Monaco-ville Sights and Landmarks Guide, Monaco

The beautiful Mediterranean scenery and its fascinating past make the little Principality of Monaco one of the most appreciated tourist destinations in Europe. Monaco is in fact a city-state, whose entire surface is a little below 2 square kilometers, and it is divided into 4 quarters: Fontvieille, Monte-Carlo, La Condamine and Monaco-Ville. Monaco-Ville is the historic part of the town, situated on a stony promontory that brought it the nickname ‘The Rock’ (‘La Rocher’) and it concentrates most of Monaco’s historical buildings.

Monaco-Ville Sights - Historical Buildings and Museums

Strolling around the streets and keys in Monaco-Ville is a real pleasure, not only because of the well preserved historic buildings, but because, except for those vehicles belonging to the residents, cars have no access here. The Monaco Cathedral, the Prince's Palace and the Palais Princier State Apartments are a must-see for anyone visiting this amazing city-state. The Monaco Cathedral, built in a Romanesque-Byzantine style, holds the remains of Monaco’s royal family. Those who want to witness the solemn ceremony of changing the guards at the Palace, have to remember that it occurs daily at 11:55 am.

Miscellaneous object and artifacts of historic relevance like: uniforms, swords or coins can be admired at the Musee des Souvenirs Napoloneans et Archives Historiques du Palais. Also, right near the Palace, there are two other thematic museums, one dedicated to the princes of Monaco – Historial des Princes de Monaco, the other to the city’s history – Musee de Vieux Monaco. Last, but not the least between Monaco-Ville sights, the Oceanographic Museum is world famous for its stunning location on the edge of the cliff and the 250,000 liters of sea water that are pumped daily into its aquariums. This fascinating museum was built by Prince Albert I, following de plans of oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau.

Monaco-Ville Sights - Other Attractions

The Rock is still guarded by the Fort Antoine, easy reachable by following the Quail Antoine 1er (Antoine the 1st Key). It you decide to take this walk, you’ll have the opportunity to admire some of the world’s most famous and luxurious yachts. Due to their architecture and historic meaning, several administrative buildings can be listed as Monaco-Ville sights: the Justice Palace, the City Hall, or the National Council. Last, but not least, La Chapelle de la Misericorde is an old church built in 1639 of great importance for Monegasques, as it is the starting point of the Good Friday ceremony. Besides the historical district of Monaco-Ville, Monaco has plenty of other interesting attractions to offer: you might want to read the Monaco Travel Guide and Monaco Sights sections for a more global perspective.