcade, the hotel is a destination in itself. 12 AVENUE DES SPELUGUES +377 93 50 65 00 fairmont.com/monte-carloEAT Le Vistamar offers some of the best views of the Mediterranean with its wide terrace over the waters. Chef Joël Garault serves local delights, such as croaker fish with grapefruit nectar and split pea pulp with fish roe, as well as a red mullet fillet in hibiscus broth with romanesco broccoli. Blue lobster comes with foamy garden peas and caramelized pearl onions. All dishes can be enhanced by regional wines. SQUARE BEAUMARCHAIS +377 98 06 98 98 hotelhermitagemonte carlo.comA local restaurant in Monaco’s business district, Castelroc serves Monégasque specialties such as barbajuan, an appetizer fritter filled with Swiss chard, zucchini, and rice. Found amid the galleries and shops of the main square, Castelroc’s other traditional offerings include spiced stockfish, a type of dried, unsalted cod. The restaurant is a visual throwback to the era of To Catch a Thief, the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock romantic thriller starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, and set on the French Riviera when it was entering its golden age as a travel destination. 1 PLACE DU PALAIS +377 93 30 36 68 castelrocmonaco.com Read more