Are you going on a road trip to Italy and Liguria? Or going on holidays on the French Riviera? Stop before the border and discover the neighborhoods where you can stay in Menton!
Where to sleep in Menton? Last French city before Italy, after you’ve passed Nice, (the largest city of the French Riviera) and Marseille, (the capital of the region), Menton is a very touristic city located in the Alpes-Maritimes department (06), in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region. Known as the “Pearl of France”, Menton has a Mediterranean climate – almost subtropical, it is said – characterized by mild and sunny winters, and hot and dry summers. Between the historic center, the magnificent seaside beaches or the heights, staying in Menton will allow you to discover a unique historical, cultural, culinary and architectural heritage, a city occupied since the Upper Paleolithic (about 45,000 and 12,000 before the present).
Today populated by 28,231 Mentoners and 75,000 people in the urban city, Menton is the emblem of lemon and orange production in France, and is to neighboring Nice what Cassis is to Marseille, a delightfully charming town on the coast near cultural powehouse of a big city. The Lemon Festival, which takes place during the last three weekends of February, is a must-see activity in the city. Agricultural, tourist and commercial town, you will certainly not be bored during a stay or a passage in Menton. Here is our presentation of the neighborhoods where to sleep in Menton.
Historic center
Photo credit: Flickr – jurek d. (Jerzy Durczak)
The high cliffs protecting the city from the cold alpine winds allow it to grow lemons. Menton is also known for the splendor of its tropical gardens. In the old town center, don’t miss the Biovès garden, located on Avenue Boyer, near the Casino Barrière and Promenade du Soleil. The historic city center stretches from west to east along the Bay of the Sun, from Cap Martin to Sablettes Beach. Wandering around the colorful buildings of the city centre, it is easy to understand why Menton was the first Provençal city to be awarded the “Ville d’Art et d’Histoire” label.
The medieval alleys – sheltered from the hot sun all year round – are as cute as you can imagine. We stroll along the Provençal squares, through a maze of narrow streets that cascade down to the sea, where the ocher and yellow facades cover with light. To see: the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel on the Place de la Conception, in Baroque style, the rue Longue, the small marina, many museums (Musée Jean Cocteau, Musée de Préhistoire Régionale Stanislas Bonfils, the garden of the Palais de Carnolès. The city center offers beautiful walks in vast urban gardens, making it a pleasant neighborhood to stay in in Menton.
The seaside
Photo credit: Flickr – François Philipp
Along the bay to the west, there is a long urban cordon with many hotels to stay in in Menton, and access to beaches to stroll along the Italian coast, on the left. In the district, take a walk around the Russian Orthodox Church of Menton, with its typical dome contrasting with Provençal architecture: it is because the region has been a holiday destination for Russians since the end of the 19th century. East of Menton, there is a string of pleasant but sometimes crowded beaches: Hawaii beach, Rondelli beach, Les Sablettes beach, Marché beach, Casino beach, Borrigo beach.
The heights of Menton
Photo credit: Flickr – Jacques Dufrenoy
To stay in Menton, you don’t have to book a hotel to sleep by the sea: going up to the heights offers sumptuous views of the bay, Italy to the east and the Monegasque coast to the west. On the heights, don’t miss the Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden, a 19th century garden of 15,000 m², which attracts 15,000 visitors per year. Discover the Gorbio Valley, Upper Borrigo, Mont Gros and the Fossan Valley: the interior shows sites that are really embedded in the mountains.
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